The Androscoggin River in Northern New Hampshire has claimed yet another life. My wife, Linda, and I were returning from Massachusetts yesterday afternoon - and were only minutes from our home when we encountered a road block.
The edge of the road was packed with emergency vehicles, and we were told that the road had been shut down due to a vehicle being spotted underwater mid-stream. We later found out that the vehicle contained yet another dead body claimed by the picturesque trout stream. As of this writing, the matter is still being investigated.
Ironically, my wife and I were also driving on Route 16 in Errol in 2017 when a 19-year old cold case was solved. The truck and remains of a man reported missing 19 years prior was located and we drove by as it was being pulled from the Androscoggin.
Also, as recently was March of this year, a third vehicle and individual had suffered the same fate. So, what's going on here?
Speed? Inattentiveness? Alcohol? Attempting to avoid a deer or moose? It could be any of those factors, but Route 16 follows the twists and bends in the river, and there are many sharp curves.
And lately, there seems to be an epidemic of "making donuts" in play on this road. This practice is also known as "leaving rubber" - peeling out in a reckless, out-of-control fashion - which leaves circular imprints on the pavement. The circular rubber marks are everywhere on the road. Hitting a tree or pole - or ending up in the water are all possible consequences.
The Main Salmon River in Idaho is actually the genuine River-Of-No-Return, but the Androscoggin - long known as a fisherman's haven, is earning another reputation. The only question is - "WHY".
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