YORKTOWN, Va. — A mother of a teen killed in a York County crash shares her story for National Teen Driver Safety Week.
You'll find the name of 16-year-old Joseph Conner Williams Guido, aka "Gweedo," memorialized on a sign near Tabb High School.
"He didn't get to graduate, he didn't get to go to college and play soccer, which was his dream," said Tammy Gweedo McGee, executive director, Gweedo Memorial Foundation.
That's because Conner was killed in a car crash in 2019. It's a moment his mother Tammy won't forget.
"I don't think any mother can be prepared to lose their baby, to have them ripped from you in a manner that's so needless and preventable," said Gweedo McGee.
Conner was a passenger in a car full of teens leaving a homecoming dance. They crashed along Yorktown Road. An investigation by Virginia State Police revealed the driver, another teen, had been unlicensed and speeding. Tammy said she found the driver had also bragged about driving recklessly before the crash and shared pictures and videos of reckless driving.
"Those things you find out after the fact are disheartening when we know there are times people could have spoken up and saved my son's life," said Gweedo McGee.
Since Conner's death, News 3 has shared storieson Gweedo McGee's mission to make our roads safer.
Gweedo McGee created the Conner Gweedo Memorial Foundation to honor her son, who she says was full of joy and laughter.
She helped pass two safe driving laws (VA HB1918 and VA SB78) that address safety in school parking lots and getting parents involved in teen driving. She is working on a third that's geared towards accountability. Her work in preventing traffic crashes earned her the 2024 Peter O'Rourke Special Achievement Award. Additionally Gweedo McGee created a website, ifyouseesomethingsaysomething.org, for teens to report safety concerns anonymously.
"What we've done is we've created that website to give teenagers an anonymous voice. To let them know their voice matters. That they have an opportunity to speak up and save someone's life," explained Gweedo McGee.
Now she wants more teens and parents to talk openly about safe driving habits — and ask questions. That's as car crashes are a top cause of death for 15- to 19-year-olds according to the Department of Transportation.
"And gosh please make sure you know who they're riding with. We certainly didn't think it would be us. And we don't want it to be you," said Gweedo McGee.
National Teen Driver Safety Week runs from Oct. 20 to Oct. 26. Oct. 26 also marks exactly five years since Conner's death.
