Salt Creek Township, OH : Two people were seriously injured when the motorcycle collided with a car along state Route 241 on Sunday evening August 24th 2014

Two people were seriously injured when the motorcycle on which they were riding collided with a car along state Route 241 Sunday evening. The crash occurred at 5 p.m. at the intersection of state Route 241 and County Road 201. Michael Pauley, 50, Windsor Street, Cuyahoga Falls, and his passenger, Tracey Dukes, 50, were flown via emergency helicopter from the scene to Akron General Medical Center. They remained in critical condition Monday. According to the Wooster Post of the State Highway Patrol, Pauley was southbound on state Route 241 when he crashed into a northbound vehicle, driven by Dillon Friend, 20, Township Road 219, Big Prairie, who was northbound and failed to yield to the oncoming motorcycle as he turned left onto County Road 201. The crash caused the motorcycle to overturn onto its side, ejecting Pauley and Dukes, who both sustained life-threatening injuries, according to the patrol. Neither Pauley nor Dukes was wearing a helmet, according to Post Commander Lt. Stephanie Norman, who said she believes helmets would have made a difference. "We talk to the legislators, state reps, about changing those (helmet) laws, but they also receive more opposition from folks who don't want to wear them, or at least want to have that option," said Norman. "This isn't a new topic. This comes up all the time. But we still have the (serious) crashes with folks not wearing helmets. "We do educational events, we do newspaper stories, but still folks choose not to wear them," she said, adding, that, in general, motorcycle crashes without helmets yield more serious injuries and more fatalities than those when helmets are worn. Brain injuries are like no others, she said. "Brains don't heal in the same way internal organs or limbs do. If you lose a limb, you can still function in life, but if you injure your brain, you can't take care of yourself. You can't support your family. You need someone to take care of you. "There are crashes where people who do wear helmets pass away, it's simple physics, but your odds are so much better wearing that helmet," she said. "You may have internal injuries, but you have a better likelihood of getting better, and the recovery period is typically quicker." At all times, she said, motorcyclists should be prepared physically. Not only should they wear helmets, but Norman encourages riders to wear protective leather gear, boots and gloves. Friend and his passenger, both of whom were wearing seat belts, were not injured in the crash. The crash, Norman said, also draws attention to an intersection that has a history. It was redesigned several years ago, following a fatal crash, however, "there's just enough of a hill to be a sight distance issue," said Norman, who will be discussing the matter with safety officials and the Ohio Department of Transportation. "We work with ODOT, through Safe Communities, and we've changed our perspective on what we do. We used to look only at fatals, but now we look at serious injury crashes and locations where there are frequent crashes," she said. Despite poor visibility, she said, "You have to make sure, before you make your turn, you're in the clear … even if that means waiting another couple of seconds." The crash remains under investigation. Source : 2 PEOPLE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN STATE ROUTE 241 MOTORCYCLE CRASH