RANGELEY, Maine (AP) — The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says two people were killed in separate snowmobile crashes.

The Friday fatalities bring to six the number of people who have died in snowmobile crashes in Maine during the current winter season.

The first fatality was reported around 11 a.m. Friday in Rangeley when a 41-year-old Pennsylvania woman who was operating the snowmobile on the Bald Mountain Camps Trail failed to negotiate a turn. The victim, whose name has not been released, died at the scene of the crash.

Investigators say operator inexperience may have been a contributing factor to the crash.


The second fatality was reported just before noon on Friday south of Baxter State Park on the Interconnecting Trail System about 3.5 miles East of Abol Bridge.

Alan Paquette, 55, from Ashburnham, Massachusetts, was killed when he failed to negotiate a turn and collided with several trees.

Game wardens say unfamiliarity with the trail and speed likely contributed to the crash.