Country artist Conner Smith recently spoke about his involvement in a fatal crosswalk accident earlier this year.
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During a December 3 interview on The Upload with Brooke Taylor podcast, Smith reflected on the “intense trauma” he experienced after a fatal car accident in Nashville in June that killed 77-year-old Dorothy Dobbins.
“It was so out of nowhere,” the 25-year-old recalled. “Just in a moment, your entire … like a tornado runs through your house, and there’s so much grief and there’s so much trauma from that intense, intense trauma.”
“There’s a darkness in that, you just can’t — there’s no words, right? It felt like a tornado just blowing through my house. You don’t have a concept of reality and what is going on, and all you have is the people you love, and the people that are around you,” Smith added.
On June 8, Smith was driving a Chevrolet Silverado in Nashville when he struck Dobbins as she crossed the street in a marked crosswalk, according to a release from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
Dobbins was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she later died. The release stated, “the preliminary contributing factor for this crash appears to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian,” and “he showed no signs of impairment.”
According to her online obituary, Dorothy “Dot” Dobbins was a well-known and highly respected attorney in Nashville. Her legal career spanned over 40 years, with a focus on public service.
Police said the investigation was ongoing and that no charges had been filed against Smith at this time.
Conner Smith Recalls Putting His Phone Away For a Month Following Tragic Accident
Meanwhile, Smith said that on the night of the accident, he turned off his phone and put it in a drawer for a month.
“I didn’t have a phone for a month because it was so traumatic,” the Nashville native recalled. “And I just locked myself…I was at my parents’ house, who live south of Nashville and on some property.”
Less than two months after the fatal accident, Smith returned to the stage on July 31 at the Grand Ole Opry. He said he’s been “so grateful” to be able to play shows and work again.
He said many have asked when he’ll make music or post on social media again, but he’s currently “living in a place of peace and just such a place of overflow.”