CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Eric Fluette
603-788-4850
603-271-3361
October 10, 2022
Colebrook, NH – On October 8, at approximately 2:45 p.m., a NH Fish and Game Conservation Officer was notified of an ATV rollover with injury on the South Hill Connector Trail in Colebrook, NH.
The operator, identified as Betty-Jo Villeneuve, 53, of Berlin, NH, was operating on a downhill section of the trail with uneven terrain when she lost control of the ATV and it then rolled over on top of her. Villeneuve’s riding companion and bystanders in the area immediately went to her aid and righted the ATV, freeing her from under it. The group then transported her to town and a call to 911 was made. Villeneuve was operating at a slow rate of speed which probably prevented more serious injuries.
Emergency personnel from Colebrook Fire Department, 45th Parallel EMS, Colebrook Police Department, a New Hampshire State Police Trooper, and Conservation Officer responded.
Villeneuve was met by EMS personnel at LaPerles IGA parking lot where a 45th Parallel EMS ambulance was able to then transport her to Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital for treatment of her injuries.
After an investigation into this crash, it is believed that the uneven, off-camber terrain present where the crash occurred played a primary role in the incident. Conservation Officers would like to remind OHRV operators to be extra cautious when operating on the varying terrain present on Granite State trails.