Helmet failed to help biker, family says
By PATRICIO G. BALONA
Staff Writer
Last update: September 08, 2005
William Godwin loves to say he's "Daddy's boy," but the 3-year-old cannot yet grasp that his father has died from injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash in DeLand.
"We just tell him Daddy is gone to be with his granddaddy in heaven with the angels," the little boy's grandfather, Matthew Godwin Sr., said this week, fighting back tears at his Flagler County home near Ormond Beach. "It's difficult because Matt Jr. and William were as tight as any son and father could be."
The death of 28-year-old Matthew Godwin Jr. is more tragic because his helmet apparently failed to lessen his injuries. The Deltona man suffered severe brain trauma with bleeding in the brain, a collapsed lung, damaged liver and kidney, a fractured vertebra and eye socket on Aug. 23, according to the older Godwin, who visited his son at Halifax Medical Center every day.
He died 10 days later, his father said.
Initial reports indicated Godwin was not wearing his helmet because there were no witnesses at the scene who could confirm it, FHP spokeswoman Trooper Kim Miller said. But troopers now believe he had his helmet on at the time of the crash, Miller said.
The helmet was found in the roadway at the intersection of State Road 44 and Eau Claire Avenue.
"Our investigators looked at the helmet and based on the extensive damage it had, we believe the helmet was in use at the time of the crash," Miller said last week. "We do not yet know if it was a helmet malfunction or whether it was not on properly."
It's difficult to say what may have caused the helmet to come off, but seasoned bikers and state Department of Transportation officials say helmets tend to fly off if not properly worn.
"Many times you see a rider wearing a helmet without strapping it under the chin and that makes the helmet useless on impact," said Mike Melis, president of the Motorcycle Association of New York Inc. and state administrator for the Motorcycle Safety Program of New York.
Contrary to Florida, New York has a state helmet law. Bikers can be fined if they're not wearing one properly, Melis said. Riders must also use helmets certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation, he said.
"DOT-approved helmets, when worn properly, are designed not to come off on impact, even when the injuries are serious enough to kill the rider," Melis said.
Because there is no law in Florida requiring riders to use a helmet, riders can choose any helmet they want, said Barry Wall, manager of the Community Traffic Safety Program District 5 of the Florida Department of Transportation. Enforcement of helmet use is not an issue, he said, acknowledging "the most common thing to causing helmets to come off is if the rider failed to buckle or strap it on."
Troopers said a car driven by 16-year-old Brittany Lynn Cramer of DeLand pulled into Godwin's path as he was eastbound on S.R. 44. Cramer attempted to make a left onto S.R. 44 at Eau Claire Avenue, thinking she had enough time to do so, FHP investigators said. Godwin tried to stop but skidded toward the car and struck the left front side, troopers said.
Cramer was charged with violation of right of way, a citation that carries a $115.50 fine and four points on her driver's license upon conviction, Miller said.
Godwin Jr. was in violation for driving a motorcycle without completing a motorcycle endorsement registration requirement on his driver's license, she said.
"He took the safety course required for motorcyclists, but that alone does not fulfill the requirement for driving a motorcycle," Miller said.
But Godwin Sr. said his son had just renewed his temporary permit to operate a motorcycle and had just passed the motorcycle riders' safety course two days before the accident. He was in the process of going to the licensing office to get his endorsement, said Godwin Sr.
Friends and family are preparing to say goodbye to Godwin Jr., popularly known as the "Bud man." He was a salesman for Quality Brands, a beer distributor in DeLand.
His co-workers are raising money with a Poker Run scheduled Sept. 25. The money will offset some of Godwin Jr.'s medical expenses and help endow a trust fund for William and his 2-month old sister, Erin, family members said. Godwin Sr., a musician with the Long Riders Band, will perform at the event.
"It's heartbreaking to see his young son say he wants to be like his daddy," Dustin DeMarco said. "He was 100 percent a family man and his son was his life."
Topic: Helmet failed to help biker, family says /FL (Read 3822 times)