Remember: ‘Click it’ or get a ticket

Not wearing a seat belt? Don’t expect a warning from the Perkins County Sheriff’s Office during the annual nationwide “Click it or Ticket” campaign Nov. 24-28.

 Sheriff Jim Brueggeman said his officers will put special emphasis on seat belt usage during the campaign. 

He said a recent survey conducted in Grant showed only 45% of local motorists were observed wearing their seat belt. That local compliance falls far below the state’s average last year when seat belt usage hit a rate of 80.6%.

The Perkins County Sheriff’s Office will be mindful of seat belt usage among vehicle occupants while conducting traffic stops and issue tickets, not warnings, to those not in compliance. 

Brueggeman said between Jan. 1 to Nov. 10, there have been 38 vehicle crash reports made to the Perkins County Sheriff’s Office. Of those, there were three crashes where the driver or passenger was ejected from the vehicle. 

“Traffic crashes are common in our area and can be severe in some cases.  Wearing a seat belt could literally save your life,” the sheriff said. 

Recent accidents

Brueggeman said his office has been called to several accidents over the last week.

On Nov. 7, Noah Holm, 19, of Sutherland lost control of his 2008 Dodge pickup on a county road north of Elsie near Rds. 348 and 769.

Brueggeman said the vehicle rolled and Holm, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected partially pinned underneath. 

A life flight helicopter from Great Plains Regional transported Holm from the scene with non-life threatening injuries. 

The Keith County Sheriff’s office, Paxton fire department and state patrol responded to the scene and Perkins County deputies assisted with traffic control 

Both drivers were wearing their seats Nov. 9 when a westbound semi collided with a pickup at the intersection of Road 348 and Highway 23. Neither drive was injured. 

Brueggeman said 82-year-old Willis Hastings of Ogallala was northbound on 348 and crossed in front of a semi driven by Richard Sargent, 54, of North Platte. 

Sargent was able to swerve to avoid contact with the tractor but the grain trailer he was pulling struck the front end of Hastings’ pickup.

Brueggeman said Sargent’s swerving tactic helped avoid a much more serious accident. 

On Nov. 10, his office investigated a one-vehicle accident where the occupant was wearing the seat belt improperly. 

The driver, Mackenzy Montgomery, 18, of Dickens was eastbound and lost control on a curve. She over-corrected and the car crossed over into the north ditch and overturned. 

She was out of the vehicle when a deputy arrived and suffered minor injuries.