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A Florida attorney known for fighting state helmet laws was killed in a motorcycle crash, and reports say he wasn't wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
Ron Smith, a 66-year-old Pinellas lawyer, and his girlfriend Brenda Jeanan Volpe died on August 20, according to a Tuesday (October 25) report from the Tampa Bay Times. Reporters learned the couple was riding a motorcycle on U.S. 19 in Pinellas County, on their way to a memorial service for a biker.
Smith reportedly tried to slow down for traffic ahead of him near the intersection with Eagle Chase Boulevard. He ended up losing control of the bike and crashing into a trailer attached to a pickup truck. Neither of them was wearing a helmet in the deadly crash.
Smith, who was a member of ABATE — A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments and American Bikers Aimed Toward Education, lobbied for years against Florida's mandatory helmet laws back in the 1990s. He also represented clients who violated the state's law at the time. Smith's wish came true when Florida repealed the law in 2000.
Autopsy reports say Smith and Volpe died of blunt head trauma, but it's impossible to say if helmets would've changed the outcome, according to experts.
“It’s entirely possible that if they were wearing a helmet they might have survived, but again, we can’t say for sure. It certainly would have improved their odds,” Eric Teoh, who's researched motorcycle safety, told reporters.
Helmets cut the risk of death for motorcyclists by 37%, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring riders on all motorcycle-type vehicles to wear helmets.