Mass. man flown to hospital after snowmobile crash in N.H.

A Massachusetts man was flown to a hospital by medical helicopter on Saturday after crashing his snowmobile in Northern New Hampshire, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

The crash happened around 1 p.m. when 38-year-old Hanson resident Brandon Roe was riding on a trail in Pittsburg, the Fish and Game Department said in a Monday press release. He was going downhill and trying to make a left turn when he lost control of his snowmobile.

Roe was thrown from the vehicle over a steep embankment and was seriously injured, the Fish and Game Department said. His riding companions and a group of bystanders immediately provided medical aid.

Due to poor cell service in the area, first responders were notified of the crash using a satellite personal locator beacon, the Fish and Game Department said. One of the people Roe was riding with also rode to a nearby business and called 911, providing first responders with more detailed information about the crash.

The information suggested that Roe’s injuries were severe, so authorities requested that a medical helicopter respond to the scene along with firefighters, paramedics, police and a conservation officer, the Fish and Game Department said. Firefighters rode to the remote location where Roe had crashed on snowmobiles, then transported him to an awaiting ambulance.

The ambulance drove Roe to Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, but he was ultimately flown by medical helicopter to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for further treatment, the Fish and Game Department said.

“This crash is still under investigation, however inexperience and unreasonable speed for the existing conditions appear to be factors in the crash. Conservation Officers would like to use this incident to remind snowmobile operators to always operate in a reasonable and prudent manner for existing trail conditions and with regard for actual and potential hazards,” the Fish and Game Department wrote in the release.