A Mapleton man died after losing control of his snowmobile Saturday night.

According to the Maine Warden Service, Brian Buck Jr. was driving his Polaris XCR 800 on ITS 76 in Mapleton Saturday when he failed to negotiate a right curve. His sled struck a large snowbank on the side of the trail and became airborne, causing the snowmobile to tumble end over end, before coming to rest on its side. Buck was thrown from the sled and suffered fatal injuries in the crash.

He was found unresponsive by a friend, who went to check on him after he failed to return from his ride. Efforts to revive Buck by game wardens and Mapleton fire and rescue were unsuccessful. Wardens say it appears that excessive speed was the major factor in the accident.

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