CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Robert M. Mancini, Jr.
603-788-4850
603-271-3361
June 16, 2020
Gorham, NH – At approximately 2:15 p.m., on Sunday, June 14, 2020, a nine-year-old male youth operator, operating a 90cc Polaris Sportsman, caused a collision after taking a corner on the wrong side of the trail and colliding with an adult operator on an Arctic Cat Wildcat 700cc UTV. The collision occurred on Smitty’s Trail, which connects Gorham and Berlin and is located in Jericho State Park.
After the collision, the youth operator’s ATV was towed from the scene to the parking area off of Route 2 in Gorham. The UTV involved in the collision was driven from the scene and taken to Jericho Motorsports for repair. Once the youth operator and his riding party reached the parking area, he was evaluated by emergency medical personnel with Gorham Ambulance. Neither operator sustained any serious injuries, but the youth operator was transported to Androscoggin Valley Hospital by ambulance to be evaluated.
A Conservation Officer with New Hampshire Fish and Game Department responded to investigate the incident. Law enforcement personnel from the Gorham Police Department and New Hampshire State Police also responded and assisted with the incident. The youth operator had some limited experience riding on trails prior to the incident and was accompanied by other adult operators at the time of the collision. Inexperience and inattention are considered to be the primary contributing factors in the collision.
According to Conservation Officer Robert Mancini, “The combination of favorable weather and the opening of sanctioned trails has resulted in an influx of OHRV activity throughout the state. Trail users should expect to see a high amount of traffic throughout the riding season and take additional precautions to ensure safety. As always, riders should follow other trail users at a safe distance in an effort to be able see and avoid potential hazards along the trail.” For more information about safe riding, please visit www.ride.nh.gov.