Drugs, alcohol ruled out in snowmobiler’s death

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Updated: February 25, 2012 8:19AM

It appears alcohol or drugs were not a factor in the fatal snowmobile crash that killed Shane Diaz late Friday.

The 39-year-old snowmobiler from the 700 block of Beethoven Street in Volo hit a cable gate — a cable with some yellow sleeves on it between two posts — on Lake County Forest Preserve property.

Coroner Artis Yancey said Monday alcohol or drugs did not appear to be a factor and that Diaz died of trauma to the upper torso. Wauconda paramedics tried to revive him on the scene.

John Tannahill, chief of the forest preserve ranger police, said the accident occurred near Lakewood Forest Preserve near the intersection of Fairfield and Gossell roads just before 10 p.m. when Diaz, who was wearing a helmet, went off the marked trail with another snowmobiler and hit the cable. The other rider was not injured.

Forest preserve rangers and Illinois Department of Conservation police are investigating the accident.