Staff Writer
TOWNSHIP 13 RANGE 5 – A Windham youth vacationing with family in Portage over the holidays died of injuries sustained in a snowmobile crash on Saturday, Dec. 27. “Kyle Rogers, 15, of Windham, was traveling westbound on ITS 90 in T13, R5 WELS, towards Portage, when he went off the southwest side of the trail and hit a tree at approximately 3:30 p.m.,” said Maine Warden Service Lt. Doug Tibbetts.
The teen, who was wearing a helmet, was the second in a group of eight snowmobilers out on the trail, according to Tibbetts.
Rogers reportedly struck a tree when his machine went off the marked trail, located east of Portage.
“Rogers was driving a 2004 Arctic Cat 700 Fire Cat. He was making a long, slight corner when the incident occurred,” said Tibbetts. “None of the others saw the incident.”
Tibbetts said freezing rain that limited visibility and speed may have been contributing factors. The incident remains under investigation.
Rogers was transported by the Ashland Ambulance Service to The Aroostook Medical Center, and then sent by ambulance to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. He was pronounced dead at 9:28 p.m.
Warden Dave Milligan and Sgt. Brian Gray also responded to the scene and assisted with the investigation.
This marks the second snowmobile-related fatality in five days, according to the Maine Warden Service. A 19-year-old Cushing man died while riding his snowmobile on a road on Monday, Dec. 23.
Snowmobile safety was one of the topics being addressed this week in Augusta.
Local and state officials met in Augusta on Dec. 30 to take part in the Maine Warden Service and Maine Snowmobile Association annual Snowmobile Season Press Conference. Each year, the Maine Warden Service partners with the Maine Snowmobile Association to discuss the snowmobile season, from industry impact on Maine’s economy to law enforcement, safety education and emergency response efforts. Attendees included: Gov. John Baldacci; Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Roland “Danny” Martin; Col. Joel Wilkinson, chief warden of the MWS; Bob Meyers, executive director, Maine Snowmobile Association; as well as game wardens from regions throughout Maine.
