Our mission is to provide financial assistance to households affected by motor vehicle accidents with the support and generosity of volunteers and donors.

Our Story

Written by: Michele Smith, Monet Hall, and Melissa Smith- all sisters of Mark Hall who tragically lost his life on Jan. 1, 2005.

On December 17, 2004, a group of 30 family members and friends began their journey from multiple locations to Miami, Florida, some driving and some flying, to embark on a Royal Caribbean cruise to celebrate our father’s life which suddenly ended Dec. 2003. 

On December 18, 2004, our brother Mark and his family (total of 7) were crossing Alligator Alley on the final leg of their journey to Miami when the rear tire of their Ford Excursion blew out and rolled multiple times. His daughter, Maison-Elizabeth (age 6) was killed instantly.

Mark spent 2 weeks on life support where he succumbed to his injuries on January 1, 2005.

The remaining 5 family members involved in the accident were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries and released at different times. 

The 2 weeks between Dec. 18, 2004 – Jan. 1, 2005 turned our lives upside down. Michele and our mother Bonnie were notified by guest services of Royal Caribbean that the accident had occurred. We were then able to speak with the hospital staff where we learned of Maison-Elizabeth’s death. Michele and our mother Bonnie were able to leave the ship before it left Miami. The next 45 minutes riding in a taxi from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale seemed like forever, as many emotions were felt during this tragic time. We couldn’t get to the hospital fast enough to be with family.

During the first week, while other family and friends remained on the cruise, we were met with an outpouring of support from Royal Caribbean’s staff. They visited daily to assure our needs were being met and brought gifts to the children who remained hospitalized. The Ronald McDonald House was also generous and allowed family members to utilize their facilities while some children remained hospitalized.

After the word got out regarding the accident, the Broward County community pulled together and helped us in our time of need. One individual donated the use of their vehicle and many others called the hotel offering to pay for our hotel stay. Jack Williams, then current President and COO of Royal Caribbean sent a limousine to our hotel on Christmas Day for us to have lunch with him and his family at his home. 

We are forever grateful for all of the love and support that was given to us. We have decided it’s our time to give back to others.

Because of this experience, we started a non-profit organization called Traffic Accident Support. Traffic stands for: Temporary Relief Assistance For Families In Crisis. 

We hope our story will touch your heart to become a donor or volunteer, as well as share our mission with others. 

Our application for non-profit status was submitted on June 30, 2025 and is currently pending.