39-year-old Massachusetts woman killed in snowmobile crash being remembered

Milan, NH – A Massachusetts woman is being remembered after recently dying from injuries sustained in a snowmobile crash.

According to New Hampshire Fish and Game, on Friday, at approximately 4:30 p.m., a call was placed reporting that a female had sustained serious injuries after being involved in a single vehicle snowmobile crash. The initial call and information gave a GPS coordinate location on Primary Trail 109 in the town of Milan.

Due to the crash location in Milan, close to the Berlin town line, many agencies responded to the call. Berlin Police Department, Berlin Fire, Berlin EMS, Milan and Dummer Ambulance, and Milan Fire and Rescue.

A Conservation Officer responded to the call from Lancaster. The Conservation Officer plotted, the GPS coordinates that were received from 911 on the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association (NHSA) Snowmobile Trail Map Phone App to get a better idea of the exact location. This Phone App showed that the closest access to the crash scene was from the end of Spruceville Road in Milan.

The Conservation Officer who responded to the call met with two Berlin Police Officers and hiked in from the end of Spruceville Road to the scene. These three officers were able to meet with all the rescue crews that were already on scene. The three officers assisted the rescue crews in getting the patient into Berlin Fire’s Tracked Rescue UTV.

At the scene, the patient was identified as 39-year-old Shawnee Hollis of North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Hollis was riding with a group of three friends at the time of the crash, all operating their own individual sleds. Hollis was second in the group of four on her own individual sled as well.

Investigation at the scene showed that Hollis failed to navigate a downhill left turn while travelling east on Primary Trail 109. The snowmobile that Hollis was operating struck a tree approximately 13 feet off the right side of the trail.

Hollis was transported from the scene to a Milan and Dummer Ambulance that was staged at Spruceville Road. Multiple attempts were made to get an emergency helicopter and or fixed-wing air ambulance on scene to assist with the emergency but due to many circumstances they were not able to fly.

Hollis was transported by Milan Dummer Ambulance to Androscoggin Valley Hospital (AVH) and at some point during the night of the crash or early morning of February 17, 2024 Hollis was transported from AVH to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

At approximately 1:45 a.m. on February 17, 2024, Hollis succumbed to her injuries.

Inexperience was determined to be the leading factor in the crash.

Hollis was being remembered for her infectious laugh and smile. She loved the outdoors, her family, and friends. A void is left in those who knew her.

Shawnee’s memory will be honored and remembered at visiting hours from 4-7 on Thursday, February 22 at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street in Holden.

In the last 2 months, at least three people from Massachusetts have been seriously injured or killed in snowmobile crashes.