Dalton accident survivor gets “Saved by the Helmet” award

Bradie Ramella and his parents, Vince and LaVonne, had a big surprise waiting for them when they arrived at the Akron Rubber Ducks game on Aug. 15 for him to receive the “Saved by the Helmet” award.

Ramella, of Dalton, was involved in a head-on crash on Dalton Fox Lake Road in on Sept. 10, 2022. He was hit by the driver of a pickup truck who crossed the center line, and he was found unresponsive by the road by EMS. Ramella was flown to a hospital in Akron with serious injuries, including one forcing the amputation of his left leg, and his doctors repeatedly told him that his brand-new helmet saved his life — and he suffered a brain injury even with it on. He was released from the hospital after 81 days.

At the entrance to Canal Park, Bradie and his parents were met by staffers from Summa Health, where he had spent the first 3 weeks following his accident.

“Of course, their faces were new to Bradie,” LaVonne said. “He felt that they may also be at a disadvantage, not recognizing him so alert, so he pretended to be unconscious to better assist them with recognizing him.” Bradie also wore a shirt to the game that read, “Quit pulling my leg. No seriously, it will come offf.”

Mylinda Carson, BSN, RN, was the Trauma Navigator at Summa Health’s Trauma Center when Ramella arrived to the hospital. She and others from the department heard that he was to receive the award, and they decided to go and show their support.

“With our job, a traumatic event brings people to us, so we see patients at their worst,” Carson said. “We do not always know the outcome after they leave us. I was excited to see his progress and know that we as a team had a little part in his progress.”

Carson has two teenage boys, so young patients like Ramella stand out to her in her work. As Ramella’s case manager, she was able to help him and his family throughout his hospital stay.

Roy Kornacki of Massillon, who was in a motorcycle crash in Stark County about a year ago, was also honored at the game. Plaques and new replacement helmets were given to both.

Riders over 18 are not required by Ohio law to wear a helmet, but Motorcycle Ohio hopes that acknowledging riders who wear protective gear will help to promote and increase awareness of the life-saving value of motorcycle helmets.

Ramella said he was planning on wearing a helmet indefinitely when he started riding motorcycles. He had grown up riing dirt bikes, and he knew that using a helmet would be safer. He had recently ordered the helmet he was wearing and had chosen a more expensive one because it looked cool but also because it had a higher safety rating.

The helmet he received with the award is brand new and is fitted specifically for him.

“I wanted to ride a motorcycle again, and my parents said they wouldn’t like it, but they’d be fine,” he said. “But Lauren (his girlfriend) said she’d hate it, so I’m retiring riding motorcycles,” but he hopes to wear the new helmet when he goes snowboarding again someday.

“You can’t anticipate what everyone else is going to do. Bradie was an excellent driver, but this still happened to him,” said LaVonne.

“Our level one trauma center is amazing and we have an incredible multidisciplinary team that helps injured patients and their families through an indescribably difficult time,” Carson said. “There were so many people who played a role in caring for Bradie, from EMS, to trauma surgeons, trauma APP’s, T2 SICU staff, floor staff, and our outpatient team.

“Additionally, we play a huge role in injury prevention within the community, so again, this hits close to home for us in seeing such a great outcome and being involved with him receiving this award.”

For 35 years, Motorcycle Ohio has provided Ohio’s riders the opportunity to improve their skills and make the roadways safer for all motorists. The state has over 400,000 registered motorcycles, 600,000 endorsed riders, and issues 40,000 motorcycle permits per year. When combining those numbers, this makes Ohio the fifth largest state in the union in total ridership.

Motorcycle Ohio courses are now being taught at 37 training sites around Ohio. To find out more about Ohio’s courses or to nominate a rider who was “Saved by The Helmet”, contact the Motorcycle Ohio office at 1-800-837-4337 or visit motorcycle.ohio.gov.

“If you are in an accident and you don’t have your helmet on,” Ramella said, “you won’t be able to be grateful that you had one on.”