The McDonald's restaurant on Fourth Avenue was closed Monday out of respect for an employee killed Sunday in a snowmobile accident, a franchise spokesman confirmed today.

"I am sure you can understand the staff is deeply saddened and grieving right now,” Chris Stannell told the Star from McDonald's corporate headquarters in Vancouver.

Stannell said all other information regarding details of the tragedy and the identity of the employee will be the responsibility of the RCMP to provide.

The name of the deceased has not been officially released.

The restaurant was open for regular business today.

The RCMP reported Monday a 32-year-old Whitehorse woman died while snowmobiling near the Fraser, B.C. Canada Customs station on the South Klondike Highway.

She was fatally injured after the snowmachine she was driving nose-dived over a short dip at about 3:30 p.m.

It appears the woman may have been injured after she struck her head on the handle bars, Whitehorse RCMP Sgt. Don Rogers reported.

He said the B.C. coroner's office has ordered an autopsy. At this point, Rogers added, it does not look like alcohol was a factor.

The passenger riding on the back of the snowmachine involved in the fatal mishap was not injured, and both were wearing approved safety helmets.

Personnel from Emergency Medical Services attended the scene but the woman was already dead when they arrived.