RISKY

Lawyer Who Fought Helmet Laws Killed in Motorcycle Crash While Not Wearing a Helmet

His girlfriend, who was also not wearing a helmet, also died in the accident.

A Florida lawyer who passionately fought against state laws requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets was killed in a motorcycle crash while not wearing a helmet. Ron Smith, 66, was heading to a memorial service for another biker in August when he crashed his bike as he tried to slow for traffic in front of him. His 62-year-old girlfriend, Brenda Jeanan Volpe, who was a passenger on the bike, was also killed. She too was not wearing a helmet. Smith—who was a member of the Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments—represented clients who broke Florida’s motorcycle rules in cases which some say ultimately helped to overturn the state’s helmet requirement in 2000. “He thought everybody should have their own choice,” his friend Dave Newman said.