Perrysburg’s police chief might not be here today, if it wasn’t for his seatbelt.
Chief Patrick Jones was surprised Tuesday at the Perrysburg Police Department with a Saved by the Belt award, presented by Sandy Wiechman, coordinator of Safe Communities of Wood County, and county Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn.
“You set a strong example of the importance of buckling up and are living proof that seatbelts do save lives,” Sheriff Wasylyshyn said.
Mr. Jones was driving south on U.S. 23 at State Rt. 105 about 1:15 p.m. May 19 when his unmarked SUV was struck by a truck that had failed to yield the right of way.
“I barely had time to hit the brakes,” he said.
The chief said he passed out after the crash. The result would have been much worse without his seatbelt.
“There’s no doubt that my head would have been through the windshield,” he said, adding that he suffered burns from the airbags and bruising from the seatbelt.
The woman who struck him was not hurt, Chief Jones said. “She had her seatbelt on as well,” he said.
Sheriff Wasylyshyn said the chief’s story should resonate with drivers.
“It’s great to recognize the chief. People are going to see that even the police chief was saved from serious injury or death because he had a safety belt on,” the sheriff said. “The facts are safety belts save a tremendous amount of lives.”
Ms. Wiechman also believes the seatbelt saved Chief Jones’ life.
“He wouldn’t be with us, or he would have been severely injured,” she said.
Photos of the mangled SUV were on display Tuesday.
Ms. Wiechman added that people need to take responsibility by wearing seatbelts. Failing to buckle up is not a primary traffic offense in Ohio, meaning an officer must see another violation before issuing a citation or a warning for not wearing a seatbelt.
First Published September 12, 2023, 2:36 p.m.