York County mom awarded for advocating for safe teen driving after son's death

A mom is getting recognition for her years-long fight for roadway safety measures.

Tammy Gweedo-Mcgee lost her teenage son, Connor in a car crash in 2019. He was leaving his high school homecoming dance at Tabb High School, and sadly he never came back home.

"There isn't a moment honestly that goes by and I don't think about my baby. I carry with me on my necklace his fingerprint and it's the last thing I actually have of his," said Tammy Gweedo-Mcgee.

Tammy is an advocate for safe teen driving and the President of the Gweedo Memorial Foundation.

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Oct. 26, 2019 is a day that Tammy will never be able to shake. Her 16-year-old son, Connor, got into a car with two other Tabb high school students in York County leaving their homecoming dance. After the dance, her son got into a car with two friends as they headed to an after party, driving east on Yorktown Road.

Police say the driver didn't have a license and wasn't old enough to drive. The driver was speeding, crashed, killing everyone in the car instantly.

This is why Tammy has devoted her life to saving lives so no other parent can be her shoes. She started the Conner Gweedo Memorial Foundation to remember her son who lit up any room he walked in.

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The Governor's Highway Safety Association recently honored her with the 2024 Peter O'Rourke Special Achievement award , which recognizes her work in preventing traffic crashes. On top of that, she's made her voice heard at the Virginia General Assembly. Getting not one, but two significant safe driving bills passed. One of them named after her son, "Connor's Law."

"Connor gives me the power to do that because he should still be here. What happened to him shouldn't have happened. If I don't speak up for him and help save other teenagers and parents what type of person would I be?" said Tammy.

Tammy also founded an anonymous reporting website for traffic issues like reckless driving and she's currently pushing for another bill to be passed that will stop minors from driving without a license.

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