Country singer Conner Smith is now speaking out about a car accident months ago in Nashville that he was allegedly involved in. That incident sadly claimed the life of an elderly pedestrian last summer. Smith was reportedly at the wheel. Per pennlive.com, Smith, 25, "struck and killed 77-year-old Dorothy Dobbins at around 7:30 p.m. on June 8."
Videos by Wide Open Country
According to the outlet via Billboard, the singer was found not to have been distracted by anything or under the influence when the accident took place. He received a misdemeanor citation.
For Conner Smith, however, the tragic aftermath of what happened that evening has not ended. He recently talked frankly about it when he was a guest on The Upload with Brooke Taylor podcast. His sadness, shock, and devastation were evident. Smith has clearly struggled to come to grips with Dobbins' death.
Smith Says "It Was So Out of Nowhere"
Per the outlet via The Upload podcast, Smith said, "It was so out of nowhere. 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."
He continued to describe the way the accident changed his life radically and very dramatically. It sounds like torment beset him. "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's going on, and all you have is the people you love, and the people that are around you."
He Retreated From Everything for a While
Smith shared that he remained at his parents' home and shut off his phone for a time after the accident that killed Dorothy Dobbins. Friends would drop by to show their concern, he said. Smith also turned to his religious faith for comfort.
Finally, on July 31, he returned to performing with an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
He Acknowledged His Emotional Response
In July, Smith tried to put his complex feelings into words. Per the outlet via Instagram, he posted this message. It reads in part this way. "Not a day has gone by that I haven't grieved, prayed, and mourned for Ms. Dobbins and her family. My heart is broken in a way I've never experienced, and I still struggle to fully process the weight of it all."
