Country star Conner Smith has admitted to enduring ‘dark moments’ since his fatal car accident involving an elderly woman.

The 24-year-old singer opened up on Wednesday about the accident during his first performance back on stage since the June crash.

Conner accidentally struck Dorothy Dobbins, 77, with his Chevrolet Silverado in Nashville mere hours after performing at CMA Fest while she was crossing a street on a designated crosswalk.

Dorothy was rushed to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Conner has since been issued a misdemeanor citation and is to appear for booking on the citation on August 7.  

And during his recent performance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, the singer candidly spoke to the crowd about the aftermath.

‘In the toughest times, I’ve discovered that the Lord feels closer than ever. His presence exceeded all expectations at every step,’ Conner expressed in a video sourced by Fox News.

‘He was kinder than I could ever imagine. He was more of a defender than I could ever imagine in my heart.’

Country star Conner Smith has opened up about ‘dark moments’ he’s had since a fatal car accident with an elderly woman 

In the last two months following the accident, Conner has canceled multiple shows on his tour to take a step back and reflect on what happened. 

Prior to his return to performing, Conner shared a heartfelt blog entry on his Substack titled The First Steps, detailing his emotional experience post-accident. The blog can be found here.

‘What was once routine is now a great contrast to the two months of hiddenness my heart has needed,’ Conner wrote.

‘As I prepare to take the stage tonight, I reflect on how difficult it was, initially, to even consider performing again after the tragic events,’ he noted.

‘The moment tragedy came, I knew that my heart had no way to process it.

‘During the first month post-accident, I largely retreated from the outside world, finding support in a close circle comprised of my wife, family, friends, and pastors, as well as time alone with my faith.

‘I turned off my phone, and the world, and simply guarded my mind, processing the pain with the people around me.’

He also thanked his fans for ‘standing by me’ and ‘protecting me.’

The 24-year-old singer opened up about the accident during his first performance on Wednesday since the June crash

Conner concluded by revealing his first night back on stage felt like a ‘new beginning in every way.’

Embracing this restart feels like a new chance, a profound meaning drawn from the challenges I’ve faced. My heart overflows with gratitude for this realization,’ he shared.

‘The truth that I now get a chance to begin again, having seen the things that truly matter in life.’

During his performance at the Grand Ole Opry, the Christian singer performed emotional songs about worship and even debuted a new song called Songs of David, which he called a ‘version of a prayer’ he had been writing over the past two months.

He also touched on his hiatus to focus on healing, saying: ‘Out of respect for everyone involved and to give space for grieving, I made the decision to step away from shows these past few weeks. 

‘I have always found that making music and playing shows is a place of healing for me – but for this moment, it was important for me to take time away.’

Conner is a recording artist for Big Machine Records’ sub-label Valory.

He’s best known for the viral hit I Hate Alabama, which was released in late 2021 and became a sensation with TikTok users.

Buzz from the song led to his record deal, which he inaugurated with his 2022 EP Didn’t Go Too Far.