6 days ago
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The Brief
Katie Kerl, 23, was killed Thursday night at the Rosewood Mansion Hotel as she was walking to her rideshare vehicle.
Investigators say Katie and her friend were walking to their parked rideshare vehicle when someone drove around the parked rideshare and struck the two young women.
Katie was killed. Her friend was injured.
The driver stayed at the scene. Police have not said if they will face any charges, citing an ongoing investigation.
DALLAS - Dallas police are investigating after a 23-year-old SMU grad was struck and killed while walking to a rideshare vehicle.
Katie Kerl was from Florida but stayed in Dallas after college after falling in love with the area.
Katie’s family said their phones were ringing off the hook last Thursday. That's when they learned Katie had been killed on an innocent night out in Dallas with her friend.
What we know
Last Thursday just before 10 p.m., Dallas police were called to the Rosewood Mansion Hotel at Gillespie Street and Turtle Creek Boulevard.
Investigators say Katie and her friend were walking to their parked rideshare vehicle when someone drove around the parked rideshare and struck the two young women.
Katie’s friend was injured.
According to Katie’s sister, Abbey Kerl, she was pinned under the vehicle in the valet area.
"I was talking on the phone with the cop, and he said they were getting into an Uber, and they both got hit," said Abbey. "Katie got run over and died on impact. Her friend just got knocked unconscious. It’s not like she was doing anything wrong."
What they're saying
Abbey described her older sister as her role model and best friend.
"She is the most outstanding human being I’ve ever seen in my life," she said. "Very eye catching to say the least."
Katie graduated from SMU in 2023 and was beginning her adult life in Dallas while her family lives in Florida.
"I just want the person who did it to not get away with it. I don’t care about anything else," said Abbey. "I just want that person… I want them to look at my face and know they left a 19-year-old without a sister."
David Pemberton lives across the street from the Rosewood Mansion Hotel. He says he came outside to chaos last Thursday night.
"It was so loud. It was so much activity that you knew something bad had happened," he said. "It's very dangerous right here because of the Ubers across the street. There is five to eight parked, and it ends up making the street a one-way. And people drive so fast through here, it's scary to even walk."
What's next
Dallas police say they haven’t filed any charges yet but released limited information about the ongoing investigation.
Investigators say the suspect remained at the scene.
Criminal charges against the suspect are pending the outcome of the investigation.
What we don't know
Dallas police didn't take any questions regarding the next steps or timeline in the investigation.
It's still unclear if the driver's blood was taken as evidence or if they looked through their phone.
The driver’s name has not been released. It likely won’t be released unless charges are filed.
The Source
Information in this article comes from the Dallas Police Department and interviews with the victim's family and witnesses.
English (US)