Merrimack man seriously injured crashing ATV with stuck throttle

Paul Feely, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·1 min read

May 23—A Merrimack man was seriously injured while riding an ATV on private property in Merrimack on Wednesday, conservation officers said.

Around 5:45 p.m., New Hampshire Fish and Game was notified of an ATV crash in Merrimack, officials said.

Fish and Game Sgt. Kevin Bronson said a man identified as Kenneth Eaton, 48, of Merrimack, was transported to Elliot Hospital in Manchester for serious but non-life-threatening injuries sustained in the crash.

Conservation officers determined Eaton was test driving an ATV on private property when the "throttle of the machine got stuck wide open" forcing Eaton to jump off the machine before crashing, officials said in a news release.

Mechanical failure and unsafe speed appear to be the main contributing factors in the crash, and Eaton was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident, Bronson said in the news release.

Eaton was issued a summons for operating an OHRV with a suspended driver's license.

The crash remains under investigation.