CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Matthew Holmes
603-788-4850
603-271-3361
June 5, 2020
Columbia, NH – At approximately 12:30 p.m. on the afternoon of Thursday, June 4, 2020, a resident of Stoddard Road made a call for help reporting that her neighbor had been injured in an ATV accident. As a result of the call, personnel from the Colebrook Fire Department, 45th Parallel EMS, a NH State Trooper, and a NH Fish and Game Department Conservation Officer responded to the scene.
Once on scene, authorities learned that Eric “Mac” McLendon, 56, of Columbia had been injured while working in his wood lot with his ATV. Following the incident, McLendon had made his way out to his neighbor’s home to seek help. McLendon was believed to have sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was taken by ambulance to Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook for further evaluation and treatment.
The cause of this accident is still under investigation, but authorities believe that the ATV involved was being used like a tractor at the time of the incident.
This incident highlights the fact that not all serious accidents are the result of high speeds or difficult terrain. Every year, Conservation Officers respond to a number of low-speed OHRV incidents that occurred while working around a property. Citizens are reminded that there is always an inherent risk when utilizing these vehicles, no matter how familiar and comfortable one is with the task at hand.