A Florida attorney who fought state helmet laws died in a motorcycle crash while not wearing one. His girlfriend, who was a passenger on the bike, was also killed.
Ron Smith was traveling on U.S. 19 North in Pinellas County when he began to slow down to traffic, lost control of his motorcycle and skidded on the roadway, the Florida Highway Patrol wrote in an accident report. His bike rotated "in a clockwise motion, overturning onto its left side," and collided with the left side and wheel of the utility trailer. The accident report noted that neither was wearing a helmet, although it is unknown whether one would have prevented their deaths.
Smith, 66, was pronounced dead at the scene. His girlfriend, 62-year-old Brenda Volpe, died hours later at a hospital. A medical examiner said Smith and Volpe died from head trauma, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Friends of Smith told the Times that he had spent over a decade fighting Florida laws that required the use of helmets. He represented a number of clients who violated state motorcycle requirements in court cases that have been credited with helping to overturn the helmet law.
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com
