A sad so long to Florida lawyer Ron Smith, who spent much of his legal career fighting against and ultimately helping to overturn the state’s motorcycle helmet law. He was killed recently when…do I even need to finish this sentence?
Smith didn’t like being told what to do and valued his independence, said Dave Newman, who met the attorney through an American Legion post in Old Town where they were both members.
“He thought everybody should have their own choice,” Newman said.
In 2000, Smith’s aspiration was realized when the Florida Legislature passed a law allowing motorcyclists over 21 to go without head protection as long as they had $10,000 in insurance coverage for motorcycle accident injuries.In August, Smith and his girlfriend, Brenda Jeanan Volpe, were riding a motorcycle on U.S. 19 in Pinellas County. They were headed to a memorial service for another biker who had died of cancer.
Smith crashed the bike as he tried to slow for traffic ahead of him. Both he and Volpe were killed.
Neither was wearing a helmet.
The cause of death for both was listed as blunt head trauma.
Obviously we can’t say for sure whether or not helmets would have saved their lives, but they certainly couldn’t have hurt.