GALETON MAN KILLED IN SNOWMOBILE CRASH

A Galeton man died late last Thursday night when the snowmobile he was riding went off a state forest road near Lyman Run State Park and struck several trees.

The victim, Carl R. "Rusty" Akers, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on Friday morning. Akers was riding on Lyman Run Road sometime near midnight and became separated from others in his group. His snowmobile left the road, traveled 65 feet and struck several trees.

Akers, who was wearing a safety helmet and other protective gear, died of head and neck injuries, according to Potter County Deputy Coroner Ken Wingo. A Forestry Bureau employee discovered his body at the accident scene while grooming the road for snowmobilers at about 7:30 Friday morning.

Wingo said results of an autopsy performed at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital showed that Akers was under the influence of alcohol and traveling at an excessive speed when he wrecked. He estimated the speed of the snowmobile at between 65 and 70 miles per hour. Akers' blood alcohol content was in excess of .2 percent; the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle in Pennsylvania is .08 percent.

Akers apparently outdistanced his friends and they lost track of him, Wingo added.

"He hit the trees at about five feet in the air," Wingo said, adding that the road's surface was icy under a new coating of snow.

Born March 18, 1980 in Alomogordo, N.M., he was the son of David and Linda (LaBar) Akers. He was a 1998 graduate of Galeton High School and was employed as a mechanic at Larry's Sports Center.