An Ottawa-area man says he will never use his snow machine again after losing his 26-year-old son in a snowmobiling accident earlier this week -- one year after he lost his brother the same way.
Ivan Petersen's son, Justin Petersen, 26, was killed after going off-trail Tuesday. Justin's 36-year-old cousin was injured in the same incident.
The accident occurred one year and one week after Ivan’s brother, Steven Petersen, 46, struck a fence post and died near Petawawa, Ont.
Petersen’s grieving parents said their son was married last summer and was expecting a baby this summer. They said he would have made an excellent father.
The Petersens said their son was experienced on the trails, having been on snow machines since the age of three.
They suspect a lack of snow on the trails this year caused their son’s machine to heat up, forcing him off-trail, where he apparently didn’t see a ditch in time to stop.
OPP Const. Joel Doiron reminded the public that it’s dangerous to go off-trail. “The trails are there for a reason,” he said.
A funeral service for Petersen will be held in Osgoode, Ont., on Monday, with a visitation on Saturday and Sunday in Metcalfe, Ont.
With a report from CTV Ottawa
