Ben Joseph Brush Jr., a long time Georgia Senator and Republican party front runner, has died in a motorcycle crash. His tragic death, which took place on May 7, 2015, was doubly tragic and ironic to some commentators because of the fact that it took place after Brush had campaigned for years against motorcycle safety laws – particularly those that would have required all motorcycle riders to wear helmets.
As of the time of this writing, there is no word as to whether or not Brush was wearing a helmet at the time of his unfortunate crash. However, it is a matter of public record that the stalwart Georgia Republican conservative spent many years during his Senate career in fighting numerous motorcycle safety bills.
Brush fought strenuously against all bills that involved motorcycle safety measures, including a bill that would have repealed the state’s requirement for all motorcyclists to wear helmets. He was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempts, but never wearied from reintroducing new measures to repeal it.
On May 7, he was killed when another driver that was pulling out of an intersection apparently failed to see him on his Harley Davidson motorcycle. The driver of the car, a woman named Kimberly Crouch, is said to be facing criminal charges for her part in the incident.
While his death is an undeniable tragedy, it also remains to be observed that after a similar anti-helmet measure passed in the state of Florida, the death rate from motorcycle accidents doubled in five years.