Helmet hits driver - Motorcyclist survives dramatic U.S. 441 accident

OFF THE WIRE
HIGH SPRINGS - A "holiday miracle."

That's what High Springs Police Chief Jim Troiano is calling the fact that both people survived a horrific accident involving a motorcycle and an SUV.
The motorcyclist lived after slamming into the side of an SUV on U.S. 441 and possibly hitting his helmet against the SUV driver's head.
And the SUV driver, who was knocked out, lived after careening across four lanes of traffic and smashing into a parked boat while her foot stayed pressed on the gas pedal.
The accident occurred on U.S. 441 on Saturday, Dec. 11 shortly before 4 p.m. when Judith O'Riley of High Springs was driving south on 202nd Street.
When she reached U.S. 441, she did not stop at the stop sign and pulled into the path of Chad Jones of Fort White.
He was driving a motorcycle that hit the side of the van, and Troiano said evidence suggests that Jones' head went into the driver's window, hitting O'Riley in the head.
Jones was wearing his helmet, the front of which got smashed.
O'Riley apparently was knocked out, veered to the right across four lanes of traffic and smashed into a parked pontoon boat at LTD Motors.
She was passed out with her foot on the gas pedal, and the tires were smoking down to the rims when police got there.
Both O'Riley and Jones were flown by helicopter to hospitals, and both are in stable condition, expected to live.
"This is a holiday success story," Troiano said.
While O'Riley was cited for the accident, Troiano credited her with wearing her seat belt because she likely would have flown out the windshield when she hit the parked boat, he said.
And Troiano credited Jones with wearing his helmet, which Troiano said saved Jones' life.
In fact, Troiano said, when Jones was flown by helicopter, emergency officials kept Jones' helmet on.

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