On April 26, 2023, we lost an amazing soul. Dylan Smith lost his life in a tragic motorcycle/car crash. Dylan was riding his bike southbound on Lindon State Street. A car turning left at a light did not see Dylan coming from ahead and began his left turn. By the time they saw each other, it was too late. The driver of the car walked away without a scratch. Unfortunately, Dylan died on impact when his bike hit the back-passenger door and he flew over the car. He was wearing a helmet, but it just wasn’t enough as his chest hit the frame of the car.
Dylan was always the life of the party. He had a gift for knowing when someone was feeling down and always found a way to bring their spirits up, even those he didn’t know. He would put on an inflatable dinosaur costume or jump off a balcony if that’s what it took to make someone smile. Dylan loved camping, riding his four-wheeler, his motorcycle, and working on his various vehicles. He had the most beautiful single dimple, which only showed when he smiled.
With his goofball personality, that dimple, and his amazingly contagious laugh, he was always lighting up a room. Dylan never cared what anyone else thought — he did him, and there was never a dull moment when he was around. Dylan was a daredevil through and through. He never turned down a dare. Those close to him find some comfort in feeling that he lived years beyond those of an average 18-year-old because he was always in for an adventure and had experienced all life had to offer to him in his short 18 years on this earth.
Dylan’s older brother, Dalton, who was also his best friend, had a bullet bike as well and they loved riding together. But as a parent, the fear of a traumatic event was never so obvious with his brother as it was with Dylan. Maybe it was his fearless, adventure-seeking personality, I will never know. Dylan’s grandfather broke his neck in a motorcycle accident at the age of 25. His uncle lost his leg at the age of 24, also in a motorcycle accident. And in the end, Dylan lost his life. All these life-altering accidents have more in common than involving a motorcycle. They were not the fault of the biker and could have been avoided had the other driver been more aware of their surroundings.
As the survivors of such a tragic loss, we as Dylan’s family want to take this opportunity to remind drivers to be aware of and watch for motorcyclists on the road. Bikes are smaller and therefore harder to see than a car/truck. They also have so much less protection, which means compared to a car, truck, or SUV, even a small crash can result in life-altering injuries, or in the worst cases, could take another amazing person like Dylan from their family way too soon.
