No injuries in accident involving sheriff cruiser on Saturday

GILFORD — There were no injuries when a Belknap County Sheriff's Office cruiser was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup Saturday evening. 

The accident occurred on Route 11B on Weirs Road, near Kimball Road. The Gilford Police Department received a call regarding the accident at 6:19 p.m. from the Belknap County Sheriff's Office.

The deputy involved, Eden Lefebvre, brought herself to a hospital after receiving minor bruising during the accident, and to get medical clearance to return to work.

Wright said the deputy is OK, and the truck operator and passenger were uninjured. Wright was relieved no one was hurt.

“[I’m] thankful for wearing seatbelts, and thankful for her being attentive to the ever-changing traffic environment,” he said of Lefebvre.

The names of those in the truck are being withheld during the ongoing investigation.

Gilford Deputy Chief Dustin Parent, who is overseeing the investigation, said the truck, which was driving northbound, cut in front of Lefebvre’s cruiser as it traveled southbound while turning left on Kimball. A bus obscured the truck driver's view, which prompted the accident. Lefebvre was driving the speed limit and attempted to steer to the right to minimize damage, but the cruiser and truck sustained significant damage in the accident.

Parent said he has a good indication of what happened.

"It’s pretty much the end of the investigation at this point in time," he said.

This incident comes just days after a Belmont Police cruiser was overturned in an accident on July 19. While there is no direct correlation between the two incidents, Wright shared advice that drivers should be more aware on the road.

“Just take a break. People are just so hyper focused, and we need them to pay attention with what’s going around them,” he said.