SOLON — A Connecticut woman died Saturday night after she crashed her snowmobile into the shoreline of Ironbound Pond in Solon, according to game wardens.

Michelle Pavia, 43, of Stamford, Connecticut, was riding her snowmobile on the pond and heading toward the shore at about 9:45 p.m. when the accident occurred, according to Mark Latti, director communications for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Pavia, who was not wearing a helmet, drove off the ice and was ejected from her snowmobile when she hit the shoreline, Latti said. Pavia reportedly struck trees surrounding the pond and died at the scene.

Speed and operator inexperience are believed to have been factors in the crash, according to officials.

“Speed and inexperience combined can often result in crashes, and sadly they can be deadly,” said Sgt. Aaron Cross of the Maine Warden Service. “Operators should also wear their helmets whenever they are riding.”

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