Well-known 'neighborhood grandmother' hit and killed by 18-wheeler in NE Houston, HPD says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman known as "the neighborhood grandma" is dead after Houston police said she was hit by an 18-wheeler in northeast Houston.

At about 2 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to the intersection of North Wayside Drive and Ley Road, where the woman, whose grandchildren identified as Lisa Smith, was hit by a truck. The family told ABC13 that Smith was in her 50s.

According to the department's vehicular crimes division, the 18-wheeler was traveling west in the 7900 block of Ley Road. The driver was using the left turn lane as they waited for the light to change. At that time, Smith stepped in front of the stationary truck. She was not in a crosswalk, according to police. The light turned green. The driver told police he felt something in his back axle, stopped, and discovered he had hit Smith.

Houston police said Smith is currently at fault because the truck had the right of way. Houston police Sgt. Sean Jewell called the incident a tragic accident and stressed the importance of sidewalks.

Lashon Williams told ABC13 he rode the bus frequently with Smith.

"Whenever (Smith) saw that we were down, she would just talk to us, bring our day back up. She always had positive words to say," He said. "She was really a kindhearted person. She was loved by everyone."

Smith's positivity is what Williams said he is clinging to as he grieves.

"(Smith) was like, 'negativity is only temporary, and it's only temporary if you let it affect you,' and that's stuck with me for a while. And I know (Tuesday) that's (going to be) one of the quotes I use because this is kind of a hard pill to swallow," Williams said.

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