A St. Louis mother was taken from her three children and family when suspects in a stolen car crashed into her. Now her loved ones are left grappling with the loss.
ST. LOUIS — The woman killed in a violent carjacking in north St. Louis on Sunday night is being remembered by family as a dedicated mother who poured everything into her children.
44-year-old Hyansama “Hydie” Reese was killed after a carjacked vehicle slammed into her car while fleeing police.
Hydie’s aunt, Samaj Brown, spoke with 5 On Your Side in an emotional interview Wednesday, just days after getting the call no one wants to receive.
“It was an extreme shock,” Brown said. “Especially getting a call at 12:14 in the morning from my niece letting me know her mother had passed. That was very, very tough. I’m still trying to process it.”
Around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, a group armed with guns carjacked a woman on Belt Avenue.
About 20 minutes later, Real Time Crime Center cameras spotted the stolen car speeding near Natural Bridge and Goodfellow.
When police tried to stop it, the driver ran a red light at Natural Bridge and Union, t-boned and slammed into Hydie’s red Hyundai. The 44-year-old mother died at the hospital.
“It’s very devastating. Very devastating to her kids. To our family, to her friends, it’s unbelievable,” her aunt said. “We all hope it’s a bad dream that we could wake up from. The violence in our country is just crazy. It’s not just here, it’s there, it’s everywhere, and it needs to stop because families are being put through unnecessary trauma because of someone else.”
Her family describes Hydie as kindhearted and selfless. They say she worked hard, loved deeply, and would do anything for her kids.
Brown said her niece wasn’t just family, she was like a sister.
“She was very amazing and incredible. I miss her so much. We all do,” her aunt said. “I want people to remember Hydie as a caring, loving, fun, and funny person who really loved her kids.”
Hydie was a single mother of three children: 20, 14, and 12. Her aunt says they were Hydie’s world.
“She lived for her kids,” Brown said. “She did everything with her kids—from going to sports events, dance recitals, and taking trips. She created experiences with her kids, and they went everywhere. That was her big goal, to make sure they were provided for.”
Originally from New Orleans, Hydie had lived in St. Louis since 2005.
“Hydie was amazing. She was nurturing, loving, and so funny,” Brown said. “She was raising her kids here as a single mom. It was a lot, especially being so far from her family.”
Hydie worked as a sales accountant for the pharmaceutical company, Express Scripts, and was known among friends and coworkers for her kindness, humor, and strong work ethic.
“She was so loved at home and at work. I’ve spoken with her team, members of her team at work, and they are heartbroken by the situation also,” said Brown.
Police arrested five people: a 22-year-old man, a 20-year-old man, a 16-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, and a 15-year-old girl. Officers found two guns and one “fake gun” inside the stolen car.
The two adults were hospitalized with minor injuries.
“To my knowledge, the people who did it walked away. It means they’re alive and she’s no longer alive,” said Brown.
Now, her family is left reeling, not only from the loss, but from the senseless nature of her death.
“We’re all devastated by this recent news. Someone who’s there for you all the time, and all of a sudden, is gone,” Brown said. “It is hard to lose a parent as an adult. I could only imagine what my nieces and nephew are going through, losing their parent, their caregiver, at such a young age. It’s not fair at all.”
Brown said she would do everything she could to support Hydie’s kids.
“I can never replace their mother, but seeing me, staying in touch with me and the family, I’m more than sure it will help provide comfort for them during these times and the times to come,” said Brown. “So that’s my plan to try to go as hard as Hydie went for her kids, as much as I can, as long as I can.”
Brown is now helping to arrange for Hydie’s body to be transported home to New Orleans for burial.
“Every time I came to St. Louis, I was in her space with her. And to walk by a picture and see her, and I can’t go into the next room and talk to her. It’s heartbreaking and devastating, and I’m trying to retain my composure and not break down because there is a task at hand,” said her aunt. “Hydie lives here, but she’s not from here, so right now I’m planning on getting her body to her hometown so we can have a funeral and burial there. So it’s unbelievable.”
Hydie’s coworkers have set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and support the children moving forward. You can donate here.
“We will really, really miss Hydie,” Brown said through tears. “She’s a big part of our family, and to not have her is horrible.”
St. Louis Police Department’s Force Investigative Unit, Accident Reconstruction Team and Sixth District detectives are handling the ongoing investigation.
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