CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Austin J. Valladares
603-788-4850
October 6, 2025

Stewartstown, NH – On Saturday, October 4, 2025, at approximately 4:50 p.m., NH State Police Troop F Dispatch and Northern Border Dispatch were notified via 911 of an Off Highway Recreational Vehicle (OHRV) crash in Stewartstown. NH State Police Dispatch notified a NH Fish and Game Conservation Officer of the crash and the extent of the female’s injuries. At the time it was unknown exactly where the crash occurred. Emergency personnel from Colebrook Fire and Rescue, and 45th Parallel EMS responded to a staging area on Diamond Pond Road near where the 911 call came in from.

The female operator was identified as 42-year-old Patty-Jo Shields of Mount Tremper, NY. A passenger witness said Shields was operating a Utility-Terrain Vehicle (UTV) when they went through a puddle causing Shields to lose control of the UTV. Shields was thrown from the UTV and suffered injuries during the crash. Her passenger was uninjured but ultimately had to crawl out from under the overturned UTV after it ended up in an adjacent ditch. After the crash, Shields’ riding party immediately rendered aid, but due to the remote location of the crash, they were unable to get cell service to call for help. Shields’ husband and her passenger were able to bring Shields to a separate location where they had cell service and called 911. The group ultimately was able to make it Diamond Pond Road in Stewartstown where Shields was evaluated and subsequently transported to Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital by 45th Parallel EMS. The leading cause of the crash is still under investigation.

NH Fish and Game would like to remind all riders to always wear the proper safety gear, including a helmet and safety glasses, while operating OHRV’s.