Man charged in connection with fatal St. Paul hit-and-run, said he thought he hit traffic cones

Charges in deadly hit-and-run

Dozens of people gathered in St. Paul on Monday to honor the life of 30-year-old Amber Deneen, who was killed in a hit-and-run last week.

The vigil took place at the intersection of St. Anthony Avenue and Aldine Street in the city’s Union Park neighborhood, where the crash happened. Neighbors said Deneen was walking in the crosswalk with her husband and dog when she was struck.

“We’ve lost a life in our community, and we want space to grieve and support her family,” said neighbor Katie Kraft. “Many of us walk here every day with our kids, our spouses, our pets, and it’s devastating to think a simple walk could end in tragedy.”

Kraft said the crash reflects long-standing fears about reckless driving in the area.

“This is a fear realized. For years, we’ve watched cars speed through stop signs and race down this frontage road. We know how dangerous this intersection is,” she said.

Kraft said the I‑94 frontage road is a dangerous shortcut. Neighbors complain that drivers race through at high speeds and ignore stop signs. KSTP cameras captured one driver doing exactly that.

On Monday, prosecutors charged Michael Kentrell Smith, 39, with one count of criminal vehicular homicide.

St. Paul police were called to the intersection around 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 13 for a hit-and-run involving a pedestrian. There, they found Deneen near the crosswalk with labored breathing and a fracture to her right leg, according to a criminal complaint. She was brought to the hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.

There’s a memorial at the crash site, as well as bright orange signs asking drivers to slow down and that someone was killed there.

Deneen’s husband told investigators they were walking their two dogs and had entered the crosswalk, which was right after a stop sign. He said someone driving a black SUV slowed before the stop sign, but didn’t stop completely. The driver then accelerated through the intersection and hit Deneen and the couple’s two dogs.

Deneen’s husband said the driver didn’t stop after hitting Deneen. The two dogs were later found and brought home.

Investigators found a piece of plastic from the SUV that was left at the scene and determined that it belonged to a 2007-2014 Chevrolet. According to court documents, there was sufficient light to see clearly at the time of the crash, the streetlight was on, and a lime green leash was found at the scene.

The woman who was driving behind the SUV told investigators that the Deneens entered the sidewalk before the SUV got to the intersection. The SUV only came to a partial stop and kept going. The woman said she started honking, but the SUV didn’t stop and “ran Deneen over like a speed bump,” before continuing onto St. Anthony Avenue.

Surveillance video showed the crash, the sound of a thud, honking, screams, and a vehicle speeding up with a revving engine.

According to court documents, investigators were identify the SUV as a Chevrolet Suburban belonging to Smith. Surveillance video showed Smith pulling into a Speedway parking lot shortly after the crash, briefly looking over his SUV, and then going into the store.

Smith was arrested on Saturday while driving the SUV. The SUV was missing a piece consistent with the piece left at the crash scene.

“Folks in the community were really happy to hear that. But again, it shouldn’t have happened,” Kraft said, when asked about Smith’s arrest.

Smith initially denied being involved in a hit-and-run, but later admitted that he was the man from the Speedway surveillance.

He claimed he didn’t see the Deneens walking their dogs, and denied using drugs or alcohol when asked why he didn’t stop, court documents state.

Smith added that he didn’t remember hitting anyone and he thought he heard someone yelling, but that he had his music playing and thought they were yelling at someone else. He said that if he did hit someone, they must have stepped out quickly, and reiterated that he didn’t see anyone crossing the street.

After investigators let the room, court documents state Smith looked at a photo of Deneen and said, “I’m sorry man. I do be driving over there, but I don’t remember hitting nobody — that’s crazy.”

When investigators returned with surveillance video showing Smith speeding off after the crash, Smith claimed he thought he had hit traffic cones. He claimed he sped away because he thought something was stuck under his SUV.

Smith said he later told his mother and sister that he might have hit somebody, but that he didn’t see anything about Deneen’s death on the news.

Court documents state that the traffic cones on St. Anthony Avenue are on the left side of the road and Smith would have hit them on the driver’s side, but Deneen was hit with the passenger side of the vehicle.

Smith has a prior DWI conviction, court documents note.

At the vigil, neighbors demanded city leaders develop a safety plan for St. Anthony Avenue. Kraft pointed to options like speed bumps, bollards, or stronger enforcement, but stressed the need for collaboration.

“We want the city to commit to working with our neighborhood and identifying what’s most effective. And we’ll be asking the city council and mayor to make safe streets a budget priority.”

The St. Paul Police Department has acknowledged neighbors’ concerns. Many of its leadership team attended the vigil.

“What happened on November 13 was heartbreaking and one hundred percent preventable. Our thoughts are with the Deneen family in this unimaginable time. We’re proud of our officers and investigators for bringing forth justice so quickly on this case,” SPPD said in a statement.

SPPD said the suspect’s speed at the time of the crash remains under investigation.

Police added they will work with Public Works to explore changes at the intersection.

“The perception of safety is important, and we want people to feel and be physically safe while out for a walk,” SPPD said.

Since the crash, police deployed a speed trailer near the intersection and plans to have officers in the area when possible.

“Driving behavior has changed and people are driving faster than ever before, but we know enforcement can change behavior,” police said.

RELATED: Le Sueur County acts on safety concerns after deadly crash

In Derrynane Township, new signage was added along a county highway after a young mother was killed in a crash. 

“This is the kind of thing that we want,” Kraft said. For neighbors, the vigil was both a moment of grief and a call to action, a demand for real change to make the streets safer and prevent future tragedies.
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