4 separate snowmobile crashes cause injuries in northern Minnesota

Four separate snowmobile crashes caused injuries last week and over the weekend in northern Minnesota.

According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, speed was the main factor in the majority of crashes reported.

Authorities reported a snowmobile crash Thursday at about 9:19 p.m. along the Paul Bunyan Trail in Backus. When authorities arrived, they learned a 66-year-old man was on a snowmobile when it rolled over and left the trail. The man was taken to a Brainerd-area hospital.

Friday at about 11:12 p.m., the sheriff’s office reported a snowmobile crash on the Old Grade Trail Northeast in rural Pine River. When authorities arrived, they learned a 33-year-old man was snowmobiling when the snowmobile left the trail. The injured driver was also transported to a Brainerd-area hospital.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reported two separate crashes Saturday, one at 11:21 a.m. and the second at 4:33 p.m.

The first was reported on the Bull Moose Trail in Bull Moose Township. Authorities learned a 54-year-old woman was on a snowmobile when it left the trail, entered a deep ravine and collided with a large tree. The woman was treated at the scene, then taken to a St. Cloud-area hospital.

The second crash was reported on a trail in Fairview Township. First responders learned a 43-year-old man was on a snowmobile when it left the trail, injuring the driver. The man was treated at the scene and then transported to a Brainerd-area hospital.

Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch advised all snowmobile operators to understand the machine they are using as well as the trail on which they are riding. Burch also advised snowmobilers not to exceed speed for the conditions or terrain encountered.