18-Year-Old Dies in Snowmobile Crash near Wadena

It was Peterson's first time riding a snowmobile.

WADENA, Minn.–An 18-year-old man died in a snowmobile crash near Wadena on Saturday.

The Wadena County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a snowmobile crash just north of the Wahoo Valley Bar & Grill at approximately 1:25 p.m.

First responders attempted to perform CPR, but were unsuccessful. Eighteen-year-old Paul Weston Peterson of Motley was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers learned Peterson had left the Wahoo Valley Bar & Grill about a minute prior to his family. His father found the crash.

The Wadena County Sheriff’s Office says Peterson appeared to have swiped a tree with the snowmobile ski and was thrown from the machine.

It was Peterson’s first time riding a snowmobile. He was wearing his helmet and alcohol was not a factor in the crash.