Springfield couple join “Saved by the Belt” club

0

PIQUA — Springfield residents Phillip and Emily Whetstone joined Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” Club on Thursday, Oct. 14, after their safety belt previously saved them from sustaining life-threatening injuries.

The crash involving the Whetstones occurred on Interstate 75 in Shelby County on July 5, 2021.

Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSP) Lieutenant Joseph A. Gebhart, Piqua Post commander, presented them with a “Saved by the Belt” certificate signed by Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Thomas J. Stickrath and Colonel Richard S. Fambro, Patrol superintendent.

“Phillip and Emily are living testimonies to the effectiveness of safety belts,” Lieutenant Gebhart said in an OSP press release. “Everyone needs to buckle up every trip, every time.”

Provisional data from 2020 shows nearly 600 people in Ohio were killed in traffic crashes where a safety belt was available, but not in use, the release said.

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. This club is designed to recognize people who have benefited from their decision to wear safety belts.

The couple also received a “Saved by the Belt” license plate bracket.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Joseph A. Gebhart, Piqua Post commander, presents Phillip and Emily Whetstone, of Springfield, with Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” certificates and a license plate bracket on Thursday, Oct. 14, after their safety belt saved them from sustaining life-threatening injuries. The crash involving the Whetstones occurred on Interstate 75 in Shelby County on July 5, 2021.
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2021/10/web1_Saved-by-the-belt-Whetstones-2-1-.jpgOhio State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Joseph A. Gebhart, Piqua Post commander, presents Phillip and Emily Whetstone, of Springfield, with Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” certificates and a license plate bracket on Thursday, Oct. 14, after their safety belt saved them from sustaining life-threatening injuries. The crash involving the Whetstones occurred on Interstate 75 in Shelby County on July 5, 2021. Courtesy photo

No posts to display