Postal service truck rear-ended, flipped upside down

PETERBOROUGH — A postal vehicle was rear-ended, pushed sideways, and flipped on its side, on Jaffrey Road Friday.

Anna Cote, 51, of Peterborough, the mail carrier driving the postal truck, had to be pulled out of it by rescue personnel.

She was transported to Monadnock Community Hospital by ambulance.

Capt. Ernest Belletete of the Peterborough Police Department said Cote’s injuries weren’t serious. Cote said over the phone Monday suffered a mild concussion and sore muscles.

By press time, Cote remained at the hospital.

Belletete said that Cote was driving southbound on Jaffrey Road at about 12:40 p.m. She was preparing to turn left onto Sharon Road. When she stopped to turn, she was rear-ended by a GMC Savannah van, driven by Ronnie Boudreau, 31, of Southbridge, Massachusetts, according to police reports.

The impact spun the postal vehicle around and forced it onto its side. Cote remained inside the truck throughout the accident. When removing Cote from the vehicle, emergency personnel cut the truck’s roof open. They pulled Cote out and then transported her to MCH.

The truck sustained extensive damage to its rear and right side, Belletete said. Following Cote’s rescue, the truck was dragged upright by a towing company that also towed it from the scene.

The van driven by Boudreau also sustained heavy front-end damage. Its front bumper and fender were severely damaged.

The accident slowed traffic on Route 202 for almost an hour. While the postal vehicle remained rolled over in the middle of the road, traffic was limited to one lane.

While police and fire were cleaning up after the accident, a replacement postal vehicle arrived. Postal service employees cleared the mail from the damaged truck and transferred it to the new mail truck; then, a new mail carrier left to continue the route.

The cause of the accident is still being investigated, Belletete said.



An earlier version of this story reported Cote was treated for cuts to her face. Her name was also incorrectly spelled Coty. These were based on initial reports from police.