Hubbard County Sheriff Gary Mills has urged snowmobilers to use extreme caution on trails after several individuals were injured in three separate snowmobile accidents last weekend, according to a press release.
At 9 p.m. Friday, deputies responded to an accident on a snowmobile trail inside Itasca State Park south of State Highway 200 on Hubbard County Road 123. The driver, Albert Ulwelling, 30, of Elk River, was traveling south on the trail when he hit a tree with his Artic Cat snowmobile. As a result of his injuries, First Responders transported Ulwelling by rescue sled to North Ambulance. He was later airlifted to North Memorial Hospital in Minneapolis. He was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday.
At 1:50 a.m. Saturday, deputies responded to an accident on Hubbard County Road 9 in Helga Township. Zachary Reimers, 29, of Prior Lake, was driving east in the ditch when he struck a large rock while crossing a driveway. He was transported by ambulance to North Country Regional Hospital with leg injuries. He remained hospitalized in stable condition on Tuesday afternoon.
At 6:59 p.m. Saturday, deputies and troopers from the Minnesota State Patrol responded to a collision involving a snowmobile and Toyota Camry at the intersection of State Highway 71 and Hubbard County Road 9. The driver of the snowmobile, Joseph Allen Foldoe, 16, of Red Lake Falls, suffered a broken leg and was transported to North Country Regional Hospital. A passenger on the snowmobile, 9-year-old Brandon Mark Foldoe, was also transported to the hospital. Both boys were treated and released.
The driver of the car, Rae Keashly, 51, of Park Rapids, was not injured. Two passengers in her vehicle - Deborah Gergen, 46, of Park Rapids, and Sky Cloud, 50, address unknown - were treated for minor injuries.
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Hubbard County has experienced an increase in snowmobilers staying and riding in the area due to the recent snowfall, according to the press release. On Saturday, Hubbard County deputies conducting snowmobile patrol reported checking 230 snowmobiles in a short period of time along the Heartland Trail between Nevis and Park Rapids.
