On May 18, 2008, John “Rusty” Gordon was riding his motorcycle on Ohio State Route 4 when a 20-year old driving a truck swerved into oncoming traffic. Rusty was struck head on and died instantly from a broken neck. The driver was using his cell phone at the time of the crash.
Rusty was born on February 11, 1973 in Cheyenne, Wyoming to John P.T. (Ohio XVIII & GLRC Chairman) and Lois J. Gordon. Rusty was an only child and was particularly close to his father. Gordon and Rusty worked alongside one another at the Marion County Common Pleas Court as the only father-son bailiff team. Rusty previously was a police officer, like his father, in Marion County.
Rusty and his wife, Monica, had two children, an 11-year-old son, Ian and a 7-year-old daughter, Aileen. He was also a grandchild, uncle, cousin, friend, co-worker, and loved by all who knew him.
Rusty adored his children and attended every practice and game of his children’s’ softball, baseball, basketball, football and soccer, as well as piano recitals and dance classes.
Rusty’s father, John P. T. Gordon, has established “Rusty’s Story”, a power point safety program about distracted driving. He has taken Rusty’s Story to students throughout Ohio, reaching some 15,000 students as of Feb. 2014.
Gordon has also become an advocate for tougher restrictions on texting-while-driving, testifying before the Ohio State Senate. In June 2012, House Bill 99 was passed, which prohibits a person who is younger than 18 from using an electronic wireless communication device in any matter while in a vehicle. Adult drivers are prohibited from texting while driving under the law.
Rusty is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Faces of Distracted Driving” series. View the video below:
