Pastor, family of reckless driving victim want fatal crash to lead to change

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Family and friends of one of Milwaukee's latest reckless driving victims is hoping his death will get people to rethink their actions.

Amari Smith was killed Sunday night when a driver fled from police, blew through a red light, and slammed into his car.

Smith's family said he'd gotten his life on track and was excited to open his own barbershop soon, but those dreams were dashed Sunday night.

Pastor James West is the executive director of Repairers of the Breach. He said, "The first thing I thought about was the spark in his eye the last time I saw him."

Smith was on his way to becoming a success story, according to West.

West met Amari five years ago, counseled him and helped him tackle challenges in his life he felt were holding him back.

West said Amari's honesty and awareness helped him move forward. "When he wasn't on the right path, he said, 'I'm messing up. I need to get it together.' And I knew right then, 'Oh, we're going somewhere.'"

Amari had recently decided to become a barber and was due to graduate from MATC this May.

As he trained, he went back often to Repairers of the Breach to give back.

West said Amari was "Lining them up. And he wouldn't leave until the last one on the list was done."

But those dreams were cut short. Milwaukee police said the driver was pulled over for speeding at 24th and Burleigh, but he took off.

Four blocks away he ran a red light.

West said, "Whatever that person risked being charged for is nothing compared to what he's risked being charged for now."

West said decisions like that one can create a domino effect that could impact innocent lives and damage families.

He also said it weighs on the community, pointing to what a witness went through. "You hear the person who watched it, how they said they prayed and hoped he made it. That's trauma on a community member who didn't even know Amari."

But stopping it from happening can be a tall task.

On Tuesday, another man was seriously injured after he was also hit by a reckless driver.