CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Levi Frye
603-788-4850
October 12, 2020
Stewartstown, NH – On Saturday, October 10 at approximately 3:30 p.m., the NH Fish and Game Department received a 911 call regarding a single vehicle ATV crash on the Sugar Hill Trail just above the Swift Diamond Riders Warming Hut in Stewartstown. Conservation Officers, Colebrook Fire Department, and 45th Parallel EMS responded to the scene to assist the patient, identified as Brian Martel, 31, of Farmington, NH.
According to witness statements and evidence at the scene, Martel was riding second in a group of four when the tires of his ATV reportedly got caught in a rut in the middle of the trail causing him to lose balance. In an attempt to get out of the rut, he accelerated his machine but accidentally pushed the throttle too hard. This caused him to lose control of his machine resulting in his ATV running off the right side of the trail and glanced off numerous trees. Martel was thrown from his ATV and suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The operator behind Martel tipped his machine over to avoid striking Martel, but was uninjured and had no damage to his machine.
Members of Martel’s riding party and other riders on the trail rushed to his aid and placed a call to 911. Upon the arrival of emergency personnel, Martel was placed in a litter towed behind a rescue OHRV and transported to the 45th Parallel Ambulance. The 45th Parallel Ambulance subsequently transported Martel to Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital (UCVH) in Colebrook.
An investigation of the scene and a subsequent interview of Martel coincided with witness statements. Officers found that unsafe speed and trail conditions were the main contributing factors in the crash. Alcohol intoxication was not a factor in the crash.
NH Fish and Game would like to remind all riders to operate within their capabilities and always be mindful of potential hazards in the trail.
No further information available at this time.