Police Continue To Investigate Hit-And-Run That Left 2 Teens Dead
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Who did it and how could they? That's the question family members are asking after two teenage girls were hit by a car and the driver sped off, leaving them to die.
Gigi Barnett explains no charges have been filed in this case.
Police are still searching for a piece of critical evidence, and this case adds to a dangerous trend on Maryland roads.
Baltimore City police investigators and prosecutors in the State's Attorney's Office are building their case against an unnamed driver who they say ran over Emerald Smith, 17, and Courtney Angeles, 16, from Pigtown.
Distraught family members are now planning funerals after the teens were left for dead at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and West Pratt Street. The driver fled the scene.
A vigil was held Wednesday night.
"We don't want revenge, we want justice," said Trudy Black, Angeles' grandmother.
"If you hit a dog, you stop. You hit a deer, you stop. But you hit two kids and you can't stop? Unbelievable," said Mary Smith, Emerald's mother.
Soon after the wreck, police stopped a car they suspected was involved in the accident near the airport. Two occupants were questioned.
"Detectives are in the process of reconstructing the entire accident scene. They're talking to witnesses, checking to see if there are any cameras in the area," said Detective Jeremy Silbert, Baltimore City Police.
That could be critical to the case, proving who had the right of way and if the teens were in the crosswalk.
A recent study revealed Maryland is the second deadliest state in the region for pedestrians, with pedestrian accidents accounting for more than 20 percent of traffic fatalities. The nation's average is 12 percent.
Emerald Smith's mother and a school crossing guard who knew the girls say they were always safe.
"It's sad that I guess I can find comfort that she didn't die alone. She died with one of her best friends," Mary Smith said.
The viewing and funeral for Emerald Smith will be held at the Hubbard Funeral Home Thursday and Friday. The viewing is Thursday at 3-5 p.m. and again from 7-9 p.m. The funeral services will be Friday at 1 p.m.
