GVSU student charged in fatal campus hit-and-run of guard
A suspect has been arrested in the death of a contracted Grand Valley State University security guard killed in a hit-and-run incident on Friday, Oct. 16.
OTTAWA COUNTY — A suspect has been arrested in the death of a contracted Grand Valley State University security guard killed in a hit-and-run incident on Friday, Oct. 16.
Jaisten Deonco Thomas, an 18-year-old GVSU student, is facing a felony charge after police say he struck and killed Debra Lynn Smith with his car and fled the scene early Friday morning.
Thomas, of Grand Rapids, was charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident causing serious impairment or death, a felony, according to Ottawa County 58th District Court records.
If convicted, Thomas faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
Police say Thomas hit 69-year-old Smith around 1:15 a.m. at an access control point near 4645 West Campus Drive, near The Meadows golf course.
Smith, a contracted security guard who also worked as a healthcare trainer in Grand Rapids Community College’s medical assistant program, was turning away an unauthorized vehicle when she was struck by a different car.
Less than 90 minutes after the crash, police located Thomas and a 2010 BMW at a Taco Bell in Walker. Officers observed fresh damage to the vehicle, including a dented hood and a cracked windshield with blonde hair embedded in the glass.
During questioning by GVSU police, Thomas allegedly admitted to hitting something while exiting campus, but claimed he did not know what he had hit.
The incident followed a prior traffic encounter on campus just hours earlier, when a GVSU police officer cited Thomas for careless driving at 11:47 p.m. Thursday after observing him driving through a parking lot with a passenger sitting on the hood of his car.
Thomas was arraigned in Hudsonville District Court and subsequently released on bond.
Beyond her work controlling campus access and teaching future medical assistants, Smith lived a life anchored in family and sports, according to her obituary.
A Hudsonville resident, she was a devout fan of Notre Dame football and NASCAR, spent summers camping at Pere Marquette Oaks, and traveled south for the winters.
To her family — especially her nieces, nephews, and her husband of 49 years, Mark — she was an unmissable presence in the bleachers and audience rows, never missing a choir concert or ballgame, and never hesitating to speak her mind.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim, who was working on our campus to help keep our community safe,” Grand Valley State University President Philomena Mantella said in a statement.
A Mass for Smith is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at Saint Sebastian Catholic Church in Byron Center, following a visitation on Thursday evening at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home in Grandville.
— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
