A St. Paul man has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide in connection with a hit-and-run that killed a 30-year-old woman last Thursday, according to court records.
Michael Kentrell Smith, 39, was charged Monday with one count of criminal vehicular homicide.
Police responded around 5:14 p.m. to the intersection of St. Anthony Avenue and Aldine Street, where officers found the woman near a crosswalk with a severe leg injury and breathing difficulties. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
Family members identified the victim as Amber Deneen. Her husband, Charles Deneen, told investigators that the couple had been walking their two German shepherds when they entered a crosswalk. Officers found a plastic SUV part at the scene.
According to the complaint, Smith was driving an SUV that slowed near the stop sign but never fully stopped before accelerating through the intersection and striking Deneen and the dogs. He allegedly did not stop after the impact. Both dogs were later found and returned home.
A witness driving behind the SUV told police she saw the couple and their dogs in the crosswalk before Smith’s vehicle reached the intersection.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage showing a Chevrolet Suburban consistent with the suspect vehicle. The SUV was registered to Smith. Video from a nearby Speedway gas station appeared to show Smith exiting the Suburban minutes after the crash, inspecting the vehicle, and entering the store.
Smith was arrested two days later, still wearing the clothing seen in the footage.
When questioned, Smith initially claimed he was “not involved.” After being shown photos of his SUV, he said he suffered from a traumatic brain injury affecting his memory. He admitted he was the man in the Speedway video but said he did not remember seeing the couple and their dogs.
He denied drinking or using drugs and told police, “I don’t remember hitting nobody… maybe cones or something.”
At one point, after investigators briefly left the room, Smith looked at a photo of Deneen and said, “I’m sorry man… I don’t remember hitting nobody — that’s crazy.”
Even after seeing surveillance video of the SUV fleeing the scene at high speed, Smith insisted he believed he had struck road cones. Investigators noted there are cones on St. Anthony Avenue used to mark bike lanes, but they determined the crash impact occurred on the passenger side — the same side that struck Deneen and the dogs.
Family and Community Mourn Amber Deneen
Deneen’s family remembered her as “a talented artist, a lover of all animals… enchanted with life and a light to all who knew her.” They said she had recently been promoted at SPS Commerce.
On Monday night, dozens gathered at a candlelight vigil near the crash site, leaving flowers, candles, and handwritten notes. Several community members called for safety improvements at the intersection, including better lighting, signals, speed bumps, and other traffic calming measures.
A posted sign read: “Slow Down! Someone died here.”
Community organizers distributed flyers with a QR code for residents wanting to join efforts to push for changes along St. Anthony Avenue.
Leave a Comment