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Elizabeth Bello

Age : 35

Gender : Female

Race : White

Date : 10/29/2021

Location : State Route 52 near Old Town Road

City : Montgomery

County : Orange

State : New York

Agency : Village of Walden Police Department; Town of Montgomery Police Department

Officer(s) :Not disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 10:25 p.m., a motorist called 911 after observing a 2018 Jeep Wrangler being driven erratically northbound on State Route 52 in the Town of Newburgh. Witness Lynn Conklin reported that the Jeep was traveling below the speed limit but repeatedly crossed toward opposing traffic and nearly struck at least five vehicles. Walden Police subsequently located the Jeep on Main Street and conducted a traffic stop.
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EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 10/29/2021, shortly after 10:25 p.m., Walden Police stopped the Jeep on Main Street following the 911 report of erratic driving. Town of Montgomery Police arrived to assist. As officers approached the stopped Jeep, the driver drove away westbound on Route 52 and police escalated a pursuit.
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The pursuit continued west along Route 52. Contemporary reporting characterized it as a short pursuit but did not provide a reliable numerical speed, elapsed time or exact distance. Near Old Town Road, the Jeep crossed the double-yellow centerline into opposing traffic and struck an eastbound 2013 Toyota RAV4 driven by 35-year-old Elizabeth Bello head-on.
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Bello was traveling with two of her children, ages 16 and 6. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Both children survived but suffered injuries, including broken bones, and were transported to Garnet Health Medical Center. The 52-year-old driver of the Jeep, Joann B. Schields, was transported to a hospital and also died.
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Elizabeth had celebrated her 35th birthday only eight days before she was killed. She lived with her husband, Jose Martinez, and their three children, Manny, Melanie and Natalie. Two of those children were sitting inside her vehicle and were injured in the same collision that killed their mother.
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Elizabeth worked for KeyBank and had recently celebrated her fifth anniversary with the company. She had worked at several Orange County branches and was remembered by coworkers as someone with a promising future in banking who actively encouraged and helped other people succeed both professionally and personally. She was proud of her Mexican heritage.
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Her husband described Elizabeth as loving, caring, uplifting, supportive and encouraging and said their three children were at the center of her life. He said providing for and protecting them motivated her to keep moving forward regardless of obstacles. Following her death, Martinez was left grieving his wife while simultaneously caring for two children recovering from injuries sustained in the crash.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
2 Fatalities, 2 Injuries.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Elizabeth’s husband, Jose Martinez, described her as a devoted mother whose priority was providing love and protection to their three children. Friends and coworkers remembered her as an uplifting and encouraging person who routinely helped others succeed. The collision killed Elizabeth while two of her children, ages 16 and 6, were inside her vehicle; both children survived with injuries.
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DISPOSITION:
New York State Police investigated the double-fatal collision. Because the deaths occurred during a police pursuit, the New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation also reviewed the circumstances. No officer was criminally charged for the officer’s role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Village of Walden Police Department and Town of Montgomery Police Department did not publicly identify the officers who conducted the traffic stop and subsequent pursuit.
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LITIGATION:
None found.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.recordonline.com/news/walden-fatal-crash-during-pursuit/
https://www.timesunion.com/projects/2024/police-pursuits/
https://hudsonvalley.news12.com/2-killed-2-injured-in-walden-police-chase-crash
https://hudsonvalleypress.com/2021/11/03/state-police-are-investigating-a-double-fatal-accident/
https://patch.com/new-york/midhudsonvalley/2-killed-orange-county-crash
https://hudsonvalleypost.com/2-dead-2-injured-in-head-on-crash-in-hudson-valley-on-ny-52/
https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/22993591/elizabeth-bello
GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-the-martinezbello-family