Spotlighting the life saving potential of simply buckling your seatbelt, a Lincoln man is sharing his story in conjunction with several Nebraska agencies taking part in the statewide “Make It Click” enforcement campaign.
On March 5, 2024, Chris Haag was making what began as a routine, mundane drive to Omaha.
He recounted the story during a Tuesday news conference alongside members of the Nebraska State Patrol and Department of Transportation. Haag was speaking to his mother on the phone that day while on Interstate-80 in his pickup.
“…and of course she heard my pickup’s alarm sound because I was not wearing my seatbelt,” said Haag.
Haag already had first hand knowledge of the life saving power of a seatbelt. During Memorial Day weekend 2023, Haag’s car was struck by a drunk driver. Had he not been wearing his seatbelt then, his injuries would have been far more serious.
So mother reminded him to buckle up, and he did — a fateful decision.
Haag saw a westbound a pickup begin to loose control near the Highway 370 exit, by Gretna.
The pickup crossed over the interstate median and jumped into his lane, colliding with his vehicle.
The other driver, 64-year-old Gary Vaughn of Lincoln, died at the scene. Haag was taken to an Omaha hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries, and lived to tell the tale.
“I’m very, very fortunate to be here. I know without a doubt, if I hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you today,” Haag said.
Haag said he now carries a memento from the experience.
“I have an everyday reminder from the scars on my hand… to put a seatbelt on,” similar his mother that day. “I would strongly advise everybody out there: You don’t know when it’s going to happen. It happened to me twice. Put a seatbelt on. It’s pretty simple.”
To help save lives like Haag’s, the Nebraska State Patrol, Lincoln Police Department and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office have teamed up for the Make It Click statewide campaign.
Troopers, deputies, and officers across the state will be performing high-visibility patrols, monitoring for dangerous driving behavior, now through June 2 — encapsulating the Memorial Day holiday. During traffic stops, troopers will be looking for seatbelt violations and thanking motorists who are already wearing their seatbelt.
Any motorist who observes a dangerous driver can report it to the NSP Highway Helpline by calling *55 to reach an NSP dispatcher.