I was thinking the same thing.
From a heavy equipment operator standpoint, this kind of equipment doesn't move suddenly.
This.
Again, sorry for her terrible injuries, but her story doesn't seem feasible.
Skier is responsible for avoiding
SNOWCATS ahead of her. Snowcats don't move fast,
but they can turn surprisingly quickly given their size. I'm guessing she misjudged how quickly the cat could turn, just like someone snowboarding down a run and not expecting the skier to turn into their line.
Best to give a wide berth and not ski/snowboard anywhere that the skier/snowboarder/snowcat/moving tree/whatever ahead can possibly hit you no matter how they turn or what they do.
About 35 years ago I did see a snowcat coming up the hill on a run as I was flying over a rise on the way down. My skis got back on the snow just in time to avoid the cat. Yeah, sorry about that, Mr. Snowcat Driver; I didn't mean to scare the crap out of you.
The run
may have been closed, but I didn't know. I had started from the top of the mountain with no idea of my path except down until I reached a lower elevation and could tell I was on a run. It was snowing and the top of the mountain, and at least back then it was all snow ghosts and nothing but deep snow everywhere with nothing to show where you were on the trail map. I probably came down in between runs and then came out on a closed run.