Local resident Jerry C. Vanpelt (right) recently joined Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” Club after his safety belt saved him from sustaining life-threatening injuries. He is pictured with OSHP Lt. Robert D. Hilderbrandt.
Courtesy photo
XENIA, OHIO — Wilmington resident Jerry C. Vanpelt joined Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” Club Wednesday after his safety belt saved him from sustaining life-threatening injuries, according to an Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) news release. The crash occurred on State Route 380 in Greene County on Sept. 15.
OSHP Lt. Robert D. Hilderbrandt, Xenia Post commander, presented Vanpelt with a “Saved by the Belt” certificate signed by Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Thomas J. Stickrath and Col. Charles A. Jones, patrol superintendent.
“Jerry is a living testimony to the effectiveness of safety belts,” Hilderbrandt said. “Everyone needs to buckle up every trip, every time.”
Data from 2021 shows 576 people in Ohio were killed in traffic crashes where a safety belt was available, but not in use, according to the OSHP. For up-to-date statistics and information on safety belts, log onto the Patrol’s Safety Belt Dashboard at https://www.safetybeltdashboard.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. This club is designed to recognize people who have benefited from their decision to wear safety belts.
Vanpelt also received a “Saved by the Belt” license plate bracket.
