Man Who Crashed Snowmobile Into Parked Black Hawk Helicopter Is Suing Government for $9.5 Million

Jeffrey Smith poses with a snowmobile in Windsor, Mass., during March 2018, in this photograph provided by Richard Smith. Jeffrey Smith photo via AP

BOSTON—Jeff Smith was whizzing along on a snowmobile one evening a few years back when something dark appeared in front of him. He hit his brakes but he couldn’t avoid clipping the rear tail of a Black Hawk helicopter parked on the trail.

The March 2019 crash almost cost Smith his life and is now the subject of a federal lawsuit by the Massachusetts lawyer. He is demanding $9.5 million in damages from the government, money he says is needed to cover his medical expenses and lost wages, as well as hold the military responsible for the crash.