CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Levi Frye
603-788-4850
October 24, 2022
Stratford, NH – On Sunday, October 23, 2022 at approximately 1:45 p.m., NH Fish and Game was notified by NH State Police of a single-vehicle ATV crash on the Corridor C ATV Trail off Perry Road in the town of Stratford. A Conservation Officer responded to the scene along with the Groveton Ambulance and Stratford Hollow Volunteer Fire Department to assist the patient, identified as Rachel Tessier, 44, of Manchester, New Hampshire.
There were no witnesses to the crash, however an investigation of the scene and a subsequent interview with Tessier indicated that while travelling down Corridor C behind her riding partner, Tessier struck a bump in the trail coming out of a corner. This caused her to lose control of her machine, and to avoid being crushed by it, she jumped off and landed hard on her upper body. Tessier was not travelling at a high rate of speed, consistent with the evidence left behind at the scene and the lack of damage to the machine she was riding.
Tessier’s riding partner came back and found her on the trail after she failed to show up at the next intersection. An emergency call was placed and a rescue response was initiated. Tessier was transported to Weeks Medical Center in Lancaster by Groveton Ambulance with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Further investigation of the incident by a Conservation Officer determined that Tessier and her riding companion were operating unregistered machines on the trails. A citation was issued to correct this matter. It is believed that operator inexperience is the primary factor in this crash. Alcohol and drug intoxication are not considered factors in this incident.
NH Fish and Game would like to remind operators to always ride within their limits and be mindful of changing trail conditions as New Hampshire’s ATV season winds to a close.