Zach Smith

WINDBER, Pa. – When the aftermath of a fatal crash caused a southwest Pennsylvania man’s drug addiction to peak, he was trying to clean up his life.

Zachary “Zach” James Smith, 22, spent the month of January in a drug rehabilitation unit, voluntarily entering the inpatient center that cost more than $16,000.

“He just didn’t want to do it anymore,” his father, Daniel Smith, said. 

His mother, Heather Smith, said that her son wanted to have a life with his girlfriend and her child. 

“He knew he had to be clean to do that,” Heather Smith said. “He was done doing drugs.”

Things came crashing down on Smith on April 1 when he was driving through nearby Dale Borough, Pennsylvania.

That’s when 3-year-old Joseph J. Forsythe left his grandparents’ yard and darted in front of Smith’s car. 

The child died at the scene, and Smith’s family believes it may have put the 22-year-old recovering drug addict into a downward spiral that led to his death on Sunday morning in the family’s Scalp Level, Pennsylvania home. 

No charges were filed in the crash, and the toddler’s death has been ruled accidental.

But Zach Smith was not the same, his 16-year-old sister, Carly Smith, said. 

“If the accident hadn’t happened, I don’t believe any of this would have happened,” she said. 

“He wanted to get clean,” his mother said. “Then the accident happened and it snowballed.”

Although his parents realize the power of addiction may have hit Smith even before the crash, they are trying to hold on to their son’s assurances from that day. 

“He said he wasn’t doing anything,” Heather Smith said. “He was going to see a counselor every week. He was going to his family doctor every two weeks. I thought he was doing good. I’d ask him; we’d talk.”

Smith continued the recovery protocol up until his death on Sunday. Following his death, drug paraphernalia was found in his room. 

Cambria County, Pennsylvania Coroner Jeffrey Lees has not ruled on the cause of Smith’s death, pending toxicology reports.

“We don’t know until the toxicology comes back,” Daniel Smith said. “We are assuming what it was.”

“Everything was fine – or so we thought,” his mother said.

While Smith’s weekend visit home with family had been a great one, Sunday morning was a nightmare. 

“He hadn’t slept well for months – ever since that accident,” his father said. “He was sleeping (on Sunday). We let him sleep in. Finally, about 11:30, (his mother) went up to get him.”

“I was making lunch,” Heather Smith said. “I went to get him and he was dead.”

“She screamed and we all came running,” Daniel Smith said.

Although his family wonders if Smith’s weekend visit may have been his way of saying “goodbye,” he wasn’t acting like someone at the end of his rope. 

“He put down in his phone the name of a show I was watching so he could watch it,” Daniel Smith said “He was talking about things he wanted to do.”

“He wanted to go paintballing with (his younger brother) Brady,” Carly Smith said. “He had plans.”

But that is the worst part about heroin, his father said. 

“This thing can just take you out any time,” Daniel Smith said. “It is just evil.”

Zach Smith started with marijuana when he was about 16 or 17, his parents said. He graduated to pills and then heroin, but most people would never guess he was using. 

“We want to put a face on this addiction, which is absolutely horrible,” Heather Smith said. “My son was by no means a typical druggie. He had a full-time job. He had relationships.”

“His personality was so big,” Carly Smith said. “He was just Zach. He was outgoing. He would fool people. You just wanted to believe him.”

Griffith writes for the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Tribune-Democrat.