St. Paul man charged in hit-and-run that killed 30-year-old woman
By Nick Lentz, Ashley Grams
A St. Paul, Minnesota, man is charged with criminal vehicular homicide in the hit-and-run crash that killed a 30-year-old woman on Thursday, court records said.
Michael Kentrell Smith, 39, was charged Monday with one count of criminal vehicular homicide in the fatal St. Paul collision.
The criminal complaint said officers responded to the crash at the intersection of St. Anthony Avenue and Aldine Street around 5:14 p.m. They found the woman near a crosswalk who had difficulty breathing and an injured right leg. She was taken to the hospital where she later died.
Family has identified the woman as Amber Deneen. Her husband, Charles Deneen, told police that he and his wife were walking their two German shepherds in the area when they entered a crosswalk, charges said. Investigators found a plastic piece from the SUV at the scene.
A motorist, later identified as Smith, driving an SUV, allegedly slowed down while approaching a stop sign at the intersection, but did not stop completely. He then accelerated through the intersection and hit Amber Deneen and the two dogs, according to court documents.
Smith did not stop after the collision, the complaint said. The two dogs were later found and taken home.
A woman driving behind the SUV told police she saw the couple and their dogs enter the crosswalk before the SUV reached the intersection, charges said.
According to the complaint, investigators found surveillance video that showed the SUV in the area and captured sounds of the crash. They determined the SUV, a Chevrolet Suburban, was registered to Smith.
Video from a Speedway gas station near the crash scene allegedly showed Smith getting out of his vehicle around 5:14 p.m. and checking it before going into the store. He was arrested two days later in the same clothes he was wearing at the gas station, charges said.
Smith said in an interview with investigators that he was comfortable talking about the crash since he “wasn’t involved,” the complaint said. Police showed him photos of his SUV before he “insisted” he wasn’t involved.
Smith then told police he had a traumatic brain injury from a car accident that happened when he was 18, which he said impacts his memory, according to charges. He admitted that he was the man shown in the Speedway surveillance video, but did not remember seeing a woman walking two dogs with her husband.
He also denied that he had drunk alcohol or used drugs when asked by police if that was why he didn’t stop, charges said. Smith went on to say, “I don’t remember hitting nobody if them cones or something.”
The complaint said that when investigators left the room, Smith looked at a photo of Amber Deneen and said, “I’m sorry man. I do be driving over there, but I don’t remember hitting nobody — that’s crazy.”
Investigators returned with a video of the Suburban leaving the crash scene at a high speed, according to charges. Smith, after seeing the video, said, “I’m telling you the truth right now – I didn’t know I hit anybody, because you know the cones in the road – I did hit them. I’m thinking I hit the cones!”
Smith said he felt a couple of thumps under the vehicle when he hit the cones, charges said. He then told investigators that he accelerated because “he thought something was stuck under his vehicle.”
According to the complaint, Smith said, “I didn’t see nobody. I thought I hit the cones, and I didn’t know it was a body under my car.”
Charges said there are cones on St. Anthony Avenue to protect bike lanes, though investigators said the road marker would have hit the driver’s side of Smith’s vehicle. Police said he would’ve hit Amber Deneen and the two dogs with the right side of his SUV.
Amber Deneen’s family said in a written statement that she was “a talented artist, a lover of all animals, she was enchanted with life and a light to all who knew her. She also had the quickest wit and a perfected side-eye when it was warranted.”
Her family added that she worked at SPS Commerce and had just been promoted.
Community mourns Amber Deneen
On Monday night, dozens of people gathered at a candlelight vigil in St. Paul to remember Amber Deneen.
Many left flowers and handwritten notes near the intersection of the fatal crash.
Neighbors say the intersection is dangerous and needs to be addressed by the city.
“Crosswalks, signals, proper lighting, speed bumps, speed mitigation,” a community member said.
One sign near the intersection said, “Slow Down! Someone died here.”
Some people at the vigil were handing out flyers with a QR code on the back for anyone who wants to join them in meeting with city officials to make St. Anthony Avenue safer.
Man charged in connection with fatal St. Paul hit-and-run, said he thought he hit traffic cones
Morgan Reddekopp & Kamaria Braye KSTP
Updated: November 19, 2025 – 5:03 AM
Published: November 18, 2025 – 8:02 AMPlay Video
Charges in deadly hit-and-run
Dozens of people gathered in St. Paul on Monday to honor the life of 30-year-old Amber Deneen, who was killed in a hit-and-run last week.
The vigil took place at the intersection of St. Anthony Avenue and Aldine Street in the city’s Union Park neighborhood, where the crash happened. Neighbors said Deneen was walking in the crosswalk with her husband and dog when she was struck.
“We’ve lost a life in our community, and we want space to grieve and support her family,” said neighbor Katie Kraft. “Many of us walk here every day with our kids, our spouses, our pets, and it’s devastating to think a simple walk could end in tragedy.”
Kraft said the crash reflects long-standing fears about reckless driving in the area.
“This is a fear realized. For years, we’ve watched cars speed through stop signs and race down this frontage road. We know how dangerous this intersection is,” she said.
Kraft said the I‑94 frontage road is a dangerous shortcut. Neighbors complain that drivers race through at high speeds and ignore stop signs. KSTP cameras captured one driver doing exactly that.
On Monday, prosecutors charged Michael Kentrell Smith, 39, with one count of criminal vehicular homicide.
St. Paul police were called to the intersection around 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 13 for a hit-and-run involving a pedestrian. There, they found Deneen near the crosswalk with labored breathing and a fracture to her right leg, according to a criminal complaint. She was brought to the hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.
There’s a memorial at the crash site, as well as bright orange signs asking drivers to slow down and that someone was killed there.
Deneen’s husband told investigators they were walking their two dogs and had entered the crosswalk, which was right after a stop sign. He said someone driving a black SUV slowed before the stop sign, but didn’t stop completely. The driver then accelerated through the intersection and hit Deneen and the couple’s two dogs.
Deneen’s husband said the driver didn’t stop after hitting Deneen. The two dogs were later found and brought home.
Investigators found a piece of plastic from the SUV that was left at the scene and determined that it belonged to a 2007-2014 Chevrolet. According to court documents, there was sufficient light to see clearly at the time of the crash, the streetlight was on, and a lime green leash was found at the scene.
The woman who was driving behind the SUV told investigators that the Deneens entered the sidewalk before the SUV got to the intersection. The SUV only came to a partial stop and kept going. The woman said she started honking, but the SUV didn’t stop and “ran Deneen over like a speed bump,” before continuing onto St. Anthony Avenue.
Surveillance video showed the crash, the sound of a thud, honking, screams, and a vehicle speeding up with a revving engine.
According to court documents, investigators were identify the SUV as a Chevrolet Suburban belonging to Smith. Surveillance video showed Smith pulling into a Speedway parking lot shortly after the crash, briefly looking over his SUV, and then going into the store.
Smith was arrested on Saturday while driving the SUV. The SUV was missing a piece consistent with the piece left at the crash scene.
“Folks in the community were really happy to hear that. But again, it shouldn’t have happened,” Kraft said, when asked about Smith’s arrest.
Smith initially denied being involved in a hit-and-run, but later admitted that he was the man from the Speedway surveillance.
He claimed he didn’t see the Deneens walking their dogs, and denied using drugs or alcohol when asked why he didn’t stop, court documents state.
Smith added that he didn’t remember hitting anyone and he thought he heard someone yelling, but that he had his music playing and thought they were yelling at someone else. He said that if he did hit someone, they must have stepped out quickly, and reiterated that he didn’t see anyone crossing the street.
After investigators let the room, court documents state Smith looked at a photo of Deneen and said, “I’m sorry man. I do be driving over there, but I don’t remember hitting nobody — that’s crazy.”
When investigators returned with surveillance video showing Smith speeding off after the crash, Smith claimed he thought he had hit traffic cones. He claimed he sped away because he thought something was stuck under his SUV.
Smith said he later told his mother and sister that he might have hit somebody, but that he didn’t see anything about Deneen’s death on the news.
Court documents state that the traffic cones on St. Anthony Avenue are on the left side of the road and Smith would have hit them on the driver’s side, but Deneen was hit with the passenger side of the vehicle.
Smith has a prior DWI conviction, court documents note.
At the vigil, neighbors demanded city leaders develop a safety plan for St. Anthony Avenue. Kraft pointed to options like speed bumps, bollards, or stronger enforcement, but stressed the need for collaboration.
“We want the city to commit to working with our neighborhood and identifying what’s most effective. And we’ll be asking the city council and mayor to make safe streets a budget priority.”
The St. Paul Police Department has acknowledged neighbors’ concerns. Many of its leadership team attended the vigil.
“What happened on November 13 was heartbreaking and one hundred percent preventable. Our thoughts are with the Deneen family in this unimaginable time. We’re proud of our officers and investigators for bringing forth justice so quickly on this case,” SPPD said in a statement.
SPPD said the suspect’s speed at the time of the crash remains under investigation.
Police added they will work with Public Works to explore changes at the intersection.
“The perception of safety is important, and we want people to feel and be physically safe while out for a walk,” SPPD said.
Since the crash, police deployed a speed trailer near the intersection and plans to have officers in the area when possible.
“Driving behavior has changed and people are driving faster than ever before, but we know enforcement can change behavior,” police said.
RELATED: Le Sueur County acts on safety concerns after deadly crash
In Derrynane Township, new signage was added along a county highway after a young mother was killed in a crash.
“This is the kind of thing that we want,” Kraft said. For neighbors, the vigil was both a moment of grief and a call to action, a demand for real change to make the streets safer and prevent future tragedies.
