Conner Smith Makes Rare Comment on Car Accident and How It A…

Conner Smith made a rare comment on his involvement in a deadly crosswalk car accident.

During an interview on The Upload with Brooke Taylor podcast on Wednesday, Dec. 3, the country star reflected on the “darkness” he experienced after the fatal car accident that killed Dorothy Dobbins, 77, in June.

“It was so out of nowhere,” said Smith, 25. “Just in a moment, your entire, like a tornado runs through your house, and there’s so much grief and there’s so much trauma from that intense, intense trauma.”

He continued, “There’s a darkness in that, you just can’t, there’s no words, right. “It felt like a tornado just blowing through my house. You don’t have a concept of reality and what is going on, and all you have is the people you love, and the people that are around you.”

Smith noted that he was “so blessed” to have people show up for him in “unfathomable ways.”

Smith explained that the night the accident occurred on June 8, he turned off his phone and put it in a drawer for a month.

“I didn’t have a phone for a month because it was so traumatic,” he said. “And I just locked myself…I was at my parents house who live south of Nashville and on some property.”

Smith explained that he and his wife “camped out” there, and it was a “blessing” to be staying with his parents.

He noted that while he had often supported his friends throughout their hardships, it was his friends who came through for him after the tragedy because he couldn’t “carry” the load.

Smith, who returned to the stage on July 31 at the Grand Ole Opry less than two months after the deadly accident, said he’s been “so grateful” to play shows and work again.

While he noted that many people have asked him about when he’s going to make music and post on social media again, he said he’s currently “living in a place of peace and just such a place of overflow.”

On June 8, Smith was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in Nashville when he hit Dobbins as she crossed the roadway inside a marked crosswalk, per a release shared by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

At the time, Dobbins, was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she later died.

The release said that “the preliminary contributing factor for this crash appears to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian,” and “he showed no signs of impairment.”

An investigation into the accident was ongoing, and police said that there were no charges “at present” against Smith.

Smith’s attorney confirmed the “Creek Will Rise” singer was “involved in a car accident that tragically claimed a life” in a statement shared with PEOPLE at the time.

“His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins’ family during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement read. “Mr. Smith continues to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.”

At the time, a source added that the incident — which took place on the final day of the annual CMA Fest — was an accident, and that Smith was neither under the influence nor distracted by his phone.