Buckled Up for Survival : Boy’s Cry for Seat Belts Saves 2, Rescuers Say

At the age of 4, Justin Raynor is insistent about wearing a seat belt and urges his parents to do the same.

“The first thing he does when he gets into the car is put on his seat belt, and he says to me, ‘Daddy, what did you forget?’ ” said Thomas Raynor, Justin’s father.

That determination to buckle up may have saved the lives of Justin and his mother, officials said Wednesday, the day after Justin left the hospital where he was treated after an accident that could have been fatal.

On Nov. 23, Justin and his mother were on their way from their Poway home to La Jolla for breakfast with Justin’s grandmother.

But, before they left, Justin made his mother buckle her seat belt.

Authorities said a motorcyclist evading police broadsided the Raynor station wagon on Carmel Mountain Road near Interstate 15.

The wagon rolled over and the cyclist, 23-year-old Michael Vincent Ingrande, was thrown beneath the car and killed, police said. San Diego police had attempted to stop Ingrande after he had run a red light and was speeding, authorities said.

Kristin Raynor, 29, suffered minor cuts and shock, but Justin’s injuries were serious, said San Diego Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Simpson.

He was taken first to Sharp Memorial Hospital, then transferred to Children’s Hospital with severe head injuries and facial cuts.

Justin also suffered bruises to the brain, but is not expected to have any brain damage.

“Justin was very fortunate to survive the accident,” Rancho Bernardo fire Capt. Jerry Northcutt said.

“The impact from the motorcycle completely turned over the station wagon.”

Justin was released from the hospital Tuesday, and, on Wednesday, Northcutt and emergency crews from Rancho Bernardo and Rancho Penasquitos who responded to the accident visited Justin at his home and brought him a toy fire helmet and badge.

“Justin doesn’t remember a lot about the accident,” Thomas Raynor said.

“The psychologist said his memory will come back (in about a month), and he will start asking a lot of questions.

“You absolutely don’t realize how important seat belts are until you can see what can actually happen.”