A teen was honored with the year's first "Saved by the Belt" Award from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning and AAA Michigan.
AAA Michigan says Mason Korhonen, 16, lost control of his vehicle on January 8 in Delta County, hitting five trees and flipping his vehicle.
The organization says because of his seat belt, Korhonen was able to walk a quarter mile from the accident scene and call for help.
“I have no doubt in my mind Mason would have been ejected from his vehicle if he did not have his seat belt on,” Michigan State Police Trooper Mark Erickson said. “Had Mason been ejected, he would have suffered from much more serious or potentially fatal injuries.”
The "Saved by the Belt" program is aimed at increasing awareness about the benefits wearing seat belts.
