Tragic Ohio Accident for Wheelchair Passengers
John Seewer, Correspondent
Associated Press, Toledo
The Blade
541 N. Superior St.
Toledo, OH 43614
Phone: 419-255-7113
http://www.ap.org/ohio/
This morning my mom and I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with John Seewer, a very kind, compassionate and caring Correspondent with the Associated Press in Toledo Ohio. John contacted me about my efforts to increase Transportation Safety for people traveling in wheelchairs. John had read about my 2008 auto accident and the 2009 Massachusetts legislation filed by Representative Steve Canessa and Senator Marc Pacheco;
House 3785 and
Senate 1948 : “An Act Relative to the Transportation of Individuals Seated in Wheelchairs” on my website. You can read all the information I have on my website by clicking on
W/C Passenger Safety.
John informed us of a tragic story about an Ohio van accident which occurred recently in January 2010. Tragically four people were killled; one of the four people killed was seated in a wheelchair; the chair was tied down to the floor of the van, but an occupant restraint system on the back wall of the van was not used. You can read all the articles written about this tragic accident by clicking on the articles listed below:
- “Center for developmentally disabled adults is a ‘family’” By Bridgette Outten / Dayton Daily News / January 7, 2010
- “Community coping with deadly accident” By Tom Stafford / Dayton Daily News / January 7, 2010
- “Disabled victims in bus crash were tight-knit” By DAN SEWELL and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press / Dayton Daily News / January 8, 2010
- “Fatal I-70 tanker-bus accident investigation continues” By Valerie Lough and Bridgette Outten / Dayton Daily News / January 30, 2010
- “Victims in special needs van, semi crash identified” By By Valerie Lough and Bridgette Outten / Dayton Daily News / January 8, 2010
After the Ohio tragedy, John was as surprised as I was to discover there is no state or federal law which provide for the safety of transporting people seated in wheelchairs. The only state in our country that we know has a law regarding the safety of transporting wheelchair seated passengers is the state of New Jersey.
Passage of House 3785 and Senate 1948 : “An Act Relative to the Transportation of Individuals Seated in Wheelchairs” in the state of Massachusetts and similar legislation in ALL other states in our country is desperately needed to ensure that wheelchair-seated travelers are as SAFE as all other citizens traveling in vehicles.
John is planning to write an article to help bring about public awareness of the need to Increase Transportation Safety for Wheelchair Passengers. I will update you with a link to his story.
John Seewer, Correspondent with the Associated Press in Ohio deserves FIVE STARS for helping to make the world more sensitive, respectful, accessible and SAFER to all. Thank You John!
February 10th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Hi Kenny, This is good news because John can help spread the word nationwide about the real need to increase the safety for persons traveling in wheelchairs. It’s a shame it takes a tragic accident like your accident and the Ohio accident to bring public awareness to the issue. My heart goes out to the persons killed in the Ohio accident. May God Bless them. I love you. Auntie Nana
February 10th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
I work in a state run group home and there is very little training to strap someone down in a wheelchair and use the proper seatbelts and placement of them. I’ve gone out my way to find out this information but find that my co workers do little to learn or use them correctly. I fear for the safety of my guys in my home. Another BIG PROBLEM is that the tie downs are not properly maintained or updated.
February 10th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
I recall reading not long ago about a woman thrown from her wheelchair who was tragically killed. Sure hope to see new laws to help prevent these things from happening.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Stephen’s Law in New Jersey was named in honor of my son who broke his femur when his group home van neglected to tie down his wheelchair and shoulder lap belt/or the belts were missing. New Jersey is the only state that has any type of wheelchair securement law. Stephen’s law fines drivers who transport wheelchaired passengers who are not secured. We need a second part to the law which would hold facilities accountable if they do not train their staff properly.
I am glad John will bring attention to the lack of laws for wheelchaired passengers.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
I know of a young man in a group home who broke his jaw and needed surgery. His staff were in too much of a rush to put the tie downs on his wheelchair and when the van stopped short, his wheelchair tipped over. There is a law requiring us to wear seatbelts and there should be a law to help keep disabled persons safe too!
February 14th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Too often caregivers are too much in a rush to properly secure the wheelchair to the vehicle and the person sitting in the wheelchair with the proper seat and lap belt; this is very dangerous because if the van is in an accident or stops short; the person will go flying with no way to protect themselves physically. There is a law requiring us to wear seatbelts and there should be a law requiring caregivers to secure wheelchair passengers safely too!
May 11th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Dear Readers,
As promised, John Seewer wrote a follow up story to help bring about public awareness of the need to Increase Transportation Safety for Wheelchair Passengers. You can read his story by clicking on ‘Bus seat belt laws mostly exclude wheelchairs’ By John Seewer / Associated Press / Washington Post / May 10, 2010.
Thank You John!