Seat belts save three Paulding residents

VW independent staff/submitted information

PAULDING – Paulding residents Faith Bauer, Lillian Bauer, and Evalynn Brooks have joined Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” Club after their safety restraints saved them from sustaining life-threatening injuries from a crash which occurred on County Road 144 at County Road 71 in Paulding County on August 4, 2022.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Kevin Krill presented the trio with the “Saved by the Belt” certificate signed by Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Thomas J. Stickrath and Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. They also received a “Saved by the Belt” license plate bracket.

“These three young ladies are a living testimony to the effectiveness of safety belts and child safety seats,” Lieutenant Timothy P. Grigsby, Van Wert Post commander said. “Everyone needs to buckle up every trip, every time. A horrific tragedy was avoided because of the few precious seconds Ms. Bauer took to ensure that everyone was properly buckled up before driving.”

Provisional data from 2021 shows 565 people in Ohio were killed in traffic crashes where a safety belt was available, but not in use. For up-to-date statistics and information on seat belts, log onto the Patrol’s Seatbelt Dashboard at www.SeatBeltDashboard.ohio.gov.

The “Saved by the Belt” Club is a joint effort by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and more than 400 Ohio law enforcement agencies.