Seat belts save lives and prevent serious injuries – a fact that a Proctorville couple learned firsthand Wednesday afternoon.

Thursday, January 06, 2000

Seat belts save lives and prevent serious injuries – a fact that a Proctorville couple learned firsthand Wednesday afternoon.

At about 12:30 p.m., Steven Diamond, 48, of Proctorville, and his wife, Dottie, were traveling eastbound on U.S. 52 when a car struck their vehicle from behind and forced them off the road.

A 1986 Dodge Aries, driven by Chad Kelly, 29, of South Point, got too close to the Diamond’s 1985 Toyota Corolla, which led to the accident, according to Ohio Highway Patrol reports.

"The rear car (driven by Kelly) hit the left rear quarter panel of the (Diamond) car," said OHP Trooper R. McClelland, the officer who responded to the scene of the crash. "

Within seconds, the couple found their world literally turned upside down when the car veered to the left, slammed into an embankment and landed wheels up on the roadside.

"After the initial impact, the (Diamond) vehicle went off the right side of the roadway and struck an embankment, which caused it to overturn," McClelland said. "The rear car, after they struck, went off the left side of the roadway into the median and came to a stop."

Traffic flow was maintained after the accident and emergency crews were called to the scene, he added.

Although traffic was not stopped completely by the accident, the 45-minute cleanup did keep eastbound traffic restricted to one lane, McClelland said.

And, despite the difficulties encountered as a result of this accident, because of safety belts, the overall outcome was much better than it could have been, McClelland said.

"I believe they would have certainly been worse had they not been wearing a seat belt," he said. "The car that overturned sustained heavy damage."

Both Diamond and his wife were treated on-scene for minor injuries. Kelly sustained no injuries and his vehicle was listed as sustaining moderate damage and was driven home after the incident.

"(Kelly) was cited with failure to maintain assured clear distance ahead and failure to wear a safety belt," McClelland said.