Second person dies from snowmobile crash in first hour of the new year in Isanti County

The two went out onto Lake Francis for a brief snowmobile ride, returned to shore and hit a tree, the Sheriff's Office said.

January 3, 2023 at 10:22PM
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Faith Nelson (Walsh, Paul/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A second person has died from a snowmobile crash in the first hour of the new year in Isanti County, officials said Tuesday.

Passenger Faith Nelson, 21, of Cambridge, Minn., was taken from the scene, the 2500 block of NW. Paradise Trail in Bradford Township, about 12:50 a.m. to Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and died there, according to the Isanti County Sheriff's Office.

The snowmobile's operator, Hunter Melander, also 21 and from Cambridge, died at the scene, the Sheriff's Office said.

The two went onto Lake Francis for a brief snowmobile ride, returned to shore and hit a tree, the Sheriff's Office said.

"Preliminary investigation indicates that speed and impairment [from drugs or alcohol] are possible contributing factors in this crash," a statement from the Sheriff's Office read.

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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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