Long Island Mom And Baby Who Died From Crash: 'God Had Other Plans For You'

EAST PATCHOGUE, NY — A young mom who died, followed by her baby a short time later, after a crash with a minibus in Yaphank, was remembered as a family person, who loved them very much, in a touching tribute on GoFundMe.

Jacklyn "Jackie" Smolian, 31, of East Patchogue was driving a Nissan on County Road 101 and collided with a mini-bus on Express Drive South on May 4, police said.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, but her one-year-old daughter, Joelaya Smolian-Davenport, who was in a car seat in the backseat, was taken to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue and later transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

"Jackie was the light in everyone’s lives, her positivity, strength, and courage were unmatched. Her laugh was contagious, her family meant everything to her," wrote organizer Courtney Ludlam of East Patchogue.

Joelaya, who born in February 2022, was the light in Jacklyn's life, Ludlam said, quoting her friend, adding, “'I wasn’t ready for you, but God knew I needed you.'"

Smolian worked at Port Jefferson Family Medicine, and her "family" there wanted to "share a little bit" about her and Joelaya and how they impacted the world, according to Ludlam.

The GoFundMe is to help pay "unexpected medical and any other expenses that came from this horrific event," Ludlam wrote.

Ludlam said that it is "with a very heavy heart" that they shared that the mother and daughter went "to heaven, describing the crash that claimed their lives as a "terrible car accident."

From the time, her co-workers met her, they "knew from the beginning that she was a family person and loved them all so much," according to Ludlam.

The post ended with Ludlam writing that her co-workers loved the mom and baby "so much."

"It is so painful and heart-breaking that God had other plans for you," she wrote. "The little bit of peace we can find with this is that you are now with your Dad and Grandpa."

"Donations and prayers are so appreciated in these unprecedented times," the post concluded.

Patch reached out to Ludlam.

So far, the GoFundMe page has amassed over $21,000 in donations.

And even a week later, tributes continued.

"There sure no words. I know Joe was waiting for them both and will continue to watch over you all," one woman wrote.

And another wrote, "Sending love and prayers to Kathy and her family during this time. So so sorry for your losses."

One man wrote, "I’m keeping the family in my prayers. God Bless."

A 73-year-old man from Medford who was driving the bus that Smolian's Nissan struck, and a 61-year-old Bellport woman, who was a matron on the bus, were taken to local hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the 6th Squad at 631-854-8652.