Bond set for woman charged in Fort Lauderdale hit-and-run that left retired teacher dead

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A judge on Friday set bond for a woman accused of fleeing the scene after fatally striking a bicyclist on the Southeast 17th Street Causeway in Fort Lauderdale.

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Investigators said Don Janea Smith, 22, is charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in connection with the death of 68-year-old Shelley Lewis.

During Smith’s first court appearance Friday, prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond.

“As to count one leaving the scene of a crash involving death, I would ask for a $100,000 bond, no driving, a passport surrender,” a prosecutor said in court.

According to Fort Lauderdale police, the crash happened at about 6:40 a.m. Thursday in the 2000 block of Southeast 17th Street.

Investigators said Lewis was riding her bicycle in the eastbound lanes when she was struck by a dark-colored vehicle whose driver fled the scene.

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They said Lewis was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where she died.

According to an arrest report, Smith abandoned the vehicle after the crash, then returned to remove items from it before leaving the area in an Uber. Police later located the Uber and took Smith into custody.

Family members, who declined an on-camera interview Friday, described Lewis as an avid bicyclist who stayed active and regularly enjoyed bicycling, tennis, golf, pickleball and ping-pong.

According to her niece, Veronica Haines, Lewis spent her career in education, serving as head of special education at Mirror Lake Elementary School in Plantation after previously working at Sawgrass Elementary School in Sunrise.

After retiring, Haines said, Lewis often pet-sat for family and friends.

Lewis lived near the bridge and frequently rode her bicycle over it to the beach while wearing a helmet, according to her family.

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Haines said family was everything to her aunt.