Amid the recent wave of serious or fatal motorcycle crashes that appeared on the InMaricopa homepage, State Rep. Teresa Martinez, Republican of Casa Grande, didn’t expect her son would be among the injured.
But he was.
It’s why she’s not only fundraising for her son after he was wounded in a motorcycle crash last week but also looking afresh at her sponsorship of legislation that advocates for motorcycle safety.
Her 22-year-old son, John, sustained serious injuries after the brakes on his project bike locked up during a ride in Tempe.
“He hit his head on the pavement, and when I looked at his helmet, you can see how hard he hit the pavement and the scrapes,” Martinez told InMaricopa. “He broke his tibia bone in three places. It was a severe break where they put nails and screws in his leg.”
He also broke a fibula bone and an ankle.
Martinez set up a GoFundMe campaign to help her son with co-payments and living expenses while he recovers from his injuries. The fundraiser has almost reached its $5,000 goal, which Martinez said feels “humbling.”
“I feel so supported because I’m a single mom and, you know, you get used to doing it on your own,” she said. “When the community rallies behind somebody they don’t even know, it makes you feel like we’re connected and that people actually care about one another.”
In the weeks before her son’s accident, Martinez, the second-term lawmaker who represents Maricopa, chose to co-sponsor Senate Bill 1107, which would allow for the continuation of the Motorcycle Safety Fund. Money from that fund supports motorcycle safety and awareness, as well as reducing the cost of safety gear. New language in the bill would also prevent the money from being used for any other purpose.
“I remember seeing that it was a motorcycle safety fund and … I feel like I should support that,” she said.
The accident has also inspired Martinez to begin thinking about sponsoring more motorcycle safety legislation in the future, she said.
“I want to make it as safe as possible on our roads for everyone including motorcycle riders,” Martinez said. “I’m definitely thinking about future laws to protect motorcycle riders, so that’s definitely going to be close to my heart.”
