When Michelle Lewis put on her seatbelt Feb. 9, she may not have known its importance.
But when her car was struck by another vehicle, launching it into the air, that seatbelt saved her life, police said. And that’s why Lewis was presented with the “Saved by the Belt” award from the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute Thursday night.
Lewis, a Forest Park resident, thanked the police and fire departments not only for saving her, but also for being polite at the scene. She noted that police also called the hospital in the days following the crash to check on her. Lewis also thanked her sister for helping watch her daughters as she recovered from the collision.
Lewis was not at fault in the crash, which happened when a commercial vehicle was on the wrong side of the road on Ga. Highway 74 near Aberdeen Parkway. The commercial vehicle collided with a second vehicle, forcing the second vehicle into the air as it struck Lewis’ automobile, police said.
Lewis’ vehicle came to rest after striking a tree, with its roof sheared off, police said.
“Without the seatbelt it is very unlikely that Mrs. Lewis would have survived this type of collision,” said Peachtree City Police Chief H.C. “Skip” Clark.
The violent crash claimed the life of East Point motorist Thomas McGhee, 37.
