Flagstaff AZ (January 23, 2013) – A Tempe, Arizona seventeen-year-old died after being injured during a snow play, sledding accident on Monday in the area of Mountainaire, south of Flagstaff off of Highway I-17.

On January 21, 2013, at about 12:08 in the afternoon, the Highlands Fire Department received a report of a young man who was injured during a sledding accident in the Forest Service Road 707 hill area. Firefighter Paramedics provided first responder medical care to the victim. He was taken by Guardian Medical ground transport to the Flagstaff Medical Center where he received additional medical care, including surgery. Unfortunately he did not survive his injuries and was pronounced dead by FMC doctors late that same afternoon.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives learned that the young man had traveled to Flagstaff on Sunday with eleven of his high school classmates and two of their parents. The group spent the night at a local motel. On Monday, the group traveled to the Mountainaire area where they engaged in various snow play activities on a hill that showed signs of frequent and recent snow play. Although the snow was firmly packed and the down slope of the hill was conducive to sledding, the area had not received any intentional or professional improvements.

The teen was seated first on a plastic sled with one additional occupant seated behind him as they descended from the hilltop. For an unknown reason, the two lost control of the sled causing it to strike a tree at a significant velocity. The victim took the brunt of the impact and suffered multiple and serious external and internal injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. The other person on the sled sustained minor injuries.

This investigation will be continued by Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives and personnel of the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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