Keene man airlifted after bike accident in the city

July 30--A Keene man was airlifted to a Massachusetts hospital Tuesday night after falling off his bicycle in a construction zone near Gilbo Avenue in Keene, according to police.

Brian Trotter, 34, suffered a head injury and was not conscious at the scene of the accident outside Colony Mill Marketplace, Lt. Steven M. Stewart said this morning. The bike Trotter was riding struck a hole, causing him to lose control and fall off, Stewart said.

Trotter was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., where his condition was unavailable this morning.

Stewart said someone saw Trotter lying on the ground and called 911. The incident was reported shortly before 9 p.m.

Brady Sullivan Properties of Manchester recently acquired the Colony Mill Marketplace and The Center at Keene.

Brady Sullivan Properties is in the midst of an effort to make improvements to both the Colony Mill Marketplace and The Center at Keene.

Those upgrades include new granite curbing and sidewalks, spruced-up landscaping and updated signs at both properties, according to a July news release from the firm.

Marc Pinard, general counsel for Brady Sullivan, said a third-party contractor is working on improvements to the site's irrigation system. Because there are a number of contractors working in the area, Pinard did not know which firm is in charge of irrigation upgrades.

Brady Sullivan Properties instructs contractors to cover any open holes as a means of ensuring public safety, but Pinard said he's not sure what procedures were followed in this case, and would be looking into the matter further. Each contractor provides a certificate of liability insurance, he noted.

Bicyclist Gene Cleveland of Keene passed by the scene of Tuesday's accident about 9:15 p.m. on his way to Target. He said about five people were gathered around a man who was lying on the ground. The man's bicycle was a short distance away, also on the ground, Cleveland said.

Cleveland described the hole the bicyclist hit as "a cliff," which, he said, was about 15 to 20 feet from where the man was lying.

"You could tell he went flying," Cleveland said.

Cleveland said that after seeing people were helping the man, he continued on his way, but did ride by the scene about an hour later. At that time, the area was surrounded by police tape and police officers were walking around investigating, he said.

Attempted burglary reported at church

Police say someone gained entry into a church on Keene'sCentral Square sometime Tuesday night or early today, but did not steal anything. The break-in was reported at about 9:10 a.m. this morning at the United Church of Christ.

Someone entered the church through a window, which was not damaged, police said.

Fire Mutual Aid log

Dispatchers at Southwestern N.H. District Fire Mutual Aid in Keene handled requests for medical aid and fire calls on Tuesday, July 29, including:

2:33 a.m., Keene Fire Department to 63 Key Road, fire alarm.

4:07 a.m., Keene Fire Department to 80 Butler Court, fire alarm.

9:07 a.m., Dublin Fire Department to Main Street, vehicle fire.

10:34 a.m., Keene Fire Department to Main Street, hazmat, oil leaking from a truck.

11:49 a.m., Jaffrey Fire Department to Great Road, hazmat, small oil spill.

12:08 p.m., Keene Fire Department to Water Street, service call.

1:39 p.m., Keene Fire Department to Marlboro Street, fuel spill, gas leaking from a vehicle.

3:20 p.m., Dublin Fire Department to Main Street, report of a capsized boat, kids jumping off a boat, good-intent call.

7:16 p.m., Spofford Fire Department to 185 Old Swanzey Road, carbon monoxide alarm.

7:17 p.m., Swanzey Fire Department to Franklin Mountain Crossing, report of a structure fire, burnt belt smoking on top of a clothes dryer.

9:43 p.m., Winchester Fire Department to 1 Richmond Road, fire alarm.

10:10 p.m., Swanzey Fire Department to 39 Anthony Circle, fire alarm.

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