Man Faces Charges After Fatal Hit-And-Run

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Man Arrested After Fatal Hit-And-Run

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Sky 5 Coverage

Police said a man driving a stolen Honda Passport was speeding and ran through the stoplight at the intersection of Lakewood and Vickers avenues shortly before noon.

The sport utility vehicle collided with a Toyota RAV4 driven by Lisa Knelson, a 47-year-old nurse and mother of two sons.

Knelson's vehicle then slammed into the side of a house, and its roof was left peeled off, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Passport, which was reported stolen four days ago in Winston-Salem, ran from the scene of the accident, prompting a police manhunt.

According to police, officers received a tip around 2:45 p.m. that the driver was inside a house at 114 East Enterprise St. When officers approached the house, Shawn Maurice Powell, 29, attempted to flee but was apprehended by officers. He was undergoing treatment at Duke Medical Center for minor injuries, said police.

Police said Powell faces charges of misdemeanor death by vehicle, felony hit-and-run, possession of a stolen vehicle and driving while his license was revoked.

Investigators said it was the worst accident they had seen in years.

Knelson was returning to work at ARC of Durham from a seminar at the time of the accident. The organization helps people in need.

"We were just talking about guardian angels inside. Lisa was a guardian angel to all of us," co-worker Kristine Daku said.

"There are just so many wonderful things about Lisa that you can honestly say how in the world could something like this happen to someone like that," co-worker Jane Johnson-Chavis said.