Catching hit and run-away skiers

A hit and run, whether it’s in a car, bike, boat or ski is known in law as “Failure to stop or report an accident”. It’s also a criminal offense in any case most everywhere where injury or damage has been caused. 

The big question is “How do catch a run-away offender on a ski slope?” Try to imagine yourself, skiing with someone and that person gets hit by a reckless skier. What can you really do? Tough indeed if there’s no one accompanying the two of you, it’s hard to forget about the fallen and possibly injured individual and chase the perpetrator. 

It’s then left to willing witnesses or safety personnel if they’re available on the spot, willing and able to chase the skier. In that situation, it becomes almost impossible to provide a description of that person, unless their attire is so unique that it can can be instantly spotted anywhere on the mountain. 

Without obvious solutions, I suggest that ski resorts set up video cameras in highly trafficked areas as well as major ski run intersection and also at the base of every single lift. Since it’s easy to remember the time of the collision, it would suffice then to review what happened in the general area where the collision took place, provided a camera has recorded the incident. 

Then, when the delinquent’s clothing and appearance has been identified, investigate each lift camera and review the users to match the culprit with one or several entries at a time that reasonably precedes the time of impact and once identified correlate the picture with the information tied to the ski pass of that person that has been pinged by the RFID gate or similar system. 

Not only could that strategy catch reckless users after a hit and run, but also warn potential predators to slow down and that they’re watch at all time, risking their season passes. Granted, that requires a little bit of work, but a sure way to identify a good suspect!