One teen was killed and another critically injured in a crash on Old Jacksonville Road in Northhampton Township on Saturday, December 8. The crash happened at about 2:00PM on a Saturday afternoon.
18-year-old LJ Tanner, a senior at Council Rock South High School, was driving a late-model Chevrolet Monte Carlo along Jacksonville Road near Sacketts Ford Road. According to news coverage by ABC, “the silver Monte Carlo hit a bump and flipped several times before crashing into a utility pole”.
There were five teenagers in the car when it crashed. The front seat passenger, 19-year-old Cameron Smithwick, was pronounced dead on the scene. According to the report, “Cameron, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, was thrown into the backseat”. Tanner is in critical condition with spine and head injuries, while the three passengers in the back seat, all Council Rock seniors, were listed in stable condition.
This is a terrible tragedy that should never happen, the result of a few mistakes that can never be taken back. The Monte Carlo is best known for its success on the racing circuit and carries either a V6 or V8 engine, depending on the trim package. Old Jacksonville Road along this section is relatively straight. Tanner didn’t lose control going around a turn, he lost control on a straightaway.
It wasn’t raining on Saturday afternoon, but the roads were wet. I was out working with a student on Bucks County roads the same time that this crash happened. The maximum speed along this road for the prevailing conditions would have been between 35 and 40MPH. While police are still investigating the causes of the crash, a 3,500 pound car carrying 5 passengers (another 750-1000 pounds) doesn’t flip over several times after hitting a bump in the road at 35-40MPH. This is more likely to happen at speeds over 60MPH, which is way too fast for that road and the weather conditions. My suspicion is that Tanner was driving way too fast for both conditions and his experience level and was unable to maintain or recover control when his car hit the bump in the road.
It’s a mistake that happens all too frequently. Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death for teens. They often lack the experience, education, judgment and skills to minimize risk effectively.
Cameron is the only one mentioned by the news reports as not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash. He was also the only one killed. There really is a correlation here – seat belts can save lives. If Cameron had been belted, he might be in the hospital with his friends.
I hate to see crashes like this. I hate to see kids die because of a senseless mistake. I hate to think that there are kids who don’t realize how dangerous such mistakes can really be. We can’t go back in time and prevent this crash from happening, but by talking about it with our students and our children, maybe we can help prevent the next one. Parents, talk with your teen drivers about this crash. If you haven’t been in the car with them for a while, do a “ride-along” and see how they’re doing today. Driver education doesn’t end when a student gets their license – in a sense, that’s when it really begins.
