‘We are her voice’: Family seeks justice for Warm Springs elder killed in hit-and-run on Highway 26

(Update: adding video and comments from victim's family, truck driver)

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The FBI is asking for the public’s help after a fatal hit-and-run on Highway 26 that killed a Warm Springs tribal elder earlier this month.

Mary Smith, who lived on the Warm Springs reservation, was struck and left in the roadway during the early morning hours of February 10th. Her body was found near milepost 88, about a mile from her home.

Mary, who had dementia, was known to occasionally wander from home and walk along the highway. Family members or neighbors usually found her and brought her back safely. But on this night, she never made it home.

Maria Gutierrez, Mary's granddaughter, described her grandmother as a kind, gentle spirit and said their family is struggling to imagine life without her. “Her spirit, her kindness — that woman had no mean bone in her body,” she said. “February 10th, 2:50 a.m. is where my world stopped. All I kept saying this whole week is, I want to wake up now. I’m ready to wake up.”

Family members say losing Mary has left a deep void, both within their family and the greater Warm Springs community. Elders hold a sacred role in tribal life — they are seen as teachers, tradition keepers, and the community’s heart.

Traditionally, the family has begun mourning rituals that include burning belongings and covering hair so that spirits are not held back. Gutierrez says justice is now part of that process. “I don’t want her to be remembered as just someone lying in the middle of a highway,” she said. “She was so much more than that. And she deserves a voice. We are her voice.”

A truck driver, Will Tate, told KTVZ News in a phone call that he was the person who first reported what he believed was an animal blocking the roadway around 2 a.m. “Had he known it was a person, he would have stopped,” his wife, Melyssa Tate, wrote in a social media post. The FBI later interviewed Tate, his employer, and inspected his truck, determining he had no involvement or fault in the crash — only that he did the right thing by calling it in.

Federal investigators say the incident occurred between midnight and 12:25 a.m. and are urging anyone who may have seen vehicles or people in the area to contact them.

For Mary’s loved ones, her legacy is centered on love. “Live life the way she did — with that kindness,” Gutierrez said. “There’s no reason to hate people. Love everybody. Because at the end of the day, that’s all you have — each other. So hold on to that.”

The FBI asks anyone with possible information related to the crash to submit tips at tips.fbi.gov. Officials say no detail is too small in helping bring justice for a grandmother, an elder, and a life that mattered.

Earlier Story -- WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The FBI asked the public for tips Thursday after a fatal hit-and-run crash on Highway 26 that killed a Warm Springs tribal elder.

The agency told KTVZ News that the crash occurred near milepost 88 north of Warm Springs on the tribal reservation between midnight and 12:25 a.m. on Tuesday.

Anyone with information regarding vehicles or people in the area is asked to contact the FBI at http://tips.fbi.gov.

"We have nothing more to add at the moment," the FBI said, "but we are actively seeking information."

KTVZ News has been in contact with the woman's family. They confirmed to us that she was a tribal elder suffering from dementia.

We'll have more information and updates as this story develops in the coming days.