Death of Skier Killed in Collision With Another Skier Is Ruled a Homicide

Peter Wuerslin collided with an unidentified 34-year-old from uphill while skiing at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming on Sunday, April 14

The death of a Wyoming-based ski instructor who was killed after a collision with another skier has been ruled a homicide

The Teton County Coroner confirmed to PEOPLE that Peter Wuerslin's April 17 death after he collided with an unidentified 34-year-old skier on the morning of Sunday, April 14 at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) in Jackson Hole, Wyo., has been ruled a homicide.

Per a Facebook post made by the Teton County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) on Monday, April 22, the collision occurred at approximately 10 a.m. on the Rendezvous Trail at JHMR in Teton Village.

Wuerslin — a 71-year-old part-time ski instructor — was skiing with a group of peers when the unidentified skier collided with him from uphill, per the skiing industry site Snow Brains. He wasn't teaching at the time of the incident.

The resort told the outlet that Wuerslin was wearing a helmet when the collision occurred, but the unidentified skier was not.

Ski, a magazine focused on the sport, obtained ski patrol reports stating that the unidentified skier, who also lives in the Jackson Hole area, “failed to maneuver” around Wuerslin before the accident occurred.

Both men were taken to St. John’s Urgent Care Clinic in Teton Village, according to Snow Brains. The unidentified skier was released to recover at home, while Wuerslin was eventually transferred to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he was immediately put on life support.

The Billings Gazette reported his family saying that Wuerslin had “severe brain damage that is irreversible.” Per Jackson Hole News & Guide, he "never regained consciousness" after the collision.

Coroner Brent Blue confirmed to PEOPLE that Wuerslin's death was ruled a homicide and his cause of death is an intracranial hemorrhage. He joined JHMR as a ski instructor in 1978 and was a seasonal employee.

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“All of us at JHMR are devastated to have lost a beloved member of our community and a long-tenured instructor in our Mountain Sports School,” JHMR President Mary Kate Buckley said in a statement to Buckrail. “Our thoughts are with the family, friends, our employees and community members who are grieving this loss.”

JHMR’s Risk and Safety Director Jon Bishop, told the site: “These incidents unfortunately continue to be an occurrence for skiers. It is your duty as an uphill skier to avoid those below you. We ask that everyone ski in a safe and respectful manner.”

Per Ski, it's "very rare" for a death after a ski collision to be ruled a homicide.

TCSO says an investigation of the collision is ongoing, per multiple reports.

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