Monmouth County Man, 20, Killed in Skiing Accident

HUNTER, NY — A New Jersey man is dead following an accident on an expert ski trail in New York, police said. Zachary T. Thompson, 20, of the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold Township, was killed while skiing on the Racer’s Edge Trail at the Hunter Mountain Ski Center, New York State Police said on Monday.

He lost control and slid before leaving the trail and hitting several trees, police said. The Ski Patrol extricated him. He was treated by Greene County Paramedics and Hunter area ambulance personnel before being pronounced dead.

State Police are investigating the matter as an accidental fall. No foul play is suspected. An autopsy will take place at a later date.

The Racer’s Edge is a double black diamond (expert) trail.

Police told The Daily Mail this course was likely above Thompson’s experience level. Interviews with people who knew Thompson following the accident, which took place at 11:15 a.m. Monday morning, indicate he likely had three or four years experience skiing.

It was the second death at Hunter Mountain in the last month. Edwin Wood, 58, of Warwick, NY, died while skiing on the Annapurna trail, another expert trail, early last month. That death was also investigated as an accidental fall.

Photo credit: Ryssby via Wikimedia Commons.