Boy critical in snowsled collision Lincolnville 9-year-old thrown 150 feet in crash

LINCOLNVILLE – A 9-year-old boy was in critical condition Sunday after a high-speed snowmobile accident Saturday on Pitcher Pond that threw him 150 feet, leaving a “tremendous debris field,” a Maine Warden Service lieutenant said.

Frank Feener, 9, of Lincolnville was airlifted by a LifeFlight of Maine helicopter from the pond, located off Route 52, to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Lt. Bill Allen said Saturday. Feener was in critical condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman Sunday.

Richard St. Clair, 51, also of Lincolnville, was the driver of a snowmobile that was competing in a radar race at the time his machine hit the boy’s snowmobile. St. Clair was taken to Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast, where he was in stable condition Sunday, according to a nursing supervisor.

Some radar races are sanctioned, Allen said, and snowmobilers participate to see who can go the fastest. Many machines will travel at well over 100 mph, he said. When asked why there was no safety zone for Saturday’s race to prevent anyone from getting in the way of a racer, Allen said it was his understanding Saturday’s race was an informal event.

According to Allen, Feener was traveling south on the pond on a relatively slow, single-cylinder snowmobile. As St. Clair was overtaking the youngster’s machine, Feener turned his snowmobile and his machine was hit broadside at a “very high rate of speed,” Allen said.

Although snowmobilers are not required to wear helmets, both Feener and St. Clair were wearing helmets, Allen said, noting that Feener’s head gear broke when he was hurled into the air.

In Maine, Allen said there are no age restrictions for riding a snowmobile on one’s own property, but operators must be at least 10 years old to drive on public property or someone else’s land, except when supervised by an adult.

Feener’s father witnessed the accident, Allen said.

So far this season, there have been five snowmobile fatalities, the lieutenant said.

“Speed seems to be our biggest problem this year,” he said, noting that all of the fatalities were speed-related. He did not know how many cases were alcohol-related.

Allen said that there had been no mention of alcohol being connected with Saturday’s crash.

“Generally, it’s not the kids,” Allen said, referring to causes of accidents. “It’s the adults. Our biggest problem right now is speed.”

Allen said the Pitcher Pond accident is still under investigation by Warden Service Sgt. John Blagdon and Warden Chad Abbott, but no charges have been brought at this time. The case will be referred to the Waldo County District Attorney’s Office. Potential charges could include, operating to endanger or imprudent speed.

“I really don’t know what the answer is,” Allen said, when asked about reducing the number of snowmobile accidents. He said there will continue to be accidents and fatalities as long as sleds are manufactured that can exceed 100 mph.

Allen said that he did not know how fast St. Clair was traveling when he hit Feener’s snowmobile broadside. However, when someone is hit hard enough to be thrown 150 feet and to leave such a debris field, “there was a lot of speed somewhere,” he said.