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Family is grieving over the loss of Jeanette Potter, 67, former Oregon Township treasurer, who died Feb. 26 following a 4:42 p.m. two-vehicle crash on Marathon Road in Oregon Township.

The crash also injured Mary Shelton, 76, and her passenger Phyllis Vantine, 53, both of Columbiaville, who are expected to recover.

But Heidi Matheny, 2, Potter's granddaughter, a rear seat passenger in the fatality, survived with just bumps and bruises.

Law enforcement and her mother are crediting Heidi's survival with the use of a car seats.

"If not for the car seat, she would have been seriously injured or killed," said Lapeer County Sheriff Ron Kalanquin. "She was in the back seat like she should have been. The car was crushed in the front and rear seat to the point of the car seat. She's a lucky little girl."

Potter was the family champion of child safety seats.

"From day one, my mom made certain we bought the best ones," said Potter's daughter Rebecca Matheny. "We never skimped on that. Mom told us there are other ways to save money, but it better not be on them. We didn't, and right from birth, my son Brandon, 9, used one. We have four for each stage of growth."

Potter taught Rebecca to adjust the harness and secure seats property for use.

"She was always on us to be certain it was tight," said Rebecca. "She'd check it each time to be certain."

Rebecca and her husband Brian have now become child safety seat advocates.

"We're donating the one in the crash to the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department for their training," said Rebecca. "It because of my mom, and that car seat, that our little girl is still with us."

Kalanquin, also a car seat supporter, wrote a Safe Community Grant enabling the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department to give away almost 100 seats at the end of March.

"There will be 100 car seats donated to underprivileged citizens who normally can't afford them," said Kalanquin. "We'll be giving some to the local Safe Kids chapter and to the Lapeer Pregnancy Center."

Once the car seats are dispensed, a tentative March 26 date is planned, parents can make an appointment to be certain they're installing the seats correctly. There's far more to keeping your child safe than buckling and driving, said Kalanquin.

"We have two deputies that went to school for training," said Kalanquin. "There's a lot to know, and we're impressed by what was taught. We'll have several locations where parents will be taught the proper way to install a car seat."

Susan Younger may be reached at (810) 664-0811, ext. 8122 or susan.younger@lapeergroup.com