Man dies in snowmobile accident
Davenport Police on Friday released the name of the man who died this week after he was thrown from the snowmobile he was riding.
David Allen King, 46, of Davenport, was riding a 1990 Polaris snowmobile near West 60th Street and Wisconsin Avenue on Thursday when he lost control as he was traversing a downhill slope at a residential driveway intersection, police said.
The snowmobile struck fencing along the northside of the driveway and King suffered fatal injuries when he was ejected, police said. The crash occurred about 5 p.m.
Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard said that all the snow that fell during December is luring people with snowmobiles out onto fields and trails.
“We haven’t had snow like this for ages, and so people who’ve got snowmobiles are out,” he said.
He said that it is vital that riders wear helmets and other protective gear and be aware and knowledgeable of the trail being used.
“You don’t know what’s under the snow,” Conard said. “And we don’t have any real wilderness-type areas. Every field around here has a fence, so riders need to be very careful.”
The Iowa Department of Natural Resourcesm Web site indicates persons under 12 must be accompanied by a qualified person riding on the same snowmobile. Persons 12 to 15 must have a valid safety certificate and be under the direct supervision of a qualified person. Persons 16 to 17 may operate unsupervised, but must have a valid safety certificate. Persons 18 or older may operate a snowmobile without a safety certificate.
Thomas Geyer can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.