Nunavik woman dies in snowmobile accident

A young woman from Puvirnituq died Jan. 12 after being ejected from a snowmobile; the driver has been charged with impaired driving. (FILE PHOTO)

A 24-year-old man from the Nunavik community of Puvirnituq has been charged with impaired driving following a snowmobile accident that killed his passenger.

A woman riding on the back of the snowmobile died Jan. 12 after the two were ejected from the vehicle while riding through the Hudson Bay community of 1,600, Quebec police said Jan. 14.

The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Melanie Novalinga. The driver can’t be named until he appears in court.

Reports say the brother and sister were riding through the streets of Puvirnituq on the afternoon of Jan. 12 when the driver swerved to avoid another vehicle. Both were ejected from the snowmobile.

The Kativik Regional Police Force said that after its local officers arrived on the accident scene, Novalinga was taken to the local health centre and declared deceased.

Police later arrested the driver.

The investigation into the incident was handed over to the Sûreté du Québec provincial police force, whose investigators arrived in the community Jan. 13 to reconstruct the accident scene and interview witnesses.

Their investigation wrapped up Jan. 14.