Milwaukee crash victim remembered for his volunteering
MILWAUKEE - An innocent man killed in a police chase is being remembered.
Those who knew him best say he died just as he was working to reach his goals.
Amari Smith was often seen volunteering at Repairers of the Breach, a daytime shelter. He was in school to become a barber and cut the hair of the people at the shelter.
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It's a place where people frequently come and go, but there is one face that has been missed.
Amari Smith
"He was a people’s person," said Pastor James West, Smith’s mentor. "This not just talk. He was on his way. He was on his way."
West mentored Smith for years, teaching him the importance of volunteering as the 30-year-old was studying to become a barber.
Sunday, Feb. 25, it all came to a crashing halt.
Milwaukee fatal crash, 20th and Burleigh; 1 arrested
A 30-year-old man is dead following a crash that occurred Sunday, Feb. 25.
Smith was T-boned by a driver fleeing from police at 20th and Burleigh around 6:15 p.m.
"To get that news, just devastating. Just devastating," West said.
Pastor James West
Smith died at the scene.
According to a search warrant, the fleeing driver was going 45 in a 30 miles per hour zone when police tried to pull him over. Instead, he took off and ran a red light.
"One bad decision can cause so much hurt and so much pain," West said.
It’s a pain being felt by those who loved Smith.
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As the corner of the room he worked in sits quiet, the memory of his generosity has not been forgotten.
"It’s almost like it’s not a reality yet that Amari is gone," West said.
A GoFundMe online fundraiser was established in Smith's memory.
The driver of the fleeing car, identified only as a 40-year-old man, was arrested later that night. Charges are expected.