No charges in skier death at Telluride

No charges in skier death at Telluride

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

October 12, 2006

MONTROSE — A grand jury has decided not to issue an indictment or report in the death of a 16-year-old boy who fell from a SnoCat snow groomer at Telluride Ski Resort.District Attorney Tom Raynes announced the grand jury’s decision Wednesday in the death of Brooks “Hoot” Brown in March.Mountain Village police have said Brown was among people riding on the back of a SnoCat operated by resort employee Aaron Apanel when Brown fell off and became tangled in its tracks. The machine wasn’t designed to carry passengers in the back.Police arrested Apanel on suspicion of criminally negligent homicide.Resort representatives did not immediately return calls seeking comment Wednesday on the grand jury’s decision not to indict anyone.Raynes said laws keeping grand-jury investigations secret prevented him from elaborating on the investigation.Mountain Village police investigator Robert Walraven said he respected the grand jury’s decision.“As the officer involved in the case, I’m obviously disappointed, based on the facts of the case, but I do respect their opinion. We’ve done everything we can for Hoot Brown in pursuing justice in his death,” he said.