Suspect in fatal hit-and-run back in court

POTSDAM―The suspect in a hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of Emily Mae Smith was back in court on Monday.

Jakob D. Krise, 18, of Brasher Falls, NY is accused of hitting the Greenville woman with an SUV around 3:37 a.m. on Saturday near the SUNY Potsdam campus where she was a sophomore.

Smith, 20, passed away at Canton Potsdam Hospital shortly after the crash.

Krise, who is represented by the St. Lawrence County Public Defender’s Office, continued his plea of not guilty in Potsdam Town Court and remains released under probation supervision.

He is charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in death, a class D felony, and driving across hazard markings, a violation, as well as zero tolerance driving while intoxicated, a violation that applies to drivers under the age of 21 who allegedly have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between 0.02% to 0.07%.

According to the Potsdam Police Department, the vehicle that struck Smith fled the scene immediately following the collision but was identified as an older-model black Cadillac Escalade.

About four hours later, the SUV was pulled over in the Village of Potsdam and Krise was taken into custody, charged and arraigned.

According to WWNY news in Watertown, that obtained court documents, Krise allegedly struck Smith on the front lawn of a friend’s house.

The investigation remains ongoing and Potsdam Police Chief Michael Ames said additional charges against Krise may be filed.

Krise is currently scheduled to return to town court on July 1 pending transfer of the case to St. Lawrence County Court.

Smith was 2024 Greenville High School graduate and SUNY Potsdam business administration major who played on the college’s women’s basketball team.

Calling hours will take place from 4-7 p.m. on Friday at A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home in Greenville.