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Arrest made in fatal hit-and-run
SMITHVILLE — The Smithville community is mourning the death of a well-known resident whom relatives described as a kind and humble soul following a fatal hit-and-run last week.
Jimmie Lee Jones died Oct. 11 after being struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of Super Donuts in Smithville, according to the Smithville Police Department. Officers responded about 7:30 p.m. to reports of an unresponsive man at 1403 NW Loop 230 and said Jones was taken to a hospital in Austin, where he later died from his injuries.
“Everybody knew him,” said Lillie “Deedee” Jones-Parker, Jones’ sister. “He was a handyman, always out and about, and everyone who met him just took to him. He had a good heart and a humble spirit.”
Ricky James Stevens of Smithville was arrested Oct. 14 in connection with the incident and is being held at the Bastrop County Jail on a manslaughter charge. As the investigation continues, Jones-Parker said her family is focused on remembering her brother for the life he lived, not just the way he died.
“He taught me how to climb trees and how to work hard,” she said. “He was a hard worker ever since he was a young man. Everybody loved him and he was always making you laugh.”
Jones-Parker said she was recovering from hip surgery when she received the call from police that her brother had been struck.
“I never would have dreamed I would have got that call,” Jones-Parker said. “I don’t wish this on anyone.”
A Smithville native, Jones-Parker said they grew up in a close-knit family that spent many days picking cotton and pulling corn on their farm. She added that most of the family eventually moved to other parts of the state after becoming adults, but Smithville was always the family home.
“He was a farm kid. He looked out for me because I was the baby,” Jones-Parker said.
After their mother died, Jones moved back to Smithville, where he lived a quiet and simple life. Friends and neighbors said they often saw him around town cutting yards or lending a helping hand.
Jones-Parker said she hopes the community will remember her brother for his laughter, kindness and humility.
“He was loved,” she said. “That’s all I can say. He was really loved.”
Funeral services will be held in Smithville so that Jones’ many friends, classmates and neighbors can gather to celebrate his life, according to Jones-Parker. The public is invited to join a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Jones Saturday, Oct. 25, from 7-8 p.m. under the gazebo at Railroad Park.
