Camden, New Jersey, neighborhood mourns beloved mechanic killed in hit-and-run
A Camden, New Jersey, neighborhood is mourning the loss of a beloved mechanic killed last week in what authorities said was a hit-and-run involving a stolen car.
Around 6:46 p.m. Thursday, Kenneth Blane Smith, known by those close to him simply as Blane, was riding a motorcycle when he was struck by a stolen Chevy Blazer, according to the Camden County prosecutor's office. The driver fled the scene, officials said.
Jackie Thomas, who lives across the street, said the impact threw Smith into the air.
"He flew up in the air, and his body landed in the street, and the bike maybe went 30 feet from where he landed," Thomas said.
Smith was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities said the Blazer was found unoccupied a short time later after it crashed into a parked vehicle on the 2100 block of Master Street. No arrests have been made.
Friends and relatives described Smith as a generous man who often fixed cars for neighbors — sometimes at no charge.
"His character was the loving, gentle soul that would help anybody," said longtime friend Russell Robinson.
Carlton Dobbins said Smith took him in when he was 5 years old and became a father figure.
"God placed him in my life so that I could grow up knowing the right things to do in life," Dobbins said.
Dobbins' mother, Rhonda McLean, echoed that sentiment.
"He was the father figure my son Carlton never had," she said. "He was a pillar of our community. He served us all."
On Monday, friends and loved ones gathered at a memorial near the crash site, where Dobbins brought pieces of Smith's motorcycle.
"I just didn't lose a person. I lost a part of me," he said.
Those who knew Smith best say they don't have closure, and as the investigation continues, they're praying for justice.
"We ask anybody — out of compassion, out of love — that knows anything about this, please come forward," McLean said. "Step up."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Samuel Funches III of the Camden County Prosecutor's Office Crash Response Investigation Team at 856-614-8083 or Sgt. Theodore DeSantis of the Camden County Police Department at 609-820-3530.
