A Fort Lauderdale woman killed in a hit-and-run crash is being remembered for her big heart and generosity.
Read more Venezuelan gamer captured earthquake live on stream, now using her platform to help survivors
Friends and family were all shocked by the sudden loss, and the suspected driver has now been charged with the crime.
The woman killed is Shelley Lewis, 68. Lewis was a special education teacher who worked with children with autism for years in Broward County.
Flowers were left in memoriam by her family along the 17th Street Bridge in Fort Lauderdale, where Lewis was killed in a hit-and-run early Thursday morning.
“Shelley was very warm and generous and thoughtful,” said Elaine Fiore, a neighbor and friend. “She was a retired special ed teacher, she worked with children who had special needs and autism.”
Lewis’s friends and neighbors are in shock. They say she was an avid cyclist, loved the outdoors, and loved her garden, which she tended to almost daily at her apartment home along Davie Boulevard.
“She was super active, loved biking and going to the beach, walk, she was just really an important part of our community and very loving,” Fiore recalled. “Everyone is just kind of in shock and she is missed.”
“I’m empty right now,” said Madge Baker, who lives one floor above Lewis. “I think I’m sick to my stomach knowing what happened.”
Read more Man accused of stabbing partner 34 times in Miami faces attempted murder charge
Witnesses immediately called 911 after the hit-and-run occurred at around 6:40 a.m. Thursday morning.
The suspected hit-and-run driver, Don Janea Smith, 22, is at the Broward County Jail. She is charged with failing to remain at the scene of a deadly accident and evidence tampering.
Smith was arrested four hours after the crash, and police say her car was found 2.5 miles from the scene.
Smith is currently being held on a $100,000 bond, which, if posted, will place her on house arrest.
The situation is an absolute tragedy for everyone who knew and loved Lewis.
“I was in shock, I cried, I couldn’t do nothing yesterday, it was a shock to me,” said Anat Avram, one of Lewis’s neighbors. “It’s hard, it’s so hard. It’s so sad. I can’t believe that I’m not going to see her anymore.”
“She was always traveling, going to the keys to see the family or driving up to Melbourne to see her family,” Fiore said. “She was extremely close with her family.”
Lewis grew up in Fort Lauderdale and worked at Mirror Lake Elementary School in Plantation as the special needs instructor.
Read more Mom arrested after child found wandering alone and looking for food, police say
Her family has requested privacy at this time.