YORKTOWN, Va. — A Yorktown woman is hoping her website will lead to safer roads and a stronger community.
Tammy Gweedo McGee says "If You See Something, Say Something" lets people to submit anonymous tips for instances of unsafe driving, illegal activities, bullying, and more. The initiative is her way of honoring her son Conner, who tragically died at just 16 years old in a car crash.
“He was a varsity goalie and loved soccer. He knew he was gonna play soccer in college, [he] really wanted to play,” said Gweedo McGee when talking about her son, Conner.
Watch previous coverage: York County mom awarded for advocating for safe teen driving after son's death
Conner was killed in a crash on Yorktown Road on Homecoming night in 2019. All three people in the car were killed, including the driver, who police say was both unlicensed and under the influence at the time of the crash.
“They had to go one mile down the road to a party and the driver didn’t make it 500 yards. He ran off the road with excessive speed, lost control of the car, hit a tree, flipped the car, and he killed all three of them,” Gweedo McGee told News 3.
Like a lot of parents who experience tragedy, Gweedo McGee is turning her grief into advocacy, setting up her website so people can report problem drivers or issues on the road without providing their identities.
Watch previous coverage: Mom of teen killed in Yorktown crash wants 100 Deadliest Days to be 100 Safest Days
“You go right on ifyouseesomethingsaysomething.org, you can type and tell us what’s wrong or you can upload a picture or a video, you can give us screenshots. So a lot of teens are giving us screenshots of Instagram, Twitter, of things that they see, things that they know are wrong,” Gweedo McGee said.
However, it’s not just for drivers. Gweedo McGee says they’ve received tips on a number of crimes, from sexual assault to illegal sales of alcohol to minors. They then work with agencies on the cases, including the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.
“You now have the ability to save a life. You have the ability to speak up without any fear of retaliation,” she said.
The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office has worked with Tammy Gweedo-McGee on some safe driving programs geared towards teen drivers. She was a guest speaker at one of our Sheriff’s Youth Citizen Academy and we have been involved in the ifyouseesomethingsaysomething.org campaign. The Sheriff’s Office has received tips from this website, mostly recently a tip about a local convenience store that was selling alcohol to underage persons. The Sheriff’s Office was able to place charges against the clerk that was selling the alcohol to underage kids.
-Sheriff Ron Montgomery, York-Poquoson Sheriff
For a link to her website, you can click here. Gweedo McGee hopes it will be a useful resource, especially ahead of a busy holiday travel period.
