Family Grieves Loss Of Teen Killed In Bucks County Crash
By Robin Rieger
LANGHORNE, Pa. (CBS) -- "You were never sad around Cameron," said Addison Smithwick. "He was so generous and kind."
Addison and her family are trying to come to terms with the loss of her big brother, 19-year-old Cameron Smithwick, who was killed Saturday afternoon in a one-car crash along Old Jacksonville Road in Northampton Township, Bucks County.
She says the driver, 18-year-old L.J. Tanner, is her friend. She said he had pulled up prior to the crash at Dominick's Pizza where she, her brother and other friends had just eaten.
"There were two cars," she said, "and L.J. pulled up and was like 'yo, where are we meeting?' And I was like 'I'll meet you back at my house.' He was like 'all right, see you there.' My brother got in the car, everyone got in the car. Ten minutes passed, they didn't come back. Thirty minutes passed, didn't come back."
Smithwick said an hour later, someone called to say a silver Monte Carlo had crashed up the street.
"Automatically I knew," Smithwick said. "We ran to St. Mary's and he didn't make it."
She says her brother, in the passenger seat, saved the lives of the three teenage boys in the back seat when the car hit a telephone pole, flipped and struck a tree. She says the three were treated and released from the hospital.
"He cushioned the blow when the pole hit him," she said, "so they didn't get as badly injured."
Her family says others are now trying to cushion the blow for them from the loss of Cameron.
"We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all of our family, friends, members of the community and public officials," she said.
Cameron Smithwick, who had moved back to the area from Texas four months ago, planned to attend the local Penn State campus to become a chef and open his own restaurant. He spent his freshman year of high school at Council Rock North, and then graduated from a Texas high school. Now his family is planning his funeral.
"As you pray, make your strongest prayers for the comfort of his mother's heart. Cameron's mother was his best friend, his teacher and his beloved mommy," said Smithwick.
L.J. Tanner, a senior at Council Rock High School North, is in critical condition at St. Mary's Hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The Council Rock School District was expected to have counselors on hand Monday for students.
Smithwick says the three teenagers in the back seat go to the Council Rock South High School. One of the boys in the back seat posted on his Facebook page the difference between life and death for him was a seat belt.
