ENTWORTH, NH : Dracut woman seriously injured in snowmobile crash on Sunday, 9th February, 2020

A 26-year-old Dracut woman was flown by medical helicopter from the scene of a snowmobile crash southwest of the White Mountains on Sunday.

Kelsey Mennella was attempting to turn left on a narrow trail when she accidentally grabbed the accelerator, causing the snowmobile to strike a tree at about 11 a.m., Conservation Officer Greg Jellison said.

A passenger, 27-year-old Alex Brustas of Dracut, was thrown from the vehicle, according to a New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement news release. He was not injured.

“It happened relatively quickly on them,” Jellison said.Mennella suffered “serious injuries” and was flown to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. Her current condition is unknown.

The crash investigation is ongoing, but Jellison said it seems that the main cause was inexperienced snowmobiling. Both Mennella and Brustas were wearing helmets at the time of the crash, and alcohol does not appear to have been a factor, he said.

The crash happened on the Rocky Pond Loop Trail just off Corridor 5 in Wentworth. Wentworth is west of Plymouth, approaching the Connecticut River Valley near the town of Orford. Corridor 5 runs the entire length of the state, from the Massachusetts border in the Berkshires to the Canadian border.

Multiple other snowmobile accidents were reported in New Hampshire over the weekend. Conservation officers remind snowmobilers to be “safe and vigilant when riding,” the release states.

Jellison encourages snowmobilers to take a safety course and practice in an open area, as opposed to narrow trails.

Wentworth police were unavailable for immediate comment Tuesday.

Source