Local and area residents honored by OSHP

VW independent staff/submitted information

TOLEDO — A teen from Convoy, a Payne man and three Paulding residents were among 17 people honored during a “Saved by the Belt” event.

Olivia Hampton, 18, of Convoy, was wearing her seat belt during an early March accident on Waller Road at Ohio 49 in Tully Township. Maddox Treece, 20, of Payne was saved by the belt during a late March crash on Ohio 500 in Paulding Township. Irma Chapman, 36, Jaystin Champman, 16, and Effie Weible, 9, all of Paulding were saved by the belt July 1 during a crash on U.S. 24 at County Rd. 87 in Crane Township.

On Thursday of this week, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, along with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, AAA, Vision Zero and the Toledo Mud Hens, highlighted the life-saving impact of safety belts during the fourth-annual Buckle Up – Batter Up “Saved by the Belt” event at Fifth Third Field.

During the event, Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Swindell, Patrol assistant superintendent, Bob Kazmierczak, AAA, and State Representative Michele Grim delivered remarks, stressing the importance of safety belt usage. Two honorees, Treece and Jordan Grosjean spoke about their crashes and shared why buckling up matters.

The Buckle Up – Batter Up “Saved by the Belt” event is an annual initiative that recognizes Ohio crash survivors whose lives were saved because they were wearing a safety belt. The program brings traffic safety outreach into a community baseball setting, underscoring how one simple decision can prevent serious injury or death.

Each of the 17 survivors were presented with a “Saved by the Belt” certificate by Lieutenant Colonel Swindell, Captain William Bowers, Findlay District commander, Muddy the Mud Hen, mascot for the Toledo Mud Hens, and our event partners. The certificates are signed by Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Benjamin Suver and Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. In addition to the certificate, they also received a special Buckle Up – Batter Up “Saved by the Belt” license plate.

“The ‘Saved by the Belt’ program is a powerful reminder of how one decision can save a life,” said Colonel Jones. “Each of tonight’s honorees experienced a serious crash in northwest Ohio, and wearing a safety belt helped prevent even more significant injuries. Their experiences highlight why this program remains essential and why choosing to buckle up is so important.”

Outside of the stadium, the Cleveland Police Historical Society and Museum in partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol Retirees’ Association displayed vintage cruisers along with OSHP enforcement vehicles.

According to 2025 Patrol statistics, 417 people in Ohio were killed in crashes where a safety belt was available but not used. Of those fatalities, 40 occurred on northwest Ohio roadways.