TxDOT’s anti-speeding campaign features story of Fort Worth teen killed in crash
The Texas Department of Transportation’s anti-speeding campaign that begins Saturday, July 18, features the story of a Fort Worth teen who was killed in a 2022 crash.
TxDOT is partnering with law enforcement agencies on Operation Slowdown to increase patrols and reduce speeding on Texas highways from July 18 to Aug. 2.
Speeding is the No. 1 contributing factor to crashes in Texas, and plays a role in nearly one third of traffic fatalites statewide.
TxDOT is launching their Be Safe Drive Smart campaign with those numbers in mind.
The campaign is inspired by the death of Shaundi Smallwood, a 19-year-old from Fort Worth who was heading home from Six Flags with his friends when his SUV was struck from behind by a Camaro going 157 mph on Interstate 20, according to TxDOT.
Smallwood was pronounced dead at the scene and the other passengers suffered broken bones and severe burns. The driver of the Camaro, Bryce Keith Abernathy, was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was charged with manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and pleaded guilty.
“There’s not a day goes by that I don’t think about my son and how much I love him and miss him,” said Stephenie Smallwood, Shaundi’s mother, in a statement. “I’m participating in this speeding awareness campaign because I don’t want another family to go through the pain that my family and I have endured — all because somebody made the reckless choice to speed. I hope other drivers will hear my son Shaundi’s story and slow down on Texas roads.”
TxDOT recommends Texans do the following to ensure safety on the roads and appropriate speeds: Match your speed to traffic, weather and road conditions, increase following distance when traffic is heavy or roads are slick, watch for changing speed limits, especially in work zones and school zones, and remember that fines double for speeding in active work zones and school zones.
