Man Killed in East Bay Snowmobile Accident

A 32-year-old Illinois man was killed in a snowmobile accident in East Bay Township Sunday.

According to the Grand Traverse Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to a crash just off the marked snowmobile trail near the Rasho Road trailhead. Two people had been riding on a 2024 Polaris two-up snowmobile and collided with an iron powerline structure. Both the operator, a 30-year-old Illinois woman, and the 32-year-old male passenger sustained major injuries in the crash. Both subjects were treated at the scene and transported by East Bay Ambulance and MMR to Munson Medical Center.

The man died at Munson due to the severity of his injuries. Both riders had been wearing helmets in the collision. "It is believed that speed and inexperience of operating a snowmobile were contributing factors in this crash," according to the Sheriff's Office. The accident remains under investigation.