Man Speeding When Killed In UP Snowmobile Crash

CRYSTAL FALLS, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Authorities in Michigan's Upper Peninsula say a 54-year-old Illinois man was speeding on a snowmobile when he left a road and hit a tree, killing himself.

The Iron County sheriff's department in Crystal Falls says the fatal crash happened about 1:10 p.m. Thursday on a Department of natural Resources road in the unincorporated community of Amasa (AM'-uh-suh). It's about 55 miles west-southwest of Marquette.

The department says the man was from Mokena, Ill., about 25 miles southwest of Chicago. It didn't immediately release his name because relatives were still being contacted.

This was the second fatal snowmobile crash reported in Michigan in as many days. West Michigan authorities also said speed may have been a factor in the death of a 65-year-old Lake County man whose snowmobile struck a tree on Tuesday.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has endorsed an online snowmobile safety course aimed at young people. For more information, visit snowmobilecourse.com.

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