Vigil held for St. Paul hit-and-run victim remembered by neighbors, friends
Hit-and-run driver charged in St. Paul
A driver has been charged as part of a fatal hit-and-run in St. Paul. FOX 9’s Maury Glover is live from a vigil held for the victim with the details.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Family members say Amber Deneen was a light to all who knew her.
‘Absolutely devastating'
Local perspective:
On a cold and somber evening, a glimmer of comfort in a sea of grief.
"It's so horrible this happened to Amber, and it just can't keep happening," neighbor Lisa Nelson told FOX 9.
About 100 people showed up at the corner of St Anthony Avenue and Aldine Street to have a moment of silence for Amber Deneen at 5:13 p.m., the exact time she was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while walking her dogs with her husband on Thursday night.
"I just want Amber to be remembered not as a 30-year-old woman from St. Paul but as a friend. As a co-worker. As a beautiful person. A beloved wife and an important member of our family, and we're all just shattered into a million pieces that will never fully be put back together," said Deneen's mother-in-law Ruth Tambornino.
Vigil held in St. Paul for woman killed in hit-and-run
A St. Paul community gathered Monday night to remember Amber Deneen, a woman killed last Thursday in a hit-and-run crash. The alleged driver in the incident has been charged. FOX 9's Maury Glover has the story.
Persistent problem
The backstory:
Neighbors say they've complained for years about drivers running stop signs, speeding and even drag racing along St Anthony Avenue.
They want the city to put in speed bumps, traffic cameras or anything that will prevent another tragic death like Deneen's.
"We're really mad that this happened to her because we knew this was a dangerous street. The city knew this was a dangerous street," said Nelson, who also helped organize the vigil.
'We need safe streets'
What they're saying:
But out of the darkness, neighbors hope others will see the light.
"Hearing about anybody hit by a car is tragic and scary, but knowing that there was a senseless loss of life of a young woman is devastating for all of us, and we really feel compelled to say something about it. This shouldn't have happened, and we want to make sure it never happens again," said neighbor Katie Kraft.
"Our neighborhood is not a pass through. It's not a drag strip. It is a place where people live. It is a place where people go to the park. It's a place where kids play, and their reckless behavior leads to tragic consequences," said neighbor Katie Jarvi.