MN State Patrol

Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Mike Krukowski says if it weren't for his seatbelt, his wife would've been planning his funeral. Krukowski was involved in a head-on crash last month when a driver near Lakeville veered off I-35, went through the freeway fence and struck his squad SUV. 

Krukowski says over his 14 years on patrol, he's heard every reason why people don't wear their seatbelts -- including, I'll be able to belt in if needed. He says he had fractions of a second when he saw the car coming at him. Krukowski says, "There was no way that I would be able to reach over my left shoulder and pull that seatbelt on and click it on moments before impact. There's not a chance."

Krukowski broke both his feet and arm in the crash. The driver of the other car died several days later.