New Orleans burger joint 'haunted' by Hurricane Katrina victim

Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The owners of New Orleans restaurant Charcoal’s Gourmet Burger Bar believe their establishment might have something other than the odor from the Frialator hanging around inside of it -- the ghost of a woman who died in a hit and run accident during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Before Charcoal’s opened in early 2012, it was the makeshift burial site for 65-year-old Vera Smith.

When Smith was struck and killed by a drunk driver one night in the aftermath of the storm authorities were more concerned with treating the living, and her body laid in the street for five days. Neighbors made a makeshift grave for her on the property that is now Charcoal’s.

Even though she was later cremated and her ashes were taken out of state, the owners of Charcoal’s say Smith’s spirit hasn’t left.

"I think there’s a strong sense of the after-life in New Orleans. Many believe in voodoo and spirits here," said Charcoal’s co-owner Craig Walker. "Our message to Vera is our heart and soul is in this restaurant. We want you to support us."

In order to get rid of the “bad vibes,” Walker asked artist Simon Hardeveld to create a memorial peace fountain outside Charcoal’s in honor of Smith.

“She was not a sad woman. She had a very good life. In the neighborhood, everyone knew her and loved her,” Hardeveld said.

[WGNO]