Survivor of fatal crash tells her story for Click-it-or-Ticket public service announcement

By Aimee Norton

Published: April 17, 2008

“The loss of a brother is a terrible thing. It’s a horrible pain, especially when all he had to do was buckle up,” said Melissa Hudson.

She walked away from a car accident - the same crash that killed her brother, Jeremy.  Thursday, Melissa and her mother told their heart-wrenching story, as a cameras rolled.

Police officers from 10 agencies around our area gathered in Lynchburg to shoot a public service announcement for the Click-it-or-Ticket campaign.

“I don’t want another mother to feel what I’ve gone through. It’s too much. Sorry. It’s just not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him. I miss him,” said Theresa Baker.

Officer Bryant Nowlin says last year 9 people died in car accidents in Lynchburg. He believes at least half of them could have survived, if they’d worn a seat belt.

“When people just hear us talking about it they’re kind of like, yeah, ok, whatever, but when you see somebody who actually survived a crash because they had a seat belt on,” said Nowlin.  “It really should hit home and make them understand how serious an issue it is.”

Melissa admits she didn’t used to buckle up.

“It was just by chance that day actually, but I do now,” said Hudson.

And they hope others will listen.

“That day I had a miracle. One walked away and one didn’t. It’s just hard to explain the emotions that are in you for that,” said Baker.

The Public Service Announcements will start airing sometime in May.