Teen Thanks Police For Ticket After Seatbelt Saves Her Life

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A young woman is crediting an OPP officer for saving her life after surviving a motor vehicle collision that could have potentially ended it had she not received a seatbelt warning days before the crash.

Jennifer Walker, a 19-year-old university student was driving her car in Exeter, Ontario, on May 23rd, when OPP Constable Ron Young pulled her over when he observed her talking on her cell phone and not wearing her seatbelt.

OPP issued Jennifer a $155 ticket for driving while using her cell phone but used police discretion and let her off with a warning and education about not wearing her seatbelt.

Police say that at the time, Jennifer had no idea how pivotal that moment would be in the days ahead, but she made a decision to change her driving behaviour.

Just two days later, on May 25th, Jennifer’s car was struck broadside by a vehicle that failed to stop at a stop sign. Jennifer sustained minor breaks and bruises in the incident and, according to the OPP, the crash was serious enough to have killed her had she not been wearing her seatbelt.

A few weeks after her traumatic ordeal, Jennifer contacted OPP Constable Ron Young to thank him for issuing her a ticket and for saving her life.

“Jennifer’s story is a perfect example of how wearing a seat belt can dramatically change the outcome of a collision and may have actually saved someone’s life. Sadly, people continue to die on our roads because, unlike Jennifer, they continue to ignore our messages about the important role seat belts play in saving the lives of men, women and children involved in road crashes,” said Chief Superintendent Don Bell, Commander of the OPP Highway Safety Division.