Send this article to Promobot

Selawik man dies in Noorvik-Selawik trail snowmachine accident

December 29th 8:32 pm | Hannah Heimbuch Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

Selawik resident Floyd Knox was killed during a high-speed snowmachine crash on the Noorvik to Selawik trail last Wednesday evening. Knox, 35, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

According to an Alaska State Troopers report, Knox lost control of his vehicle twice about five miles outside of Noorvik, where he had been participating in a city league basketball tournament.

Sergeant Duane Stone of the Kotzebue trooper post said speed and alcohol were the two significant factors in this single-vehicle crash.

"We had a gentlemen that was there for the sporting event, was driving home at a high rate of speed, lost control and killed himself because of the speed," Stone said.

Knox passed another traveler on the trail just moments before rolling his snowmachine the first time and getting back on. That person witnessed both the initial rollover and the fatal one that occurred a half mile later.

"He passed somebody going really fast, got bumped off his machine by hitting the rough spots on the trail, got back on and in just a short distance flipped it."

Knox was thrown from the machine, which rolled and flipped a number of times, Stone said. Knox was not wearing a helmet, and though Stone said he can't be certain it would have prevented a fatality in this case, a helmet would have protected Knox from the head injuries that contributed to his death.

The state medical examiner has requested an autopsy in Knox's case.

Stone emphasized the need for caution on trails like the one between Noorvik and Selawik, saying regular conditions do not allow for high rates of speed.

"They're par for this time of year. It's a little bumpy here and there," Stone said. "We've got people doing 70 or 80 miles per hour on trails that aren't designed for that."

Stone said the normal bumps and divots of the trail become incredibly dangerous when traveling too fast. Helmets, careful driving and slow speeds are all important for staying safe on the trail.

Alaska communities have seen several snowmachine-related deaths this winter. This includes Brandon and Roger Cleaveland, two Ambler men who died after attempting to skip their machines over the Kobuk river.

Additionally, Karl L. Martin Jr. of Tanacross, 42, lost control of his snowmachine outside of Tok on Monday, then died later of his injuries after transport to Anchorage.

 

Contact us about this article at editor@thearcticsounder.com

Copyright 2012 The Arctic Sounder is a publication of Alaska Media, LLC. This article is © 2012 and limited reproduction rights for personal use are granted for this printing only. This article, in any form, may not be further reproduced without written permission of the publisher and owner, including duplication for not-for-profit purposes. Portions of this article may belong to other agencies; those sections are reproduced here with permission and Alaska Media, LLC makes no provisions for further distribution.