Reality lesson about seat belts

To the editor:

As I left work Thursday at Trail of Tears State Park, I came upon one of the most gut-wrenching sights: a woman lying by the roadside, and a crumpled, twisted heap that was a car in a cornfield.

As the East County Fire Department first responders began arriving, more and more the question of how she survived the accident came back with fact she had her seat belt on. Highway 177 is a busy route to and from Procter & Gamble, and a co-worker of the woman stopped. Reality must have hit her hard as she admitted she hadn't been wearing her seat belt but vowed she would always be buckled up in the future.

In talking with the state trooper who responded, he stressed how seat belts can save lives by showing us a video. The video showed an accident ending with the man coming out the back window of his vehicle. A closer look revealed that the area above the driver's seat was untouched from the car flipping over. Had he been wearing his seat belt, he would have survived the accident.

This incident has me determined to tell those I love and care about to always wear their seat belts, no excuses. With the end of summer nearing and school activities beginning, please stress to those you love and care about to wear their seat belts. This woman is living proof that her seat belt saved her life.

KATHIE BRENNAN, Cape Girardeau