Editor’s note: The video above is WKBN’s report on Feb. 23 from the crash in which Kevwitch was injured.

WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Warren woman’s use of a seatbelt likely saved her life, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

That’s why the Highway Patrol says Karen Kevwitch is now part of the state’s “Saved by the Belt” Club, which recognizes the lifesaving uses of a seatbelt. The club is a joint effort by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and more than 400 Ohio law enforcement agencies.

Kevwitch’s crash happened on Hoagland Blackstub Road in Trumbull County on Feb. 23.

Highway Patrol Lt. Daniel W. Morrison, the commander of the Warren post, presented her with a “Saved by the Belt” certificate signed by Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson and Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. She also received a “Saved by the Belt” license plate bracket.

“Karen is a living testimony to the effectiveness of safety belts,” Lt. Morrison said. “Everyone needs to buckle up every trip, every time.”

Provisional data from 2021 shows 515 people in Ohio were killed in traffic crashes where a safety belt was available but not in use, according to the Highway Patrol.