Grieving wife uses husband’s fatal motorcycle accident to help save lives

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A Cleveland woman who lost her husband in a motorcycle accident earlier this month, is using her pain to try and make the roads safe for other riders.

“It’s not worth that two second look away. It’s not worth your life because it does happen,” said widow Ariel Smith.

Smith’s husband, Eugene Smith, was killed while riding his motorcycle in the area of Leopold Avenue and State Road on April 11 in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood.

Cleveland police said Eugene Smith was speeding and wasn’t wearing a helmet when he was struck by a car turning left onto Leopold Avenue.

“Instead of lane switching, take the time to wait for the car to turn, because the car oncoming will not assume at all times that you are going to go around that car turning, and that is what happened,” said Ariel Smith.

She said she doesn’t blame her husband or the other driver.

“This man, 27-years-old, is also losing a big chunk of his life and it’s sad from both ends. You just have to watch around you,” said Ariel Smith.

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