Littleton, Mass., Woman ID'd As New Hampshire Snowmobile Crash Victim

BERLIN, NH — NH Fish and Game were notified of a possible fatal snowmobile crash on Corridor 12 in the town of Berlin, near Androscoggin Valley Hospital, on Tuesday.

Berlin police officers were first on the scene, as it was a short distance from the back parking lot of the hospital. The officers attempted lifesaving measures when members of the Berlin Fire Department and Berlin Ambulance EMS personnel arrived.

Two Fish and Game conservation officers responded but were significantly distant from the scene. EMS personnel were unable to resuscitate the victim as the injuries sustained in the crash were too severe to sustain life.

On Thursday morning, Fish and Game identified the victim as Stacey McGarry, 56, of Littleton, Massachusetts.

The initial investigation at the scene and an interview of the only witness to the crash revealed the victim and a passenger on the back of the snowmobile were traveling west on Corridor 12 when she failed to make a right-hand turn in the trail. McGarry then drove off the trail and struck a rock, which caused the snowmobile to become airborne. The snowmobile then struck a tree, causing fatal injuries to the operator and ejecting the passenger.

The only witness to the crash was the victim’s passenger, who, although being thrown from the machine, was otherwise physically uninjured. The passenger called 911, eliciting the emergency response.

The snowmobile the victim was operating was a rental machine from Northeast Snowmobile and ATV Rentals in Gorham, which she had rented earlier that day. It is believed the victim had limited or no previous snowmobiling experience.

Conservation officers said speed and inexperience were the leading factors in this crash. The investigation is ongoing.