Gran ‘prayed for a miracle’
But biker’s crash injuries fatal
The grandmother of a New Jersey man killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in Brooklyn pleaded with medics to save her grandson’s life, but his injuries were too severe, the retired nurse said Tuesday.
“I was praying for a miracle. I’ve been on the other end — helping other families, saving lives — and I just asked for a miracle for my kid, because he’s a good boy,” she told the Daily News.
Jordan Smith, 26, was riding his Kawasaki ZX6 south on Louisiana Ave. in Starrett City when he crashed about 2:10 a.m. on Sunday, cops said. He slammed into a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder pulling out from the curb to make a U-turn near Twin Pines Drive.
The North Brunswick man was taken to Brookdale University Hospital, but he could not be saved.
“When I heard the extent of his injuries, it didn’t sound good,” his grandmother, who did not wish to give her name, told The News. “All my years, I worked open heart, surgical ICUs, trauma, COVID. I see death and dying every day, but when it’s your own, it’s different.” Smith’s mother, Nicole Andrews, 45, said her son had been out visiting a friend in Brooklyn when he was killed. She said the accident came as a shock to the family given her son’s extensive driving experience.
“It’s just overwhelming, and it hurts,” Andrews said, tears streaming down her face.
“There’s so much to say about Jordan. What is there not to say about him?” added the young man’s devastated father, Tracy Smith.
“Most importantly, J was a sweetheart. He was a very selfless person. He loved so hard, and he loved so genuine. He would never hurt anyone.”
Smith (inset) was a member of the Local 14-14B International Union of Operating Engineers. His family described him as someone who had a strong work ethic, having been gainfully employed since the tender age of 14. He worked as a server, a cashier and in customer service before finding his way into the construction industry, where he thrived.
“He was in construction, and he loved what he did. He was working in Queens on the L train,” his mom said.
The oldest of three, the family-oriented Smith was a doting older sibling to his brother and sister — mentoring them in ways he extended to his friendships, too.
“He taught his brother how to drive. He took him to get his road test. He taught him how to fish. He has been the active man in the house because he was the oldest sibling,” his mother said.
“It was always a good dialogue, with him,” she added. “He would just light up a room.”
The man’s devastated family members said they last spent quality time with Smith on Saturday at a party for his grandmother, who was retiring after 45 years as a registered nurse.
“I would trade my whole retirement, anything to have him back.”
The 46-year-old man driving the Pathfinder involved in the collision was not injured and no charges were immediately filed.
Smith was one of three motorcyclists who died in separate crashes in Brooklyn on Sunday and Monday, police said.
Jan Shah, 23, was riding a 2002 Yamaha motorcycle down Conduit Blvd. in East New York about 1:20 p.m. Monday when he blew through a steady red light and struck a 2020 Honda sedan heading west on Sutter Ave.
Shah, of Queens, was thrown from his bike and suffered a head injury. Medics rushed him to Brookdale University Hospital, where he died a short time later. He lived in Arverne in the Rockaways.
The 26-year-old driver of the Honda remained at the scene. No charges were filed.
On Monday, police announced that a father of four, Aton Austin, died after he popped a wheelie on his 2017 Kawasaki motorcycle and hit an Infiniti SUV on Rockaway Parkway and Avenue K in Canarsie about 8:15 p.m. on Sunday.
“He was too experienced on a motorcycle to just go into a stopped vehicle,” his heartbroken aunt Marlene Daniels, told The News on Monday. “He’s a phenomenal rider.”
Just four months before his death, Smith had lost his own mentor, his grandfather, who dedicated his life and career to being a first responder excavator trainer.
“My father was his mentor. He looked up to my father, he learned everything from my dad,” Andrews said.
“It was clear that he was at a stage in his life where he was just hungry for growth,” his aunt Jazmine Ritz added.
“Whether that be gaining knowledge or learning how to further his career or just being with his family — he was hungry for growth.”