East Haven Man, 45, Seriously Injured In NH Snowmobile Crash: Officer

PITTSBURG, NH — An East Haven man was injured in a snow mobile crash in New Hampshire Wednesday, state officials said. Mark Eligio, 45, was reported to have had his "young daughter" on the back of the snowmobile at the time of the crash, but medical personnel later determined that she was uninjured, authorities said.

It was around 6:15 p.m. when New Hampshire Fish & Game was notified of a snowmobile crash involving multiple people on First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, Conservation Officer Levi Frye said.

An officer began responding from over an hour away to investigate the incident, and Pittsburg Fire Department, 45th Parallel Ambulance, and Beecher Falls Fire Department personnel all responded to the site of the crash, Frye said.

"Eligio’s injuries were severe enough that a call was placed for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team helicopter to transport Eligio to a major trauma center," Frye said.

According to authorities, "rescue personnel on scene determined that Eligio was riding in a large group of riders on First Connecticut Lake and hit a pressure ridge on the ice, throwing him and his daughter from the machine."

Multiple other machines in the riding party struck the pressure ridge which threw their operators as well, Frye reported.

The 45th Parallel Ambulance transported Eligio from First Connecticut Lake to the landing zone at Dorman’s Gas in Pittsburg to meet the DHART helicopter where he was ultimately transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for serious injuries, the officer said.

The other snowmobile riders "involved in the strike were either uninjured or refused medical treatment," Frye said.

"In the last several days, a large pressure ridge formed approximately ½ mile south of Camp Otter Road in the northern third of the lake and is a significant hazard, but is easily negotiated by going at a slow and controlled speed," the conservation officer noted.

"The crash is still under investigation, however at this time the incident appears to have been caused by excessive speed and inattention to potential hazards," Conservation Officer Frye said.

The NH Fish and Game added in a news release about the crash that it would "like to remind snowmobile operators that though the majority of lakes and ponds do not have a speed limits, operators are still expected to slow down and be cognizant of hazards, especially at night while vision is reduced. Riders must always ride within their limits and reduce their speed to avoid crashing."