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Stamford Sports Scene

Mother killed in crash; daughters sustain injuries



By CHASE WRIGHT

cwright@thestamfordtimes.com


STAMFORD -- A wife and mother of two was tragically killed in Stamford on Sunday when the sports utility vehicle she and her family occupied veered off the road and crashed into a tree, state police said.

The family of four was traveling south on the Merritt Parkway at around 8:45 a.m., just north of Exit 35, when the driver, David Debellotte, lost control of the vehicle after trying to change lanes, according to the police report.

The 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee then struck a wire-rope guardrail on the right shoulder, slid down an embankment and struck a tree with its front end, causing the SUV to roll over. The vehicle finally came to rest after striking another tree with its right side and rear end, the report says.

The mother, Cloverlee Debellotte, 43, of Brooklyn, N.Y., sustained traumatic brain injury and cardiopulmonary arrest. She was rushed to Stamford Hospital and later pronounced dead, according to the report.

Her 10-year-old daughter, Natifa, sustained a non-life threatening cut on her scalp and was also transported to Stamford Hospital. The other daughter, Netanya, 7, and the father, both sustained slight scrapes on their heads and were transported to Stamford Hospital as well.

All occupants were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, and both the passenger and driver airbags deployed upon impact, the report says.

State police are still investigating the incident.

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