Today was Uncle Ed's memorial service. Aunt Kay was interviewed by Fox 13. A story ran in the St. Pete times, as well. Video from the interview is included.

Watch Aunt Kay's Interview on Fox 13.

Victim of I-75 inferno mourned

By Abbie Vansickle
Published November 21, 2006

Kay Smyth watched the news of a fiery tanker crash on television Wednesday and immediately called her husband.

"Honey, there's a really bad accident in Gibsonton, so go another way," she told his voice mail.

Smyth knew that her husband, Ed Smyth Jr., a 55-year-old long-distance trucker, always took Interstate 75 home after leaving his rig in Okahumpka, in Lake County.

The next morning, Florida Highway Patrol troopers came to her family's Bradenton home. Near the melted metal at the crash site, troopers had found a bumper and license plate flung from the Hyundai that hit the tanker. The car and the tanker, brimming with nearly 9,000 gallons of fuel, burned for more than 4 hours.

Ed Smyth, the car's driver, did not survive.

A retired emergency room nurse, Mrs. Smyth, 50, knew the pain of giving bad news. Now, she was receiving it. She asked for straight answers, no sugarcoating.

"I think that from my experience I probably had a lot of questions I was able to get answered then," she said. "It just kind of helped. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved my husband dearly. I know our lives will continue and we will be fine, but it's going to be hard."

Her husband never stood a chance in the accident, troopers said. Just north of Gibsonton, Smyth braked suddenly for a tractor pulling a mower. The tractor drove about 30 mph under the minimum limit, troopers said. Smyth avoided the tractor, but a pickup truck behind him didn't stop in time, rear-ending Smyth.

His car veered to the right, ramming into a semitrailer truck. The semi driver got out moments before both vehicles exploded. Troopers found Smyth's remains inside the car.

No one faces charges in the case, and the investigation continues, according to the highway patrol.

"I blame the guy mowing," Mrs. Smyth said. "I mean, that guy caused it all. He needs to be held responsible for it. I think he should be brought up on criminal charges."

The mower driver, Franklin Scott Williamson, 28, head of Titan Lawn Services, is a subcontractor for the state Department of Transportation. His contract agreement requires that he finish mowing by 4 p.m., officials said. The crash occurred about 9 p.m.

On Thursday, he declined to comment. He did not return a phone message Monday.

Mrs. Smyth also faults the pickup driver, Dennis Aaron, an 18-year-old Apollo Beach golf course maintenance worker and dirt bike racer. She wonders why he couldn't stop in time to avoid hitting her husband's car. But she doesn't think he should be criminally charged.

"I will personally hold him responsible," she said.

Last week, Aaron told a reporter he slammed on his brakes as soon as he saw Smyth's lights, but he couldn't stop in time. Highway Patrol spokesman Trooper Larry Coggins said Aaron did not tailgate and drove the speed limit.

Met at Thanksgiving

Mrs. Smyth said she never believed in love at first sight until she sat down next to Ed Smyth at a Thanksgiving dinner 29 years ago.

"The day I laid eyes on him, I thought, 'I'm going to marry that man,' " she said. "I didn't even know his name."

By Christmas, the two were engaged.

She remembered her husband as a man who loved to laugh - a devoted father who spent his spare time hunting, riding his mountain bike or watching his 13-year-old daughter, Kimberly, play tennis.

He worked in air cargo for Delta Airlines until the airlines cut jobs after Sept. 11, 2001, she said.

He took a job with a trucking company. It was a perfect match.

He traveled the country, hauling orange juice, china and vegetables. He called his wife often, describing blizzards, mountains and foliage foreign to Florida.

"He would call me from all around the United States to tell me how beautiful it was," she said.

She comforts herself in her belief that each life has a purpose. Still, she wishes her husband's story ended differently.

"God has a will for all of our lives, and I guess it was time for Ed to go to heaven," she said. "Part of me still kind of feels that if that guy was not mowing at 9 o'clock at night, it may not have happened. God may have spared my husband."

In addition to his wife and daughter, Smyth is survived by his parents, Ed Smyth Sr. and Ruth Smyth of Sebring, and his four siblings: Brenda Smyth Ross of Bradenton; David Smyth of Venice; and Linda Holland and James Smyth, both of Sebring.

At 1 p.m. today, family and friends will remember Smyth at a memorial service at the Ellenton Colony Baptist Church. The church has set up an educational fund for Kimberly. Contributions may be sent to Colony Baptist, 2920 U.S. 301 N, Ellenton, FL, 34222.

Researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 226-3373 or vansickle@sptimes.com.

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Widow of accident victim calls for justice
Last Edited: Tuesday, 21 Nov 2006, 6:30 PM EST
Created: Tuesday, 21 Nov 2006, 6:21 PM EST

BRADENTON - Kay Smyth's professional career was spent as an emergency room nurse, but nothing she saw there has prepared her for the incredibly painful task of burying her husband.

Ed Smyth died when his car went under a gasoline tanker on Interstate 75 last week, and the tanker exploded in a huge ball of fire.

"My dad called me and I said, 'Ed's dead, isn't he,' and he said 'Yes,'" recalled Kay.

Smyth says she learned of the accident watching the evening news Wednesday night.

Her husband drove a truck long distance, but that night, she knew he was driving home from north Florida in his car.

"I called his cell phone to say 'You know honey, coming home, there's a bad accident on 75. You may want to move around it.' And I got his voicemail," Kay recalled.

She thought nothing of it, and with the fire still burning, she went to bed.

"I woke up at 3 o'clock and he wasn't home and called his cell and just kept getting voicemail," she said.

In the morning, she'd learned that her husband died in the crash she saw on the news the night before.

The crash is still under investigation, but authorities say it appears Smyth was driving in the fast lane when he came up on a slow-moving mowing tractor in his lane. He swerved to get out of the way, and a pickup behind him swerved too. It appears the pickup hit the corner of Smyth's car and pushed him into the tanker.

The tractor driver, a subcontractor who mows the median for the state, says he was mowing. If he was, it could be a violation of state law.

"How did that happen? How did this person get by with this? Our daughter doesn't have a father. I don't have a husband. That's hard for me to handle," stated Kay.

She wants the tractor operator to pay for killing her husband.

"I'd like him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law -- the full extent," she said.

Kay also blames authorities for not knowing about the man mowing so late at night, and the pickup truck driver whom she believes was driving too close behind her husband.

Authorities say criminal charges are possible.

Now, this retired nurse -- trained to deal with trauma -- is trying to cope the best she can.

"We will go on, and I will do my best to raise my daughter as a single parent," she said.

Posted by Justin Hall at 10:29 PM | Permalink

News stories saved here...

Gibsonton, Florida — A tanker truck burst into flames on I-75 last night, shutting down all lanes and forcing motorists to run from their cars for safety. It happened around 9:30 near Gibsonton, just north of the Alafia River.

Florida Highway Patrol says the driver of a Hyundai, heading south on I-75 slowed down behind a tractor who was going about 25 mph. That's when 18-year-old Dennis Aaron, who was driving a Toyota Tundra, smashed into the Hyundai, sending the Hyundai into the tractor.

After the impact, the Hyundai then veered across the center lane, smashing into a gas tanker that was passing by. The Hyundai and tanker exploded.

The driver of the Hyundai was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the gas tanker got out ok. Aaron, the driver who investigators say smashed into the Hyundai, suffered minor injuries.

All lanes are now clear on I-75.

FHP says the investigation is ongoing and that charges are pending.
---
GIBSONTON -- A maintenance worker mowing after dark on Interstate 75 intruded into traffic, setting off Wednesday's deadly collision between a car and a fully loaded gas tanker, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Franklin Scott Williamson, 28, president of Titan Lawn Services, was mowing hours after his required 4 p.m. stopping time, state officials say. Troopers say his slow-moving tractor was headed south in the inside lane, going about 30 miles an hour under the road's minimum speed.

At 9 p.m., a car approached from behind, going the speed limit, 70 mph. The driver slammed on the brakes.
The car avoided the tractor but was rear-ended by a pickup truck behind it. The car veered sharply to the right, crashing into the side of a tanker truck, also headed south, with a full load of 9,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel, troopers said.

The tanker pulled over, and driver Sarria R. Yury , 39, of Tampa climbed out. Moments later, the tanker and the car exploded. Fire crews could not save the car's driver, and the fire burned for 41/2 hours, said Hillsborough Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley.

The crash halted traffic, and two people who suffered minor injuries were taken to a hospital, Yeakley said.

Reached at his home, Yury said his company asked him not to talk with reporters. He said he pulled off to the roadside after the collision and saw that the tanker was on fire.

"I got out quickly," he said.

The car involved belongs to a Bradenton family, and the family has been notified, Trooper Larry Coggins said. But investigators are waiting for the medical examiner to identify the remains of the victim.

Coggins said no charges have been filed, and the investigation is ongoing.

Pickup driver Dennis Aaron said he saw the car's brake lights ahead and tried to stop his truck, but it was too late.

Aaron, a golf course maintenance worker and dirt bike racer, and his girlfriend were headed home to Apollo Beach on Interstate 75 after celebrating his 18th birthday at a Hooters in Brandon. He said he drank tea.

Troopers say Aaron wasn't speeding or tailgating when the car in front of him slammed on its brakes.

"It was just, like, instant," Aaron said, recalling the crash Thursday.

As soon as Aaron rear-ended the car, he saw it veer into the tanker, he said.

Aaron wonders why Williamson was mowing so late and why he drove so slowly.

"At night, what can you mow at night?" Aaron said. "I didn't even see him at all."

That's a question that wasn't answered Thursday, said DOT spokeswoman Kris Carson.

Williamson's company, Titan Lawn Services, is a subcontractor in charge of mowing I-75 in Hillsborough County.

Williamson is the company's president, and he has had a contract for 31/2 months with Infrastructure Corporation of America, a Tennessee-based company that has a contract with DOT.

As part of the contract, Williamson agreed to mow only between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., unless he has written permission from the contractor, said ICA project manager David Buser.

"He was specifically excluded from working at night," Buser said. "We've talked to him this morning and made sure he understands that's a no-no."

Subcontractors are not allowed to mow after dark because it's difficult to see the grass, he said.

"We get a better quality job during the daylight," Buser said.

Williamson also is required to follow state guidelines about the safety lights for his equipment.

"There's no formal inspection unless there's a reason to believe that something was really wrong," Buser said. In

Williamson's case, ICA had no reason to think there was a problem, he said.

Buser declined to discuss Williamson's reasons for mowing that night.

"If it's related to the crash, I don't want to talk about it," he said.

He did say that Williamson was not under a time crunch or behind schedule, and would keep the contract.

Williamson told officials he was driving in the median, not in the road, Carson said.

"His story was that he was actually not in the lane — the accident occurred after he was in the median, and he didn't play a role in the accident at all," she said.

Troopers disagree.

"He was definitely in the inside lane on the interstate," Coggins said. "He was going to mow the medians."

Pinpointing negligence in this case could be difficult, Tampa civil attorney Chris Knopik said.

The mower may have violated some basic state laws, which include driving at least 50 mph in a 70 mph zone and sticking to the right-hand lane when moving at slow speeds. The mower's visibility could be an issue.

Knopik said any discussion also had to address the behavior of each driver. None of the vehicles involved in the wreck collided with the mower, he noted.

Steve Yerrid, another Tampa attorney, said driving too slow could be as risky as speeding.

"Anybody who drives on a Florida highway knows the danger of that," he said. "If the vehicle is going too damn slow and people have no choice but to take evasive action and make an abrupt stop, then bad things can happen."

Researcher John Martin and staff writer Colleen Jenkins contributed to this report. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 226-3373 or vansickle@sptimes.com.

----- Obituary -----
11/20/06
Edward Eugene Smyth Jr., 55, Bradenton, died Nov. 15, 2006.

He was born May 14, 1951, in Bradford, Pa., and came to Bradenton in 1978 from Sarasota. He was a truck driver and a member of Colony Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Kay; parents Edward E. Sr. and Ruth of Sebring; a daughter, Kimberly; sisters Linda Holland of Sebring and David of Venice.

No visitation is planned. Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Colony Baptist Church. Covell Cremation and Funeral Center, Bradenton, handled arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Kimberly Smyth Education Fund, c/o Colony Baptist Church, 2920 U.S. Hwy. 301 N., Ellenton, FL 34222.

---- From the Bradenton Herald -----

Bradenton man identified in collision
Memorial Service
MELANIE MARQUEZ
Herald Staff Writer

Kay Smyth had seen news of a fiery collision on Interstate 75 and
called her husband to ask him to be careful, knowing he was en route
to see her and their adopted 13-year-old daughter in Bradenton during
his two-week vacation.

She got no answer and left a message unaware her husband, Edward
Eugene Smyth Jr., died in the crash she had learned about on
television.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and he wasn't home," Smyth said,
"and I knew something was wrong."

The Nov. 15 crash in Gibsonton between Smyth's car and a fully-loaded
gas tanker sparked a more-than-four-hour inferno, leaving barely
anything to identify him or his car, according to his family. His car
was hit from behind by a pickup, veering Smyth, 55, into the fuel
tanker and ripping off the bumper, which left the license plate out of
the fire - evidence used to track down the car's owner, his wife said.

A hip bone was found and pelvic X-rays taken years ago in a Fort
Pierce hospital helped identify her husband days after the crash, Kay
Smyth said. If not, she would have had to wait for DNA testing, a
process that could take more than six weeks.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Smyth had to brake suddenly
when he came upon a slow-moving tractor, a lawn mower used to cut
grass along the interstate, traveling at about 30 mph in the fast
lane. The pickup behind him didn't stop in time, hitting Smyth from
behind.

The family planned a memorial service for 1 p.m. today before the
identification of his remains was made official Saturday, according to
the family.

"Myself and my family, we needed a little closure," Kay Smyth said.

The memorial is at their Ellenton church, Colony Baptist, 2920 U.S. Hwy. 301 N.

He was a long-distance truck driver, away from home often on trips
that took up to five weeks. Smyth, a 14-year veteran of the Palmetto
Police Department, according to Bradenton Herald archives, started
driving trucks in 2001.

His wife of 27 years described Smyth as a wonderful, honest man and
admired how he stayed home with their daughter the first two years
they had her.

"They had a very special bond because of that," Kay Smyth said.

She's angry the lawn mower was in the road at 9 p.m. because she read
reports that it wasn't authorized to be on the road after 4 p.m., she
said.

"If it wouldn't have been for that, my husband would very well be
having Thanksgiving with us," she said. "We met on Thanksgiving 29
years ago."

Kay moved to Florida from West Virginia for a nursing job and met
Smyth's parents at church. They invited her to their holiday dinner,
and there she met her future husband.

In September she took early retirement from nursing because of medical
conditions and isn't working now. She was looking forward to her
husband's vacation.

"We talked many times a day," Kay said. "He'd call me from different
states and tell me how beautiful it was."

Edward Eugene Smyth, Jr.

Where: Colony Baptist Church, 2920 U.S. Hwy. 301 N., Ellenton

When: 1 p.m. Tuesday

Donations: Instead of flowers, the family asks donations be sent to
the Kimberly Smyth Education Fund c/o Colony Baptist Church

Posted by Justin Hall at 11:17 PM | Permalink

USF's Sigma Delta Tau sponsored "Puttin on the Hits" at the Sundome tonight. "Putting on the Hits" is a lip sync contest to benefit the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse (NAPCA). This is one of the largest annual Greek events on campus. I was there to photograph the event.

Photographs are at the DIGIPICS gallery.

USF, The Oracle:

Event raises money for abuse prevention

Excitement seeped from the Sun Dome last night as the lower bowl was full of students from various Greek organizations.

Approximately 600 chairs filled the floor as onlookers watched performers in elaborate costumes, supporters chanted in the stands and rap music blasted from speakers at the 17th annual "Putting on the Hits" presented by Sigma Delta Tau.

"This year we opened up the field to all student organizations," said Brittany Link, philanthropy chair of Sigma Delta Tau. "It used to just be a Greek event. This year we were proud to have teams from the multicultural councils as well, however we did not have any organizations that got signed up in time this year, but it is open to all student organizations."

"Putting on the Hits" is a lip sync contest to benefit the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse (NAPCA). This is one of the largest annual Greek events on campus.

"We're raising money with pocket change, T-shirt sales, attendance ... there's also auctions and raffles," said Vanelis Vazquez, president of Sigma Delta Tau.

The event has moved from the Student Events Center to the Sun Dome, due to the construction of the new student union. Each Sigma Delta Tau chapter is responsible for raising money for the NAPCA, contributing approximately $50,000 annually.

"Last year we raised over $8,500 and so we'll see how much we raise this year, but it's been an awesome event so far," Link said. "The goal for the amount to raise this year was $15,000, but we won't know till then end of the night if we made it."

Seventeen Greek organizations participated in various levels of intricately choreographed dance performances.

"We've been preparing for about two weeks now," said Sam Lott, a Phi Delta Theta sophomore majoring in communications and public relations.

"This is our third year," said Alan Houze, a Phi Delta Theta sophomore majoring in business. "It's fun and it's competition. We're here to raise as much money as we can for their philanthropy."

There is a sorority first-place, second-place and third-place prize along with a fraternity first, second and third prize. The winners receive a trophy and bragging rights among the organizations.

"We've been working for almost two months now on our dances so I hope we win," said Britney Lamkin, a Zeta Tau Alpha sophomore majoring in communications and public relations. I absolutely love it, everyone looks forward to it every year; everyone gets ready. It's like a really, really, really big deal, so I get really excited."

The night started with an opening act by Sigma Delta Tau as they performed a ballet/modern dance interpretation of "Move Your Body." Kappa Sigma was the first performance, giving a comedic performance of "Men in Tights" with the participants dressed in white bandanas, white button-down shirts and black pantyhose. An intricate routine was given by Alpha Delta Pi as they performed in burlesque costumes to "Don't Tell Mama," "Ain't No Other Man" and "Showstoppa'." Sigma Phi Epsilon concluded the performances.

"They're performing, not competing," said Lindsey Herrup, a Sigma Delta Tau junior majoring in photography. "It's the biggest thing that a Greek event puts on all year and we're really proud to say that it's ours so it's very exciting."

The night's winners included Alpha Delta Pi for the sorority category, Sigma Chi for the fraternaties. The event raised $15,026.38 prior to the post-party held at the Tampa Brickyard. All the proceeds will go to Prevent Child Abuse America.

Posted by Justin Hall at 10:01 PM | Permalink

I'm back from a weekend umpire camp and clinic (Southeast Umpires) in Miami. My thoughts and links are herein.

Links:
NCAA Div-I Conferences and contacts

Bio on Tony Thompson from ESO:

Tony Thompson is coordinator of umpires for the Atlantic Coast, Atlantic Sun, Big South, Ohio Valley, Peach Belt, Southern, Sun Belt, Southeastern and Trans South conferences. He graduated from the Al Somers Umpire School in 1978 and worked three full seasons and two partial seasons in professional baseball. Tony umpired the 1990 IBA World All-Star Game as well as one Sun Belt, 15 SEC, and 10 ACC tournaments. His post-season NCAA assignments have included 10 Division I Regionals, two Division II World Series, and the Division I World Series in 1993 and 1996. Tony organized the first amateur umpire camp with major league instructors in 1984. The Southern Umpires Camp is now in its 23rd year of existence and is one of the premier umpire camps in the country. Tony is president and CEO of Southern Trophy and Awards, Inc. His interests include gospel bluegrass music and Broadway musicals and plays. A lifetime resident of suburban Atlanta, Tony was born in Gainesville, raised in Tucker and lives in Lilburn with his wife, Delia, and children Alexandra and Dawson.

Posted by Justin Hall at 02:05 PM | Permalink