Ron Smith Wiki – Ron Smith Biography
A Florida attorney who successfully fought state helmet legislation died in a motorcycle accident without wearing a helmet. Ron Smith, 66, an experienced attorney, and his girlfriend Brenda Jeanan Volpe, 62, were killed in a fatal motorcycle accident on Aug. 20 when neither was wearing a helmet. The couple reportedly met through a group called the American Legion in Old Town.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Smith allegedly lost control of his bike when he slowed down due to traffic while Smith and Volpe were traveling to a funeral. When Smith began to slow down due to traffic on US 19 North in Pinellas County, he lost control of his motorcycle and skidded onto the roadway, according to a Florida Highway Patrol accident report.
Ron Smith Age
Ron Smith was 73 years old.
Ron Smith Cause of Death
His bike flipped onto its left side, spinning clockwise, striking the left side and wheel of the utility trailer. No one was charged in connection with the collision, according to Steve Gaskins, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol. Both Smith and Volpe died of blunt head trauma, according to Smith’s autopsy report and an initial report of Volpe from the Hillsborough Medical Examiner.
Eric Teoh, a motorcycle safety researcher at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, told the website: “It’s very possible that if they had worn a helmet they could have survived, but… we can’t say for sure.” Teoh noted that the helmets would definitely have increased his chances. An attorney and passionate motorcyclist from Pinellas County, Florida, Ron Smith fought against regulations requiring helmet use for almost ten years.
State law eventually changed. In 2000, Florida changed its laws to state that anyone over the age of 21 was no longer required to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle if they had more than $10,000 of insurance to cover accidents. Ron was also a member of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education, an advocacy group that has lobbied against helmet laws.
He has practiced law and defended people accused of violating Florida’s motorcycle safety laws in proceedings that experts say may have contributed to the repeal of the state’s mandatory helmet requirement. Smith was remembered by his friends and co-workers as a person who appreciated his individuality and that of others. Dave Newman, who along with Smith was a member of the American Legion Riders, commented that Smith felt everyone should have their own choice of him.
“He thought everyone should have their own choice,” he commented. Gary Pruss, another friend of Ron’s, claimed that Ron was also known for his good judgment. “He was a guy you went to for advice,” Pruss said. On an online tribute page, Volpe was also described as a “loving and devoted mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, and friend, a truly beautiful person.”
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