Man, 22, Dead After Multiple Snowmobiles Collide on New York Lake
"There is no indication of criminality, and the incident appears to be a tragic accident,” said the New York State Police in a news release
"There is no indication of criminality, and the incident appears to be a tragic accident,” said the New York State Police in a news release Spencer Schmidt/Facebook Spencer Schmidt :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/spencer-schmidt-tout-021325-6e1c4057b9c84c0ba9a163d28d184c37.jpg "Spencer Schmidt")
An accident stemming from a multi-snowmobile collision on an upstate New York lake last weekend left a 22-year-old man dead, authorities said.
In a news release, the New York State Police said authorities responded to a report of a collision involving snowmobiles on Fourth Lake in the town of Webb on the early morning of Sunday, Feb. 9.
Upon arrival, authorities pronounced Spencer W. Schmidt, of Batavia, New York, dead at the scene following injuries he sustained in the crash, according to the New York State Police.
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“Preliminary investigation determined that Schmidt was riding with four friends: Cole Phelps, 26, Carl Stephens, 26, Joshua Boyle, 26, and Zachary Dusky, 26," the police news release read. "Dusky was the only rider who avoided the accident, and his snowmobile was undamaged."
Authorities further noted that, according to investigators, the collision involved a disabled, unoccupied snowmobile registered to Eric Butler, 37, which had been left on the lake.
“Evidence suggests that Schmidt, along with Phelps, Stephens, and Boyle, collided with one another and/or the stationary snowmobile,” the New York State Police said.
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Those involved in the crash were evaluated on scene did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, said authorities,
“At this time, there is no indication of criminality, and the incident appears to be a tragic accident,” the news release concluded.
The investigation into the accident is ongoing, said authorities, adding that the snowmobiles were taken in for additional examination by the State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit and Forensic Investigation Unit.
PEOPLE reached out to the New York State Police on Thursday, Feb. 13 for more information.
