Highway Crash Reinforces Seatbelt Message

NEBRASKA CITY – The Nebraska State Patrol is reinforcing its safety belt message after a Highway 2 accident Thursday that sent one man to the hospital.

A Mercedes SUV was westbound on Highway 2 when the driver swerved between two, linear trucks and semi-trailers, hitting one of the trailers. The SUV then veered into the median and across both eastbound lanes before coming to rest in the ditch.

Damage to the SUV was confined to the driver’s side front corner. It was drivable, but the unbuckled driver hit the windshield, causing the glass to crack.

Over the holidays, the Nebraska State Patrol participated in the national Click It or Ticket campaign, but  investigators say the cost is sometimes greater than a ticket.

Hair from the hospitalized driver was caught in the cracked glass of the windshield.

The State Patrol suspects impaired driving was a factor in the accident. The Mercedes has Oklahoma plates.