Single Mother of Six Dies in Her Son’s Arms After Hit-and-Run Driver Allegedly Crashes Into Her Beside Her Minivan

A Washington mother of six who worked as a chef to support her family died after being struck by a vehicle that allegedly veered off the road and crushed her against her own minivan. Smaah Adam, 46, was standing beside her vehicle in Spokane on the evening of October 26, 2026, when the collision happened. Her son witnessed the horrifying moment and rushed to hold her as she lay gravely injured. In those final moments, Adam reportedly tried to reassure him, telling him, “I’m OK,” even as her condition rapidly deteriorated.

According to court documents, Adam had been opening the driver’s-side door of her green minivan when a dark-colored Ford Flex approached a curve, lost control and veered onto the roadside. The vehicle struck her with such force that she was crushed against the minivan. Her son ran to her side and held her as she bled from the back of her head. Adam suffered a fractured femur and pelvis, internal bleeding and serious head trauma. Emergency responders transported her to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where she later died. Her reported final words to her son were a heartbreaking attempt to comfort him, while “help me” were among the last words she reportedly said before being taken to the hospital.

The driver allegedly did not stop to help. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators reportedly showed the Ford Flex continuing away from the scene without slowing down. About three minutes later, the driver was seen getting out of the vehicle to inspect the damage. Police later identified the suspected driver as 30-year-old Eli Hampshire, who had reportedly purchased the Ford Flex just one day before the fatal crash. A public appeal asking for information about the vehicle led a woman who had sold it to Hampshire to contact authorities.

Investigators say the effort to conceal the vehicle became a key part of the case. Hampshire’s girlfriend, 30-year-old Heather Langman, allegedly helped hide the damaged Ford Flex under a tarp and discussed ways to prevent police from identifying the driver. A woman and her fiancé reportedly recorded a phone conversation with Langman after questioning her about the vehicle. During the call, Langman allegedly told them not to tell police who had purchased the car and suggested using a false name. Authorities also learned that Hampshire had been working on the front of the vehicle and making repeated trips to a dumpster. A search reportedly uncovered a headlamp and chrome trim believed to have come from the Ford Flex.

Police eventually traced the vehicle using location information obtained through a warrant for Hampshire’s phone. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit located the car abandoned down an embankment near Buck Creek Road in Stevens County. Hampshire was arrested and charged with hit-and-run vehicular homicide and tampering with evidence. Langman was also arrested and charged with first-degree criminal assistance for allegedly helping conceal Hampshire and the vehicle. A judge ordered Hampshire held on $1 million bond, while Langman’s bond was set at $25,000. Both remain accused, and the charges have not yet been proven at trial.

Beyond the investigation, Adam’s death has left six children without their mother. An Egyptian immigrant who built a life in Spokane, she worked as a chef at Feast World Kitchen, a nonprofit restaurant where colleagues remembered her warmth, generosity and constant smile. Her friend Maisa Abudayha described the devastating loss for the children and said she was helping care for them after their mother’s death. Feast World Kitchen also shared a tribute honoring Adam’s kindness and the love she brought to those around her. For her family, the tragedy is not only the loss of a mother but also the memory of a son holding her in her final moments, after she tried to tell him that she was okay.

Source: https://lawandcrime.com/crime/single-mom-who-worked-as-a-chef-to-support-6-kids-clings-to-life-just-long-enough-to-tell-son-im-ok-while-dying-in-his-arms-after-hit-and-run-cops/