Woman dies in snowmobile mishap in B.C.

A 32-year-old Whitehorse woman is dead following a snowmobile accident Sunday one kilometre west of the Fraser, B.C. customs station.

A 32-year-old Whitehorse woman is dead following a snowmobile accident Sunday one kilometre west of the Fraser, B.C. customs station.

According to RCMP in Carcross who responded to the scene, the woman was driving a two-seater snow machine with a passenger on the back when the vehicle came to an abrupt halt after dropping several feet.

“She remained on (the vehicle) but may have come forward and struck the steering mechanism,” Whitehorse RCMP Sgt. Don Rogers told the Star today.

“She crested a hill and came down on what’s being described as a drop of about two or three feet.”

The passenger was uninjured.

Police are not releasing the victim’s name until the coronor’s report on the fatal injury has been released.

“The injury is to be determined by the B.C. coronor’s service ... there’s a cross-jurisdictional component here,” Rogers said. “The accident happened in Atlin’s policing area but Carcross RCMP were the first responders.”

Other snowmobilers riding with the victim went to Canadian customs, and border service staff alerted the Carcross RCMP.

Driver inexperience may have contributed to the fatal mishap, police said.

Alcohol is not believed to be a factor.