Father of two becomes organ donor after fatal crash on I-275

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

Todd Rutledge was killed in the three-car crash.

It happened around midnight on Saturday, causing part of the highway to be closed for hours. He was on his way 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 the house around 7 p.m. and was returning from a motorcycle club event in Indiana.

Rutledge’s sister said his goal was to support his motorcycle community and pick up his children so he could take them trick-or-treating the next morning. She 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 in the middle of the highway, and she hit it and tried to jump over it, and a car hit her and knocked her back, and it was a whirlwind and fatality. Brother was gone,” 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 her. Owens McClair said it’s a phrase they use within the motorcycle community.

“Safety is the name of the game. Go home safe. He didn’t come home. At least not on this one,” Owens McClair said.

Rutledge supported his friends at the Sin City Deciples Motorcycle Club that night. Owens McClair said her brother was always there to help and will continue to do so as an organ donor.

“He wanted to help and save one or two or three lives. His death was not in vain because he was an organ donor. I think it’s very profound,” Owens McClair said.

Owens McClair said Rutledge was the family’s protector, a comedian and loved to cook. She showed off one of his treasured gifts from his two children: an apron with their handprints painted on it.

“They are devastated and there are really no words to make them understand, but we will see him again,” Owens McClair said.

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

“The fun will never die. It will never die, and its legacy is: I’ll stay on my path. It’s slow, but it’s for show,” Owens McClair explains.

The Sin City Motorcycle Club is planning a memorial ride for Rutledge. These details will be provided when released.