COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus woman is stressing the importance of motorcycle safety gear as a family is in mourning their loved one who died in a motorcycle crash in Scioto County Sunday.
Just last Monday, another motorcyclist died in northeast Columbus. On Wednesday, a motorcyclist was in critical condition after a hit and run on South High Street
Safety Apparel Manager at Independent Motorsports Theresa McClinton said she was in a crash back in October and her safety gear is what saved her life.
“We couldn't see [debris on the ground] and it's just one of the things that if you're in a car you run over gravel that's been spilled by a truck that's going through the mountain roads and it's not a big deal. On a motorcycle it can be fatal,” McClinton said.
McClinton broke her arm and fractured her wrist in the accident. Luckily, she was wearing a helmet, jacket and other motorcycle gear.
“I don't think I would've lived through it [without my gear]. I don't think I would have," McClinton said. "I rolled almost 250 feet away from where my bike and I went down. My bike slid all the way up the off-ramp and I rolled down the highway."
McClinton’s biggest tip for drivers is to put down their phones to properly watch for motorcyclists. For motorcyclists, she said to take a training course, keep speeds under control and make sure to wear proper gear.
“Once you realize that you're going down and you understand that you don't have the control of the situation anymore, knowing that you have all the proper safety apparel is really the only thing that you have to comfort you in those moments,” McClinton said.
10TV reached out to the Ohio State Highway Patrol to see how the number of crashes this year compares to previous years. So far this year there have been 53 motorcycle-related fatal crashes. Last year that number in the same time period was 67. And in 2020 that number was at 63.