A snowmobiler in a group on a trail in northeastern Minnesota crashed into a tree and died, authorities said Sunday.
The wreck occurred just after sunset Saturday on the Cook Area Snowmobile Trail near Buyck, roughly 50 miles northwest of Ely, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.
The snowmobiler was identified as Melvyn MacDonald, 35, of Fort Frances, Ont.
"Initial indications are that speed and alcohol are factors" in the crash, a Sheriff's Office statement read.
According to the Sheriff's Office:
MacDonald, second to last in a large group of riders, went off the trail and hit a tree. The last snowmobiler located MacDonald.
Passersby and emergency personnel gave aid to MacDonald before he was declared dead at the scene.
Paul Walsh
