Maryville mom who 'would do anything for her kids' dies in car crash

April Satterfield was a devoted Maryville mother of four with another on the way, a "beautiful person" who was getting ready for a Make-A-Wish Foundation vacation for her 14-year-old daughter, who is suffering from stage 5 lupus.

Satterfield was a "great mom," longtime friend Lindsay Hudson told Knox News. "She would do anything for her kids."

On June 6, Satterfield's life was cut short when she was killed in a single-car crash on Collier Road in Powell.

According to the accident report, the convertible in which Satterfield was a passenger was traveling southbound on Collier Road at high speed when the driver passed on a blind hill and left the road, striking a tree. The driver, who was observed drinking liquor just before the crash, fled the scene and left Satterfield in the vehicle, the report said.

Police found him and he was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Investigators have spoken to him, and charges are pending, a sheriff's office spokesperson said.

"She was so full of life," said Satterfield's sister, Stephanie Creamer. "When she came into a room, her smile would light you up. She could always make you laugh."

Creamer, who was a year younger, said her sister was "always like a second mom to me. She helped me anytime I needed her."

Satterfield, 35, was separated from her husband and had only recently started dating the man who family members say was driving the car, Creamer said.

A candlelight memorial service is being planned, possibly for June 10, Creamer said.

Liz Kellar is a public safety reporter. Email lkellar@knoxnews.com.

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