CONTACT:
Lt. William Boudreau
603-271-3127
5/12/2019
Francestown, NH – On Sunday May 12, 2019, NH Fish and Game Conservation Officers responded to a serious Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle (OHRV) accident on private property located on Bible Hill Road in Francestown.
At approximately 1:50 PM, a 49-year-old female resident of Francestown, NH, was operating a Textron Stampede X Utility Vehicle (UTV) across a sloped section of lawn when the UTV rolled over on its side pinning a 14-year-old female passenger under the vehicle. Family and friends were able to lift the UTV off of the 14-year-old passenger and called 911. The driver and passenger were not wearing seatbelts or helmets. The passenger is a resident of Massachusetts and is not related to the driver.
A NH Fish and Game Conservation Officer, the Francestown Fire Department, NH State Police, and the Peterborough Fire and Rescue Ambulance responded to the location of the accident. Based on the seriousness of the passenger’s injuries, the Francestown Fire Chief requested that the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART) helicopter respond. The passenger was flown to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital with serious and life-threating injuries. The driver of the UTV refused to be transported to the hospital.
The accident is still under investigation by Conservation Officers, and based on the preliminary investigation it appears that operator inexperience was a contributing factor in the roll-over.
NH Fish and Game would like to remind all riders that anyone under the age of 18 must wear a helmet and eye protection when riding OHRVs. Although it is not required by law, NH Fish and Game also recommends that all children under the age of 18 wear a seatbelt when riding in UTVs.