A snowmobile crash Sunday evening in Bennington led to one serious injury and two arrests.
According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, the crash occurred on Toll Booth Tavern Trail in Bennington, near Francestown Road. Kevin Desmarais, 30, of Hancock, suffered a “serious bodily injury” after striking a tree.
Fish and Game Conservation Officer Bill Boudreau said Desmarais was carried in a litter by rescuers to the road, about a half-mile away, and then transported by ambulance to Crotched Mountain Ski Resort. From there, he was transported to Concord Hospital via a Dartmouth Hitchcock Advanced Response Team helicopter. Boudreau said that there was no update on Desmarais’s condition following the accident.
According to Fish and Game, during the rescue, first-responders discovered Desmarais had been allegedly operating the snowmobile while intoxicated, leading to his arrest. One of Desmarais’s riding companions, Dylan Fotter, 30, of Greenfield, was also arrested on the same charge in addition to felony possession of a controlled drug.
The snowmobiles were towed from the scene, and both men received personal recognizance bail. An arraignment date has been set for March 3, according to Boudreau.
Bennington and Antrim first-responders assisted conservation officers with the rescue and emergency response.
According to Boudreau, the Fish and Game investigation into the incident is still ongoing.