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Second teenage girl dies in hit-and-run with suspected shoplifters identified

Second teenage girl dies in hit-and-run with suspected shoplifters identified

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The Orleans Parish Coroner has identified Giselle Smith and Semaj Morris, both 17, as the two teenagers killed in a crash Wednesday night (Dec. 11).

The crash left Smith’s sister, Paris Kiper, 21, in critical condition, according to family members.

Smith and Morris, both students at West Jefferson High School, were traveling in a Toyota Camry when a car driven by alleged thief Joneaka Smooth collided with them, according to police.

The crash occurred after officials say Smooth, 30, along with two accomplices fled from deputies responding to a burglary call. Investigators say Smooth was driving erratically on I-10 before exiting at St. Bernard Avenue, crossing multiple lanes, jumping a median and slamming into the Camry.

Jefferson Parish court records show Smooth has a criminal record dating back to at least 2017.

She pleaded guilty to two prior counts of theft and two counts of misdemeanor theft.

In 2023, a Jefferson Parish judge sentenced her to two years in prison, but suspended the sentence so she could be released on probation.

On Friday (Dec. 13), an Orleans Parish judge ordered that the state Department of Pardons and Paroles be notified of Smooth’s new case.

Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche said he expects the previous guilty pleas to exacerbate any sentence she receives if convicted.

One dead, two injured in crash near I-610 following shoplifting incident and over…
One dead, two injured in crash near I-610 following burglary incident and pursuit terminated, deputies say

Smooth surrendered to authorities on Thursday and is charged with manslaughter, hit and run by police. One accomplice remains at large, while another — 37-year-old Lisa Herring — has reportedly been taken into custody, though she has yet to appear in court records.

Joneaka Smooth, 30, is accused of driving a vehicle that fled the scene of a burglary…
Joneaka Smooth, 30, is accused of driving a vehicle that fled the scene of a theft incident that ended in a fatal crash.(NOPD)

Family members say Kiper, who turned 21 on Thursday, is in critical condition but has shown signs of responsiveness and shook a relative’s hand.

The Smith family was already mourning the loss of Giselle’s mother to colon cancer earlier this year.

See also: Family says 17-year-old girl killed in hit-and-run with alleged thieves had ‘infectious smile’ like her mother

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