A teenager has been charged following an incident in which NYU Potsdam women’s basketball guard Emily Smith lost her life near the campus early Saturday. Smith was only 20 years old.
The accused, Jacob D. Kreis, an 18-year-old from Brasher Falls, New York, faces charges including leaving the scene of a deadly motor vehicle accident, driving under the influence, and driving past a hazard marker.
According to police reports, Smith was hit by an older black Cadillac Escalade on Pierrepont Avenue around 3:37 a.m. The vehicle promptly fled the scene.
Kreis was apprehended around 7:25 a.m. after officers noticed the car with front-end damage on U.S. Highway 11.
Smith was transported to Canton Potsdam Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Smith, a sophomore from Greenville, New York, was studying business administration. SUNY Potsdam’s president, Suzanne R. Smith, confirmed her identity with the family’s consent.
At the time of the accident, she was surrounded by teammates and friends, as noted in a statement from the university president, who shared that additional friends and supporters gathered at the hospital.
Emily was a transfer student and a captain on the SUNY Potsdam Bears women’s basketball team. “My heart hurts with the loss of our captain Emily,” said Brittany Cohen, the director of Potsdam. “She was an extraordinary young woman loved by her teammates, coaches, and everyone she encountered.”
Smith had participated in 19 games with the Bears during the 2025-26 season.
Kreis was arraigned in Pierrepont Municipal Court and released on probation. His next court appearance is set for Wednesday in Potsdam City Court.
Authorities have indicated that the investigation is still ongoing, and more charges could follow.
