Two brothers-in-law, both dedicated family men with decades of marriage behind them, were killed in a shocking accident while standing on a Dallas sidewalk after a car collision sent a vehicle careening toward them.
Chad Smith and Sam Arlia were waiting to cross at the intersection of Frankford Road and Coit Road in North Dallas around 6:20 p.m. on February 5, 2026, when tragedy struck. Authorities say a black Mercedes collided with a white Nissan Sentra, sending the Mercedes off the road and onto the sidewalk where the men were standing.
The two men, who were in Dallas attending a sound installation conference for their work, leave behind seven children and two wives who are sisters. Their deaths have sent shockwaves through two extended families spanning Colorado and New Jersey.
“We’re here in Dallas, and our husbands were in an accident, and they were killed,” was the devastating text message that Vanessa Stern received from Annette Smith, Chad’s wife, according to reports.
Decades of Love and Family
The parallels in the men’s lives were striking. Chad and Annette Smith had been married for 25 years and raised three children in Colorado. Similarly, Sam and Cindy Arlia had also celebrated their silver anniversary and raised four children in New Jersey, footage from memorial services revealed.
Beyond their family commitments, both men were deeply involved in music and ministry. “They were salt of the earth, amazing people. Very talented musically. Chad wrote music and published music. Both had amazing voices,” one family member told CBS Texas.
What makes this tragedy even more poignant? The men were simply in town for a professional conference related to their sound installation work when their lives were cut short by a random traffic accident.
A Devastating Moment
The incident occurred in the early evening hours at a busy North Dallas intersection. Both drivers involved in the initial collision survived with non-life-threatening injuries, according to video from the scene. Police have not announced any criminal charges as the investigation continues.
Stern, who had known Chad Smith since college, remembered him fondly. “I just saw him as a really dedicated, solid young man walking his faith out in college, a very creative type, a hard worker, just those kinds of people, just salt of the earth people,” she shared with local media.
The sudden loss has mobilized communities across multiple states. A GoFundMe campaign established to help the families cover memorial services and unexpected expenses has already exceeded $100,000 in donations, showing the wide impact both men had on their communities.
Lasting Impact
“You know, this is a family, and it’s just so sudden, and the impact has been shocking for everybody,” Stern explained. “But even the impact of the loss of these two individuals to their families and friends, and they’ll probably feel it for a long time.”
Friends recall Smith singing at weddings and his creative contributions to music ministry. His brother-in-law Arlia was equally respected in their shared professional field of sound installation, which had brought them to Dallas for the conference.
The tragic irony isn’t lost on those who knew them — two men who dedicated their lives to creating beautiful sounds were silenced in an instant on an ordinary sidewalk, leaving behind a deafening silence for the families who must now navigate life without them.
