The seatbelt in the front passenger seat of the car that L. Brooks Patterson was riding in when he was was buckled.
It just wasn't buckled around Patterson.
According to a detailed report of the Aug. 10 accident provided by the Auburn Hills Police, which responded to the scene, the belt was buckled behind the passenger seat of the Chrysler 300 that Patterson, the Oakland County Executive, was traveling in. He was in the passenger seat when it crashed.
"I observed the passenger's side seatbelt to be wrapped behind the front passenger's seat back and clicked into the buckle, indicating the passenger was not wearing the seatbelt at the time of the crash," the report stated.
Patterson's driver, James Cram, was not wearing a seatbelt, either. That belt was found unbuckled at the side near the car door. Cram told police who arrived on the scene that neither he nor Patterson were wearing their seatbelts.
Neither Patterson nor Cram have been cited for not wearing a seatbelt; both are still hospitalized for treatment of injuries suffered in the crash.
An Auburn Hills Police deputy indicated to The Oakland Press that there would not be a citation as long as they remain hospitalized.
Other driver pleads not guilty
Anthony Prainito, the driver of the Volkswagen Passat that Patterson's Chrysler 300 crashed into at the intersection of Walton and Opdyke, was in the crash.
According to the police investigation, Prainito, 31, of Royal Oak, failed to yield on a flashing yellow light at the intersection, causing the crash. There are about 90 traffic signals with flashing yellow turn arrows across Oakland County. .
Prainito pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to data from the crash data recorder of the Chrysler 300, Cram was driving 54 mph in the seconds before the crash occured. The speed limit in that area of Walton is 45 mph.
An assistant Oakland County prosecutor said during Prainito's arraignment that speed was not a factor in the crash.
Patterson, 73, has been the county executive for 18 years. After receiving an influx of flowers at the hospital during the weekend after his crash, Patterson's staff asked that get-well-soon gifts be sent as a donation to , the half-marathon race in Rochester that Patterson founded five years ago.
The donations will help fund Brooksie Way Minigrants, which are awarded to Oakland County organizations that promote health and wellness. Sue Barnes, the training coordinator for the Brooksie Way, said this week that donations have been coming in. They are still being accepted at: The Brooksie Way; P.O. Box 81576; Rochester, MI 48308
Also, there is a statute that says that a speeding driver loses the right-of-way. Yet the book appears to have been thrown at the driver of the car which didn't yield to Patterson's speeding car at a flashing yellow arrow. Might there be some sort of double standard operating here ??
Its like those warning we get now that your hairdryer doesn't work underwater...
ever hear of a concept called "personal responsibility"?
In a few years, if R/R wins, seniors can get a coupon and use it as downpayment towards purchasing a Medicare plan or other private insurance. Which would really not be bad if R/R had a plan to drive down soaring medical costs in a system with all the wrong incentives. If you put in place, and keep in place, gradual cost controls, like those in the ACA and Romneycare - there's a good chance that coupon is worth something. But they promise waivers/repeal efforts on day one. Without dealing with costs, your voucher/coupon will be worth less and less in the actual market. For now, R/R decide to run on more hypocrisy - attacking Obama for passing a Republican healthcare plan (Until 2009, Romney actively promoted nationalizing his) that includes saving Medicare through bending the cost curve, and fixing problem of Reagan's socialized medicine, EMTALA 1986 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Medical_Treatment_and_Active_Labor_Act. Sorry for diversion, accidents like these make you think about the real life implications of healthcare policy, costs, ability of regular folks to pay, and how that effects them, their family, and the broader economy. Back to Patterson. Very sorry to hear of accident and I hope that all involved are well soon, and wearing seat belts.
WARNING! • Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In some collisions, the airbags won’t deploy at all. Always wear your seat belts even though you have airbags. It really doesn't matter anyway. The LAW says seat belts must be worn.