Firefighter, children involved in tragic crash

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

An early-morning accident on Saturday resulted in a tragedy that left much of the community reeling.
Aidan Smith, 6, the son of Kimberly and Bruce Smith of Lockhart, died after the truck he was riding in skidded off County Road 158 just after midnight on Saturday.
Aidan”s father, a captain in the Lockhart Fire Depa

rtment, was driving home when he lost control of the vehicle, which skidded into a tree and rolled several times before coming to a stop, according to an incident report prepared by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The report revealed no suspicion that either alcohol or excessive speed were factors in the accident.
Smith, 32, was transported to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin in critical condition with head injuries, the report said.
Lockhart Fire Chief Jerry Doyle reported that Smith also sustained a broken right leg, a shattered left ankle, broken ribs and a punctured lung. By Monday, however, his condition had been upgraded to “serious,” and he was expected to make a complete, if slow, recovery.
“It”s going to be a long road for him,” Doyle said on Monday. “They are going to have to do surgery on his ankle, which they haven”t been able to do yet. Then he”ll have to spend at least a few months in the hospital before he starts rehabilitation.”
Smith”s younger son, Keelan, 4, was also in the vehicle when the crash occurred. Sources say he was in the center seat, in a child-safety booster seat. Keelan was not seriously injured in the accident.
Members of the community and firefighters throughout the state are uniting to support the Smith family.
The First Lockhart Baptist Church has opened an account for the family at Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union in Lockhart in an effort to assist the family with both funeral expenses and Smith”s mounting medical bills.
A group of Lockhart firefighters and emergency medical personnel is working with firefighters” unions throughout the region to assist the family with funeral arrangements. Members of the Lockhart Fire Department said that the child will receive similar honors to a firefighter lost in the line of duty. EMS personnel are working to ensure that Smith can be transported from the hospital in Austin to attend the child”s funeral on Friday.
According to the Caldwell County adult probation office, a tree will be planted in Lion”s Park on 183 to honor the child. His mother is an employee of the department.
Caldwell County”s volunteer fire departments are eager to organize fundraisers to help support the family through the next several months, while Smith is recovering and unable to work.
City manager Clovia English reports that Smith has some leave and vacation time, so he will continue to draw pay for a period of time. However, city policy dictates that a firefighter cannot return to the job until he or she sees a 100 percent recovery from injuries.
“Our hearts go out to this family,” she said. “We stand ready to do anything we can for them.”
Services for the child will be held at the First Lockhart Baptist Church on Friday, July 29 at 11 a.m., with burial to follow in the Lockhart City Cemetery.
Anyone wishing to make a donation to the family”s support fund is welcome to make a deposit in the name of Kimberly Smith, Account #4842071 at Randolph-Brooks.