Police 'very surprised' man walks away from severe crash

RCMP credit seatbelt use with saving young man's life

Image | mangled car after Nov 4 accident in New Glasgow, P.E.I.

Caption: Surprised this car's driver walked away after this accident? Police are too — they credit a seatbelt with saving his life. (Submitted by RCMP)

A young man walked away from a severe car crash Friday thanks to his seatbelt, RCMP say.
At about 11:30 a.m., Nov. 4, Queens District RCMP, New Glasgow Fire Department and Island EMS responded to a single-vehicle crash on Route 224 in New Glasgow, P.E.I.
The vehicle was extensively damaged and the male driver — the only person in the car — was taken by Island EMS to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown for treatment, where police said Tuesday he has non-life-threatening injuries.
RCMP issued the photo of the man's severely mangled car and took the occasion to remind Islanders to wear their seatbelts.

'Wouldn't be with us'

"There's no doubt in my mind that if the young male driver of this collision, if he did not have his seatbelt on, he probably wouldn't be with us today," said RCMP Queens District Cst. Louanne McQuaid.
"We were very surprised to see that he had walked out of the vehicle," before paramedics arrived, McQuaid said.
Road conditions are believed to be a contributing factor in the accident.