‘She was an angel': Woman runs out of gas, killed in hit-and-run on 696

Woman killed in hit-and-run on 696, family in mourning

The family of a 28-year-old woman are in mourning after she was killed in a hit-and-run on 696.

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - The mother of a 28-year-old woman who was killed in a hit-and-run on 696 said in the blink of an eye she went from planning a birthday party to planning a funeral.

Nateria Smith, 28, was killed Sunday morning on 696 near Hoover in Warren. She had just run out of gas when a car driven by 36-year-old Meghan Hamilton slammed into her – and kept going.

What they're saying:

"She was beautiful; she was kind, she was an angel," her mom, Neferteri Smith, said. "I’m hurt. It’s a feeling I can’t even explain. I can’t stop breaking down because it happened in a blink of an eye. She had just spent the night with me and we were just planning her birthday party next month. Now I’m going from planning a birthday party to planning a funeral."

Nateria Smith was filling up her car with gas on 696 when Hamilton crashed into her and then kept going, authorities said.

"I wish I could have a conversation with her just her and I so I can ask her ‘what were you doing?’ What was was going through your head? Were you distracted were you intoxicated? What happened? I’m a good person, I don’t hold grudges but just tell me what happened," Neferteri Smith said.

Nateria Smith, 28, was killed Sunday morning by a hit-and-run driver as she was refilling her car with gas on 696.

That's the same question that investigators are trying to solve. Because she let the scene, it's unknown if she was impaired at the time of the crash.

"If we would’ve caught her on the night of the incident we could have evaluated her to see if there were any signs of impairment. But since located her the next day, proving impairment 12 hours later is difficult," Warren Police Lt John Gajewski said.

The other side:

Hamilton's attorney, Adam Clements, said he'll defend his client's alleged actions.

"My client is a great person, she’s hard-working, she’s humble, she works hard and isn’t a menace to society at all. She doesn’t have a significant criminal history," he said.

Hamilton's bond was set at $50,000 cash surety.