ATV collides with car; three people seriously injured Two victims flown by helicopter to Boston trauma centers

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August 22, 2008

By Margo Sullivan

LONDONDERRY, N.H. — A ride through the woods on a four-wheeler went drastically wrong the night of Aug. 20 on West Yellowstone Drive.

Three people were seriously injured when an all-terrain vehicle collided with a car shortly after 6:30 p.m. One of two people on the ATV and the driver of the car were taken by medical helicopter to Boston trauma centers. The third victim was taken to Elliot Hospital in Manchester.

The driver of the car was identified as Lawrence Reno Jr., 22, of Londonderry. The driver of the ATV was identified as Michael Coutouer, 16 of Londonderry. The identity of the passenger on the ATV was not released.

Police closed off a section of the road for the accident investigation. Pieces of what appeared to be the car and the ATV were strewn on the pavement. The ATV was upright in a grassy area just a few feet off the road while the car appeared to be in the middle of the roadway at the beginning of a slight curve. Police, fire and rescue vehicles surrounded the two vehicles.

Rescue workers took the two most seriously injured people to a field off Route 3A in Litchfield where the medical helicopters could land. One of the two youths on the ATV was flown by Boston Medflight to Massachusetts General Hospital, according to Litchfield fire Chief Tom Schofield. The driver of the Eclipse sedan was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston by a Dartmouth-Hitchcock helicopter.

The second youth was taken by Derry ambulance to Elliot Hospital. Derry fire Battalion Chief Michael Doyle said rescue workers did not have information about the patients' conditions. No information was available last night from the hospitals, but Londonderry fire Capt. Darren O'Brien said all three suffered serious injuries. O'Brien said two of the patients were classified as Status 1 cases, meaning they had very serious injuries. The third patient was borderline Status 2, he said.

The Elliot Hospital trauma center was opened for that patient, he said.

"All were pretty badly hurt," he said.

Police did not say whether the ATV riders were wearing helmets.

Before the first helicopter arrived, firefighters sprayed water on the field to prevent a fire from starting when the aircraft landed. The second helicopter lifted off by 7:40 p.m., just about an hour after the accident was reported.

Londonderry police Lt. Robert Michaud said three 911 calls came in at 6:42 p.m. to report the accident.

O'Brien said the driver of the car lives a few streets away from the accident scene.

Contacted by telephone on Thursday, Aug. 21, Michaud said the accident remains under investigation.

Staff writer Eric Parry contributed to this report