New Hampshire

Man Killed in Utility Vehicle Logging Incident in Berlin, NH

Robert Van Vlaanderen, 63, of Berlin, has been identified as the victim.

NH Fish and Game/Twitter

A New Hampshire man died Friday after the utility terrain vehicle (UTV) he was in rolled into a ditch while pulling a log alongside the road in Berlin.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says the incident occurred on Millsfield Pond Road around 10 a.m.

Officials say 63-year-old Robert Van Valaanderen, of Berlin, was gathering wood with a friend and was utilizing a winch and cable that was mounted to the front of the UTV.

They had been winching and gathering wood for about 30 minutes in one direction when Van Vlaanderen then wanted to winch a specific log that required winching in the opposite direction. After repositioning the UTV, officials say Van Vlaanderen began to drag the log alongside the road, causing the utility vehicle to slowly slide towards a ditch.

A preliminary investigation reveals there was "sudden and non-purposeful acceleration" while pulling the log, which caused the machine to go over a small rock headwall around a culvert. The machine then rolled onto its side, fatally injuring Van Vlaanderen, officials said.

Errol first responders, state police and conservation officers all responded to the scene.

According to conservation officers, there were many factors in this fatal crash, some of which were circumstantial. Officials say Van Vlaanderen was operating a machine that wasn't his own, and he was not wearing a seat belt or helmet at the time of the crash.

Contact Us