The death of a renowned outdoorsman in a Wyoming ski accident is being described as a homicide.
Teton County Coroner Brent Blue made the determination in the death of 71-year-old Peter Wuerslin, according to Fox News.
Wuerslin was mortally injured in a collision with an unidentified 34-year-old skier on the slopes of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort last month.
Wuerslin had served as a ski instructor at the resort since 1978, according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
The instructor was skiing with a group of friends when the other party collided with him, according to Ski Magazine.
In a surprising—but not unheard of—determination, the Teton County Coroner ruled the death of Jackson Hole, Wyo., ski instructor Peter Wuerslin a homicide. Click below to read the full story. #SKI https://t.co/dMLu4wVB3p
— SKI Magazine (@skimagonline) May 4, 2024
The exact nature of the collision is unclear, with one source described by Ski Magazine as a member of the ski patrol saying that the younger skier “failed to maneuver” around Wuerslin on his way down a mountain slope.
Wuerslin died three days later of injuries sustained from the crash.
Should criminal charges be filed in this death?
The other skier was released from an area hospital the same day.
Wuerslin was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to Snow Brains, but the person he collided with apparently was not.
Blue described Wuerslin’s cause of death as an “intracranial hemorrhage.”
The coroner’s assessment is independent of any law enforcement investigation.
The Teton County Sheriff’s Office indicated last moth that it was investigating the collision.
Potential witnesses to the crash are being asked to call Detective Bret Bommer at 307-733-4052.
Wuerslin’s outdoor accomplishments include a six-year global bicycle ride that spanned six continents and 45,000 miles.
Friends of Wuerslin shared tributes to the ski instructor on social media, with some pointing to his extensive bicycling experience.
“We will miss Peter, who died yesterday after another skier ran into him,” Jackson, Wyoming local Angus Thuermer said of the deceased.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort President Mary Kate Buckley described the organization as “devastated to have lost a beloved member of our community” in a statement provided to Fox.
“This is obviously very sad for the organization and the community and our heart goes out to the family.”
