Officials with the Reno Fire Department are reminding locals about the importance of wearing a seatbelt after a passenger was partially ejected through the windshield as a result of a crash on Sparks Boulevard Monday night.Â
A stalled vehicle was pulled over off the shoulder and the driver, not realizing it was stalled, struck the car and sent the moving vehicle spinning. The passenger in the moving vehicle flew into the windshield due to not wearing a seatbelt.
Reno Fire Department Battalion Five firefighter, Peter Briant, says, "Well you're basically a bowling ball inside the vehicle if you don't wear your seatbelt. The seatbelt restrains you and keeps you upright and enables all the modern technologies that we have, the air bags, the way the vehicles are built to protect you. If you don't have your seatbelt on, you're at the whim of gravity and you're just going to end up being more susceptible to serious injuries."
Briant says that every day they respond to numerous car vehicle accidents where they have seen people who don't wear seatbelts end up with more serious injuries in a minor accident compared to those who wear seatbelts in a major one.
"We've heard every reason in the book of not to wear a seatbelt 'because we're traveling slowly,' or 'just going down the street,' 'my vehicle has airbags so I'll be fine,' and a myriad of other things, but we can tell you from everything we've seen first-hand, seatbelts save lives."
The passenger that struck the window was transported with moderate injuries.
The driver was also transported, but with lesser injuries. Fortunately, the occupant in the stalled vehicle was unharmed.
Officials say everyone should always stay buckled up, including your pets.Â
