Tragedy struck Memphis twice, with separate incidents involving vehicles and pedestrians resulting in severe injuries and a fatality. In the first event, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) reported an aggravated assault that occurred last month in East Memphis. WREG details that 19-year-old Shadiamond Smith was charged after allegedly assaulting another woman using a hammer and subsequently running her over with a car. The victim, who tried to keep her attacker out, was struck multiple times with a hammer and suffered various injuries, including a large open wound to her ankle. Smith is now being held on a $25,000 bond.
In a disturbingly similar vein, a hit-and-run incident on New Year's Day resulted in a pedestrian's death. Having been hit by a car at the intersection of Lamar and Bellevue, the unnamed woman who police say died later from her injuries in the hospital. Despite the efforts made to save her life, the driver involved did not remain on the scene, turning the inquiry into an ongoing traffic investigation, as Local Memphis and FOX13 Memphis corroborate.
The first incident on Allandale Lane escalated quickly from a domestic argument to violence. "She says she did not open the door for Smith the first time, but when Smith walked back to the front door holding the child, her boyfriend opened the door," as cited in the police report and then reported by WREG. Following an altercation between Smith and the father of her child, "Smith is accused of going to her car and getting a hammer." The female victim's attempt to prevent her assailant's entry led to her being struck and battered, according to MPD.
The New Year's Day tragedy, marked by the abrupt departure of the driver, joined a narrative of vehicular violence casting a pall over the community. The woman was immediately taken to Regional One Hospital in critical condition, per the authorities, but later succumbed to her injuries, leaving behind a case bereft of closure. As the investigation continues, Police hope that witnesses or evidence will lead to the apprehension of the responsible party.
