JEFFERSON PARISH, LA. (THECOUNT) — Grieving family members have identified one of the 17-year-old girls killed when a vehicle fleeing Jefferson Parish deputies crashed into her car in New Orleans on Wednesday night. Giselle Smith of unincorporated Gretna was a senior at West Jefferson High School in Harvey, a member of the basketball team and the band, said her sister, Jaquanda “Nikki” Kiper, 35.
Two others riding with Giselle were injured in the crash, including another 17-year-old girl who died Thursday, according to the New Orleans Police Department. Authorities have not identified her, but Giselle’s relatives described her as a close friend and also a senior at West Jefferson High.
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The third victim, Giselle’s 21-year-old sister, was still hospitalized Thursday, according to relatives. Giselle’s sister was being treated for a head injury but opened her eyes and squeezed their hand a few times Thursday morning, relatives said.
The crash occurred about 7:39 p.m. at the intersection of St. Bernard Avenue and Interstate 610, according to New Orleans police. It began as a pursuit by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies in Metairie, according to authorities.
Three women suspected of shoplifting clothing from a store in Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., sped away in a red SUV about 7:30 p.m., according to the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies spotted the SUV on Interstate 10 and began a pursuit, according to Capt. Jason Rivarde, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office.
But about a minute into the chase, a ranking officer cancelled the pursuit near the Canal Boulevard exit in New Orleans on I-610, according to Jefferson Sheriff Joseph Lopinto.
“They didn’t even see the car at that point in time. The car was already out of view,” Lopinto said.
The deputies exited the interstate at St. Bernard to turn around and discovered that the SUV had lost control and crashed into another car — the vehicle in which Giselle, her sister, and the third victim had been riding.
Three women jumped out of the crashed SUV and ran, though one of them was caught and detained by deputies, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The woman, a 37-year-old, was booked as a fugitive from Jefferson Parish for shoplifting, the NOPD said Thursday. Authorities obtained a warrant for the SUV’s suspected driver, Joneaka Smooth, 31, for two counts of manslaughter, negligent injuring, hit-and-run, and flight from an officer, the NOPD said.
Kiper was watching news reports of the crash on television when other family members began desperately calling to tell her that her sisters were involved in the wreck. Giselle carried an iPhone tracker that alerted her family to the crash and dialed 911, Kiper said.
The youngest of 11 siblings, Giselle’s family members called her caring, smart, and a bit of a goofball who always had a smile on her lips.
“She wasn’t given a chance. She had so much to look forward to in life and it was taken away from her,” Kiper said.
Relatives spent the night in the hospital keeping watch over their surviving sister while mourning and remembering Giselle.
Her brother, Joseph Kiper, 28, called her sensitive, free-spirited, and fun-loving.
“She was a very understanding and outstanding person,” her sister, Ashanti Kiper, 21, said. “She was goofy, very kind, and very smart. She was just the best.”
The baby of the family, Giselle was spoiled with love and attention. But it also meant that she got away with quite a bit, her siblings said. She did not do more or less than she wanted to and frequently got her way, they said affectionately.
Giselle could always be counted on to babysit her nieces and nephews, but, as a rule, she didn’t handle the down-and-dirty duties.
“She would watch the kids, but you had to be back before they needed a diaper changed,” Jaquanda Kiper said.
Giselle had a love for most of the typical teenage pursuits. She loved dancing and making TikTok videos with her friends and family. She played video games and enjoyed sports. A shooting guard for the basketball team, she once tried out for power puff football, Ashanti Kiper said.
Giselle joined the band and played cymbals on the drumline. When she wasn’t busy with friends, she loved to nap, relatives said. She wanted to become a Realtor, according to Ashanti Kiper.
Giselle’s death comes just five months after the family lost their mother, Zena Kiper, 54, to a brief battle with colon cancer. They’d all still been grieving her loss when news of Giselle’s death ripped through the family.
Giselle spoke often about her heartache and disappointment that her mother would not be there to see her graduate in the spring. Now, relatives won’t get to see her walk across the West Jefferson stage.
“It just feels like an unbelievable dream,” Jaquanda Kiper said.
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