A teenager was charged after Postdam police said he fled the scene of a crash that killed SUNY Potsdam women’s basketball guard Emily Smith on Saturday morning near campus, according to North Country Now.
Smith was 20.
The driver, 18-year-old Jakob D. Krise of Brasher Falls, N.Y., was charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in death, zero tolerance driving while intoxicated and driving across hazard markings.
Smith was struck by a older-model black Cadillac Escalade on Pierrepont Avenue at about 3:37 a.m, and the vehicle left the scene immediately, police said.
Officers located the vehicle, which had front-end damage, traveling on U.S. Route 11 around 7:25 a.m. ET, and Krise was taken into custody.
Smith was transported to Canton-Potsdam Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to police.
SUNY Potsdam president Suzanne R. Smith said the college shared Smith’s identity with permission from her family.
Smith was with teammates and friends at the time of the incident and that “many more friends, classmates, coaches and supporters joined together with her family while she was at the hospital,” the school’s president said in a statement.
“With permission from her family, we are able to share that the student was Emily Smith ’28, a sophomore business administration major from Greenville, N.Y.,” the statement said, adding that Smith, the student, was a transfer student and member of the SUNY Potsdam Bears women’s basketball team.
“I am heartbroken by the loss of our captain, Emily,” Potsdam head coach Brittany Cohen said in a statement. “She was an extraordinary young woman, beloved by her teammates, coaches and everyone she met.
“Her presence will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this very difficult time.
Smith appeared in 19 games for the Bears in 2025-26 season.
Krise was arraigned in Town of Pierrepont Court and released under probation supervision.
He is scheduled to appear in Potsdam Town Court on Wednesday.
Police said the investigation remains active and additional charges may be pending.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
