2 Cleveland women killed in separate crashes

Emergency crews work at the scene of an accident on southbound I-280 as a medical helicopter approaches, at left. The crash was one of two locally that killed two people last night.

A woman, at left, wraps herself in a blanket and tries to keep warm at the scene of a fatal accident on southbound I-280 near the entrance to the Ohio Turnpike

Two Cleveland women were killed yesterday in separate crashes within just a few miles and about 15 minutes of one another near the intersection of the Ohio Turnpike and I-280, the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

The first crash occurred about 4:50 p.m. in the turnpike s westbound lanes, less than a mile east of I-280 in Lake Township.

The victim of the single-vehicle crash, Debra A. Szemborski, 50, who was driving a car, was pronounced dead at the scene, troopers at the patrol s Swanton post said.

Ms. Szemborski was driving west on the turnpike when the car went off the right side of the road. She then over-corrected, troopers said.

The car went back on the road, crossed all three westbound lanes, and struck a cement median barrier wall. The vehicle then bounced off the median barrier, overturned, and came to rest on its top in the right two westbound lanes.

Westbound traffic on the turnpike was restricted to one lane for about 2 hours before normal traffic resumed about 7:30 p.m., troopers said. The cause of the accident remained under investigation Friday.

The second crash occurred about 5:05 p.m. on State Rt. 420, just north of Libbey Road and just south of the turnpike. A southbound sport utility vehicle driven by Mao Yem, 40, of Parma, Ohio, slammed into the rear of another sport utility vehicle, which was driven by Donald Brouse Jr., 65, of Lasalle, Mich.

Emergency crews work at the scene of an accident on southbound I-280 as a medical helicopter approaches, at left. The crash was one of two locally that killed two people last night.

Khean Chith, 56, of Cleveland, one of two passengers in the Mao Yem SUV, was airlifted to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead., troopers said.

The drivers of the vehicles were treated at the scene.

Mom Suon, 62, the second passenger in the Mao Yem vehicle, was also taken to St. Vincent, where no information was available Friday morning about a person by that name.

Mr. Brouse had three passengers. None of them was hurt.