2 teens killed in head-on snowmobile crash near Southey, Sask.
RCMP say witnesses told them the two snowmobilers had been drinking alcohol
Two snowmobilers are dead after they crashed head-on just outside of Southey, Sask., Friday night.
RCMP say the 15-year-old boy from Southey and 19-year-old man from Markinch, Sask. were riding in opposite directions in the north ditch of Highway 22 about 5 kilometres east of Southey. They crashed at the top of an approach at about 9:35 p.m. CST.
Officers arrived on scene a few minutes after the crash and attempted to revive the unconscious snowmobilers. They were both pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterward.
Witnesses say snowmobilers had been drinking
Investigators say it's unclear how fast the two drivers were travelling when they collided. Witnesses told RCMP the teens had been drinking before the crash.
The 19-year-old was riding with two other sleds and the 15-year-old was out with one snowmobiler.
The Coroner's office has order an autopsy.
Southey is about 60 kilometres north of Regina.
Snowmobiling community reaches out
Tylor Engelberts is the president of Local 306 Riders Union, a community made up of more than 11,000 Facebook members, including both teens.
"You know it just kind of reminds us that we got to ride safe and be aware of our surroundings and just try to do everything we can to make sure that the ride we're on isn't our last," Engelberts said.
The group is gathering money to send to the boys families.
"Being that they're members of our group it hits home, just knowing that they're my peers and everything," he said. "You know it will be felt across the snowmobiling community definitely being that they were so young and such adamant riders."