Hurricanes salute super-fan Erin Simanskis, share in mourning her death

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WRAL’s Erin Simanskis, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver last week, was a native Canadian and huge fan of the Carolina Hurricanes. Team General Manager Don Waddell joined Erin’s family and work friends in remembering her.

WE WILL HAVE THOSE STORIES AND MORE AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR. >>> YOU MAY NOTICE WE ARE WEARING RED AND BLACK TONIGHT. THAT’S AN HONOR OF WRAL EMPLOYEE ERIN SIMANSKIS. >> SHE DIED THIS WEEK AFTER A HIT AND RUN CRASH ON HER WAY HOME FROM WORK ONE WEEK AGO. EVERYONE KNOWS THE NATIVE CANADIAN WAS A HUGE HOCKEY FAN. >> AFTER MOVING TO NORTH CAROLINA, SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CAROLINA HURRICANES. DAVID CRABTREE JOINS US LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE STUDIO WITH THAT MESSAGE. >> Reporter: GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU. GENERAL MANAGER DON WADDELL WITH US THIS AFTERNOON. YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU HEARD AND READ AN EMAIL TALKING ABOUT ERIN’S LOVE OF THE CAROLINA HURRICANES AND IT MOVED TO. >> NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. HER DAUGHTER, EMILY, WORKED FOR US FOR A YEAR. WE GOT TO KNOW EMILY AND HER FAMILY. WE KNOW HOW BIG OF A FAN ERIN WAS. BEING OUT HERE, WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY. THIS IS A VERY TOUGH SITUATION. >> Reporter: THE FAMILY IS HAPPY YOU ARE HERE. I WANT TO SHOW OUR VIEWERS SOME OF THESE PICTURES. THE IDEA OF ERIN AND HER HUSBAND , ED, AT HURRICANES GAMES. SHE WAS ABLE TO SIT ON THE BENCH, TALKING TO TRIP TRACY, ABOUT SOME OF THE INS AND OUTS OF HOCKEY. SHE HAD AN AMAZING NIGHT. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS FOR ANY FAN. >> NO DOUBT. ANN WOULD ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. HER HISTORY OF HOCKEY WAS VERY GOOD. HER KNOWLEDGE WAS VERY GOOD. >> Reporter: I HAVE TO LAUGH BECAUSE SHE HAD SUCH A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS SHE ASKED THAT NIGHT, DID THE PLAYERS SPIT ON THE ICE. >> HOW TRIPP ANSWERED, I AM NOT SURE. >> Reporter: THIS IS ERIN’S SMILE. SHE WAS ABLE TO DO A FIST BUMP WITH A COUPLE OF THE CANES. >> SHE TALKED ABOUT THE PREPARATION. ALL OF THIS INDICATIVE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE, NOT ONLY A BUSINESS IN THIS AREA, BUT PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. FANS HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS SUPPORTERS OF THE HURRICANES OVER ALL THESE YEARS. WE TRY TO BE A BIG PART IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO BE INVOLVED. WE ARE VERY HAPPY WE COULD BE HERE TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY. >> Reporter: IT IS AMAZING, IN TRAGEDY, THERE IS LOSS FOR EVERYONE. AND AGAIN, IT’S NOT ABOUT BUSINESS. IT’S NOT ABOUT PUTTING SOMEONE ELSE IN THE SEAT. IT IS ABOUT LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THEY MATTER, AND THE MEMORIES THAT ARE HERE MATTER SO MUCH TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND THE PLAYERS. >> NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. WE HAVE A JERSEY WE ARE GOING TO PRESENT TO THE FAMILY THAT IS GOING TO BE SIGNED BY ALL THE PLAYERS. THE PLAYERS ARE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION. THIS IS BIGGER THAN HOCKEY. >> Reporter: THIS IS OUR FAMILY , TOO. WE HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE BROADCASTING FAMILY OUT HERE TODAY. AS CHRIS AND LENA MENTIONED, EVERYBODY IS WEARING RED AND BLACK. ERIN MEANT SO MUCH TO ALL OF US. HER LOVE OF LIFE MEANT SO MUCH TO ALL OF US. HER FAMILY IS WITH US TODAY. ALL THAT WILL CONTINUE. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMUNITY, DON. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU IN THE FUTURE. I KNOW YOU WILL CARRY THESE MEMORIES WITH YOU. >> THANK YOU, DAVID. >> Reporter: LENA, CHRIS, BACK TO YOU. >> A POWERFUL TRIBUTE. TO ERIN’S FAMILY, WE LOVE YOU, AND WE WILL BE PRAYING FOR YOU. >> IT WAS MY HEART TO SEE THAT