20-year-old SUNY Potsdam basketball player killed in hit-and-run

A 20-year-old college student and basketball player was killed in a hit-and-run early Saturday morning in Potsdam, New York, police said.

Emily Mae Smith, of Greenville, New York, died after a vehicle struck her near Pierrepont Avenue. She was a transfer student and business administration major at the State University of New York at Potsdam.

Police said Smith was walking when she was hit by an older-model black Cadillac Escalade. Officers responded to the area around 3:37 a.m. Saturday. She was taken to Canton-Potsdam Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The suspect vehicle left the scene. Officers located the vehicle about four hours later traveling on U.S. Route 11 east of the village and took the driver, Jakob D. Krise, 18, of Brasher Falls, New York, into custody without incident.

Krise has been charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in death, zero tolerance driving while intoxicated and driving across hazard markings. He was arraigned in Town of Pierrepont Court and released under probation supervision. He is scheduled to appear in Potsdam Town Court on Wednesday.

SUNY Potsdam President Dr. Suzanne Smith said Smith had been named to the Dean's List in her first year and had built a close group of friends and mentors.

Head coach Brittany Cohen called Smith an extraordinary young woman and said she was heartbroken by the loss of the team captain. Athletic Director Mark Misiak said the university was devastated by the death of such a bright soul at a young age.

The investigation remains active. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office for more information.