Wonderful photos!
But there's no way that spider ran off. The legs are curled in and under the body, which is known as the Death Curl, and it's a clear sign that the spider is dead. Judging by the deformation of the front legs, she'd been dead for a little while and has begun drying out, maybe a day or two. Though she must have been beautiful!
She was a crab spider, of the genus Platythomisus, which are indeed gorgeous spiders.