Close Menu

No Charges Filed in Recent Skiing Death

Three skiing deaths have occurred at Colorado resorts this season. The most recent one involves a woman from Pennsylvania who had recently skied an expert run on Aspen Mountain. She was waiting for a friend when she was struck by another skier, a 53-year-old woman from New York. After the collision, she was rushed to a nearby hospital where a coroner pronounced her dead – the cause was traumatic brain injury.

Initial reports indicated that the victim was standing in a shadowed area and was wearing dark clothing at the time making her hard to see. Both women were wearing helmets at the time and the 53-year-old did not suffer serious injury. Investigators were brought in to examine the circumstances but it seems that no charges will be filed in the matter. An attorney working on the case determined that there was not enough evidence to support charges of negligence or recklessness against the surviving skier.

Even without a criminal case, the possibility of a civil suit being filed remains. The family of the deceased was contacted after it was announced that no charges would be filed. According to her brother, the family is focusing on mourning its loss rather than targeting what can be done at the moment. He said that more than 300 people attended her funeral with relatives coming from all across the country to mourn and share their condolences.

Some have called the incident a fluke, that no party can be blamed for the incident. Though this may be the case in this situation, it is not the case in all skiing accidents. In the past, resorts and individuals have been held liable for the injuries sustained by other skiers. Though no criminal or civil charges may come out of this particular case, there are many others that could create such accusations.

Source: Westword, “Natalie Egleston skiing death: No charges in collision that took her life on Aspen Mountain,” Michael Roberts, March 4, 2013

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn