State Police are investigating a double fatal in the town of Montgomery

PRESS RELEASE
 

On October 29, 2021 at approximately 10:25 p.m., Town of Montgomery Police and Village of Walden Police responded to a 911 call of an erratic driver traveling north on State Route 52 in the town of Newburgh. The vehicle, a 2018 Jeep Wrangler, was observed on Main Street by Walden Police and was subsequently stopped. Town of Montgomery Police stopped to assist at the scene. As officers approached the vehicle, the operator, later identified as Joann Schields, 52 of Pine Bush, NY, fled the scene driving west on State Route 52 and after a short distance struck a 2013 Toyota Rav-4 head on that was traveling east. The operator of the Toyota, Elizabeth Bello, 35 from Wallkill was pronounced deceased at the scene. The two passengers in the vehicle, ages 16 and 6 were transported to Garnet Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Schields was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. 

The Town of Montgomery. New Windsor and Newburgh Ambulance Corps, Mobil Life Support and the Walden Fire Department all assisted at the scene.

The New York State Police are assisting the New York State Attorney General’s Office with this investigation.