Breckenridge, CO – A 48-year-old man has become Colorado’s first skier fatality this winter after colliding with a tree last week.

Kevin Pitts, of Longmont, died of blunt force trauma after striking the tree alongside the advanced Alpine Alley run on Breckenridge’s Peak 8 on Dec. 19. He was pronounced dead a short time later at St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Breckenridge.

“Breckenridge Ski Resort, Breckenridge Ski Patrol and the entire Vail Resorts family extend our deepest sympathy and support to our guest’s family and friends,” John Buhler, vice president and chief operating officer of Breckenridge Ski Resort, said in a prepared statement following the incident.

Pitts is survived by his wife of 21 years and two teenage children. A GoFundMe page has been created to help those who have survived Pitts, and the fundraiser’s $5,000 target has already been exceeded.