By Craig Anderson

DOVER — Yes, it can happen to you.

Or to somebody else, anybody else.

A fatal vehicle crash can take the life of a son or daughter, a husband or wife, a companion or co-worker.

And as the number of such deadly incidents continues to spike in Delaware, Dover resident Patricia Smith wants to spotlight the human element of those tragedies.

Ms. Smith’s only son, Marcus Smith, who was 35 at the time, died from injuries suffered when, according to police, his GMC Sierra was rear-ended by a Chevy Express van while stopped at a red light at Thomas Harmon Drive and U.S. 13 in Camden on Nov. 25, 2019.

Delaware State Police said at the time that the motorist who caused the collision failed to observe the traffic stopped in front of him. Two other vehicles were part of the chain reaction collision, with six individuals sustaining minor injuries, authorities said.

Mr. Smith died while being transported to Bayhealth Hospital, Kent Campus in Dover.

“I don’t think we’ll ever have closure about losing him,” his mother said.

Her family has been “devastated” ever since, and Ms. Smith wants people to realize how mistakes made behind the wheel can forever take a life, as well as alter the lives of so many others.

Ms. Smith said her son “was doing everything right. He was just the victim of someone breaking the law. And we’re paying a penalty, the ultimate penalty.”

Since she’s experienced the unfathomable, she said she “wouldn’t want another family to go through the senseless loss that we’ve gone through.”

“If we can just get people to slow down, lives will be saved. Be aware you’re driving the killing machine. I mean, that’s it, literally, and if you’re in a hurry, if you’re distracted, none of that matters if you lose your wife or your son or your daughter or your husband.”

She added, “It doesn’t matter if you’re five minutes late. Because you don’t want to take the life of someone’s child by being in a hurry, inconsiderate, distracted or speeding. All of that is not worth the cost (it) can bring.”

Vehicle-related deaths in Delaware have skyrocketed of late: There were 35 this year as of March 23, compared to 18 at the same time in 2021. Office of Highway Safety spokesman Jason Coleman said on Wednesday that the numbers continue to be updated.

Ms. Smith said it would take “hundreds of policemen” to significantly curb the trend and acknowledged that isn’t possible. That’s why she’s stressing the importance of every motorist choosing to develop safe driving habits.

By speaking out, Ms. Smith said, “maybe it’ll make somebody realize that it’s OK to be five minutes late. Or it’s not OK to go 10 or 20 miles over the speed limit because you’re in a hurry. It’s human nature to think, ‘It will never happen to me.’ And then, when it does, it’s just devastating, and there’s no going back once it happens.”

Since the 2019 crash, Ms. Smith and her husband, Robert, have awarded $6,000 in scholarship and apprentice program support to students at Polytech High School, their son’s alma mater. He was a service manager for ShureLine Electrical when he died.

Earlier this month, OHS announced a speed-awareness campaign (which ran through Sunday), with a goal of zero roadway fatalities. The plan was to integrate a variety of outlets for reaching and motivating target audiences, including digital advertising, social media, public relations and grassroots outreach.

Additionally, OHS said it was working with state and local law enforcement during the initiative to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities on Delaware streets.