Local

YSU swimming and diving coach injured, son dies in Goshen Township crash

By Staff report
The Smith family
The Smith family Twitter post

The swimming and diving coach of Youngstown State University and his family is grieving the loss of his eight-month-old son in a car crash this weekend.

According to a GoFundMe post that was linked to by the Youngstown State Twitter account, coach Brad Smith was seriously injured in a car crash on Friday. His son, Finn, who was in the vehicle at the time of the crash, died Saturday.

A press release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the three-car crash took place 3:56 p.m. Friday that started when a vehicle driven by Rebecca L. Yoder, 43, of Beloit, failed to yield to a vehicle driven by John D. Burford, 68, of East Rochester. Officials said the impact caused Burford’s vehicle to head into the path of Smith’s vehicle, which led to a head-on collision.

The press release said Yoder and Burford received minor injuries in the crash.

:Finn was a bright light who brought a smile to each and every person who met him,” the GoFundMe post read. “Becky and Brad are wonderful, loving parents and although nothing can bring Finn back, we hope this financial support can ease some of the burden.”

The post said the coach also sustained injuries in the crash “that require surgery and a long road to recovery.”

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This story was originally published June 12, 2023 at 6:13 PM with the headline "YSU swimming and diving coach injured, son dies in Goshen Township crash."