A 41-year-old snowmobiler is dead following a crash in Oswego County.

Authorities are investigating a fatal snowmobile crash on Hog Back Road in the town of Orwell, New York.

New York State Police arrived at the scene at approximately 11:00pm last night, January 17, 2022 after a snow plow truck driver for the Town of Orwell found a black Yamaha snowmobile with what is being described as "major front-end damage" off the shoulder of the roadway close to a utility pole.

Troopers found an unconscious man lying near the snowmobile.  They say that he was not breathing.

The driver, identified as Steven M. Cronk Jr. from Altmar, New York, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The NYSP says that, according to their preliminary investigation, the snowmobile was headed west on Hog Back Road when the driver appears to have failed to negotiate the curve.  The snowmobile left he roadway and hit the utility pole.

Anyone who may have been a witness or who was in the area at the time is asked to call State Police.

There is currently no information available as to why the driver may have failed to negotiate the curve but police say their investigation is continuing.

According to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) there were 159 snowmobile accidents during the 2020-2021 season, fifteen of which were fatalities.  The numbers, warns the NYS OPRHP, may not e accurate because many snowmobile accidents go unreported unless law enforcement personnel are called.

Data Source: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Data Source: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
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