Shrewsbury Man Killed In Wachusett Crash Identified

SHREWSBURY, MA — The Worcester County District Attorney's Office Wednesday identified the Shrewsbury man who died in a skiing accident at Wachusett Mountain Monday.

John Lapato, 67, was skiing along a difficult trail at the Princeton mountain when he collided with a tree Monday morning. The DA's office did not release any other details about Lapato's accident.

Lapato was riding the Oxbow Chute, a black-diamond trail that cuts through two stands of trees about midway down the mountain. He lost control before crashing, witnesses told WCVB.

The man's death follows an incident last Wednesday when two young skiers got lost on the back side of Wachusett, according to the Princeton Fire Department. The two skiers were exploring outside the ski resort's boundaries when they got lost, but were tracked down using a cell phone signal.