Brockton man overcame one devastating crash only to be killed in another, his brother says

BROCKTON — The trajectory of Stuart Smith’s life was forever altered when he suffered a severe brain injury after being struck by a car as a child, his younger brother Damien Smith said.

Almost four decades later, another driver would again change the trajectory of Stuart Smith's life.

Stuart Smith died on April 6 at the age of 50 after a driver deliberately hit him with his vehicle and then got out and beat him viciously with a brick, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz, who called it a "very gruesome, very heinous act."

But to Stuart Smith’s neighbors and three siblings, he was so much more than the sum of those tragedies.

“To me, his value in the world was creating memories with friends throughout Brockton. His out-of-the-blue, self-deprecating humor always helped him to find a way to relate to people. He had an ability to strike up a conversation with a stranger as if he knew them,” Damien Smith.

'Heinous, gruesome': Brockton driver deliberately hit Stuart in fatal crash, DA says

By his brother's side as he took his last breath

Damien, who lives in Nantucket, rushed to Mass General Hospital after receiving the call that Stuart had been intentionally struck by a vehicle twice before being beat with a brick in the head 20 times, according to the district attorney's office.

Damien was with Stuart when he was taken off life support and took his last breath at around 10:34 p.m. Saturday night.

Damien says his brother struggled to overcome many things throughout his life, but remained a "fun-loving, spirited guy" who was well known in the community.

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Who was Stuart Smith?

Stuart grew up in Brockton with his two brothers and half-sister. When he was around 12 years old, Stuart was struck by a car, according to Damien.

“Prior to the accident, he was a very smart individual, he was very astute and observant,” said Damien.

“After the accident, he was put into a coma. When he finally did wake up, he had to relearn everything over again. He wasn’t the same person after that,” he said. “It was a miracle that he even survived.”

That prior devastating crash made the alleged April 6 attack with the vehicle all the more painful, Damien said.

“It was very traumatic for me as a child to see him in that condition. And then for it to end this way was reopening that old wound,” said Damien.

The injury when he was a child caused Stuart serious brain damage, and he struggled with mental illness and addiction throughout his life, but, according to Damien, his struggles never took away his spirit. Stuart graduated from Brockton High School in 1992 and continued to live in the community.

Stuart’s neighbor of two years, Wayne Whitten Jr., describes Stuart as a happy-go-lucky guy.

“He lives two floors down from me and was always laughing and smiling. He’s a funny guy, always making fun of himself, of his mistakes,” said Whitten. “He took life so easily.”

Because of his struggles with mental illness and addiction, Stuart did not hold a job but he had aspirations to start a junk removal company, his brother said.

“The love always remained no matter what,” said Damien. “No one was a bigger fan of me than him."

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Family and friends react to the violent attack

Officials have not publicly announced a motive for the alleged attack against Stuart, but according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz, there was no evidence that the alleged attacker, Vasco Semedo, was under the influence at the time of the attack and police are not aware of a previous relationship between the two men.

Whitten, who saw the entire attack play out from his apartment window, said he didn’t think there was a verbal altercation or interaction of any kind between the men prior to the attack.

Neighbors have speculated that the attack may have been caused by Stuart’s habit of stealing things around the neighborhood.

“I’ve known Stewie to be going on people’s lawns and stealing stuff. He also did a lot of scrapping and going through trash. He came home with a new bike almost every day,” said Whitten not long after the incident. “Three days ago, my girlfriend told me she was afraid Stuart was going to rob the wrong person someday.”

Officials have not commented on the speculation and the investigation is ongoing.

Support for the family

Stuart’s extended family started a Gofundme to help cover costs in the aftermath of his death.

“Stuart's family is attempting to settle his final expenses, as well as give him a dignified burial. Any assistance is appreciated,” Lara Schneider wrote on the Gofundme page.

As of Friday afternoon, 88 people had raised $11,970 of their $10,000 goal.

A fundraiser is also being held at The Spot Lounge, located at 133 North Main St. in Brockton, on Saturday, April 20 at 2 p.m. All proceeds will be donated to help the family.

“Stuart was remembered by friends and neighbors as a figure in the community, and helped a lot of people, and that he will be missed,” Schneider wrote.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton fatal pedestrian crash victim Stuart Smith remembered