Father of Two Becomes Organ Donor After Fatal Crash on I-275

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) – A man who died in a crash on I-275 is remembered by his family as a loving brother and father.

Todd Rutledge died in the three-car accident.

It happened around midnight on Saturday, cutting off part of the road for hours. He was heading home to pick up his children. Rutledge, 46, was the father of a six-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy.

He left home around 7 p.m. and was returning from a motorcycle club event in Indiana.

Rutledge’s sister said her goal was to support her motorcycle community and pick up her kids so she could take them trick-or-treating the next morning. He added that he was not on his motorcycle at the time, but rather as a passenger in his friend’s car.

“She said a car stopped in front of her, just stopped in the middle of the road, and she hit it and tried to jump, and a car hit her and knocked her down, and it was a whirlwind and a fatality. My my brother already wasn’t there,” said Robin Owens McClair, one of Rutledge’s sisters.

“The name of the game is getting home safely.” That was the last thing McClair’s brother said to him. Owens McClair said it’s a phrase they say within the motorcycle community.

“Safety is the name of the game. He comes home safely. He didn’t make it home. At least not this one,” Owens McClair said.

Rutledge was supporting his friends at Sin City’s Deciples motorcycle club that night. Owens McClair said his brother was always there to help and will continue to do so as an organ donor.

“I wanted to help and save a life, two or three. His death was not in vain, being an organ donor. I think it’s really profound,” Owens McClair said.

Owens McClair said Rutledge was the protector of the family, a comedian and loved to cook. She showed one of the most precious gifts her two children had given her: an apron with their handprints painted on it.

“They’re devastated and there’s really no words to make them understand, but we’ll see again,” Owens McClair said.

Rutledge’s biker brothers came to the house to show their support. Owens McClair said the motorcycles brought the brothers even closer.

“The fun will never die. It will never die, and his legacy is: I’m going to stay in my lane. It’s slow, but it’s for show,” Owens McClair explained.

The Sin City Motorcycle Club is planning a Rutledge memorial ride. Those details will be provided when they are published.