MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — A family is asking for the community’s support following a deadly crash on Interstate 75 that left a mother dead and her 9-year-old son critically injured.
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According to the Georgia State Patrol, troopers responded around 7:03 p.m. on Feb. 9 to a crash on I-75 North in Monroe County.
Investigators say a truck with a flatbed trailer was parked on the right shoulder when a Volkswagen Tiguan hit the back of the trailer. The truck driver was not inside the truck at the time of the crash. Roadside assistance personnel were underneath the vehicle but were not injured.
The driver of the Volkswagen, identified as 47-year-old Tomiyia Jean Smith of Mt. Sterling, Ohio, died at the scene. Her 9-year-old son was airlifted in critical condition to a hospital.
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In the days since the crash, Smith’s family has created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and support her injured son, who remains hospitalized and is undergoing multiple surgeries.
“My brother and mother were involved in a tragic accident,” wrote Mercedes Smith, the victim’s daughter. “My mother passed away at the scene, and my brother is now in the hospital … undergoing multiple surgeries. This has turned our world upside down.”
She described the situation as an “unimaginable time” for their family.
Mercedes Smith, who says she is an active-duty military member, wrote that she is working to secure housing, transportation and daily necessities for herself and her younger brother once he is released from the hospital. She also said her sister is currently staying with the child, risking her job to remain by his side.
“The funeral expenses for my mother are also weighing heavily on us, and we want to make sure she is honored properly while giving our brother the best chance at recovery and a new start,” she wrote.
The fundraiser states that donations will go toward funeral expenses, housing, transportation, groceries, gas and the child’s ongoing medical and therapy needs.
Click here if you would like to donate.
The crash remains under investigation.
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