Sgt. Kenneth Hipps of the Hendersonville Police Department.
RALEIGH – As a first responder, Sgt. Kenneth Hipps with the Hendersonville Police Department has seen firsthand that a seatbelt can make the difference in saving someone’s life. This time, it was his own.
Hipps was traveling to his shift in Hendersonville when a vehicle ran a red light at an intersection, smashing into the rear of Hipps’ Dodge Durango and totaling his vehicle.
Luckily, both Hipps and the driver were both buckled - and walked away with minor injuries.
“I have long believed that seat belt use saves lives and prevents serious injuries, and this crash only reinforced that belief,” Hipps said.
Hipp’s supervisor, and fellow first responder, Hendersonville Police Department Chief Blair Myhand, agreed.
“I am thankful no one was seriously hurt in this crash. This incident only goes to remind us that you cannot put your seatbelt on fast enough in a crash. Only wearing your seatbelt from the start works. Anything else is a recipe for disaster,” Myhand said.
The "Saved by the Belt" initiative raises awareness about the importance of everyone buckling up by highlighting people who avoided serious injury or death in a motor vehicle crash by wearing their seatbelt.
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