St. Louis County Man, 67, Dies After Being Trapped Under Snow Groomer

Timothy Peterson was plowing the driveway of his Grand Lake Township home when the tracked snow groomer he was operating pinned him beneath it. The 67-year-old Carlson Road resident died at the scene on March 3, one of six agencies unable to save him despite an immediate emergency response.

St. Louis County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched at 3:12 p.m. to the 6800 block of Carlson Road after a report of a man trapped under the equipment. The Grand Lake Fire Department, Mayo Ambulance, LifeLink, St. Louis County Public Works, and Lake City Towing all responded. Medical personnel determined Peterson was deceased upon their arrival.

The groomer was an older, privately owned piece of equipment designed for trail use that Peterson had been using to clear his driveway. The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office was explicit that the incident did not take place on a snowmobile trail and occurred entirely on private property.

Investigators from the Sheriff's Office responded alongside the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office. "There did not appear to be any foul play suspected," the Sheriff's Office said in its press release. The death remains under investigation by the Sheriff's Office in conjunction with the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office.

Anyone seeking information can contact the Sheriff's Office media contact, Sgt. Berndt, at (218) 336-4372, or reach the agency's main line at (218) 726-2340.