Park City rally driver, action sports icon Ken Block dies in snowmobile accident
Park Record
Christian Palma/AP
PARK CITY, Utah — Ken Block, a professional rally driver and a co-founder of DC Shoes, died in a snowmobile accident in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest on Monday. He was 55.
According to the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, Block was in the Mill Hollow area riding a snowmobile up a steep slope when the machine landed on top of him after upending. He was reportedly riding with a group but was alone when the accident occurred. Block was pronounced dead at the scene. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will decide the official cause of death.
“It’s with our deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident,” Block’s Hoonigan Racing Division said in a statement. “Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and a husband. He will be incredibly missed.”
Josh Probst of the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said there weren’t indications of high-marking, which is when snowmobilers attempt to ride up a steep slope and back down without getting stuck or flipping over. Probst added he wanted to be careful until he had more information on the accident report, but he passed on some general warnings about snowmobiling after heavy snowfall.
“The deep powder can play a factor,” Probst said. “With machines these days, they’re very powerful. And deep powder like that, it’s very possible to overturn a sled or have one upend, as it did in this situation.”
Block was a well-known rally car driver, taking home five X Games medals and winning Rally America rookie of the year in 2005. He also rose to fame for his “Gymkhana” videos, showcasing driving stunts. Hoonigan Racing Division is headquartered in Park City, according to its website.
Block is survived by his wife, Lucy, and their three children.
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