Two truck accidents on the Ohio Turnpike last week were caused by drivers that fell asleep at the wheel while driving.
Last Monday, a Mack truck hauling three trailers driving on Interstate 80 in Streetsboro crashed into the rear of a Ford Focus, killing the driver and critically injuring her two sons in the crash. The Focus caught on fire and was engulfed by flames. The driver was pronounced dead on the scene. Police later found out that the driver of the truck had fallen asleep at the wheel, causing his rig to slam into the Focus. Charges are pending against the truck driver.
In another truck accident on the Ohio Turnpike on Wednesday, only two days after the crash detailed above, a truck hauling hydrochloric acid flipped over and forced the evacuation of 20 homes nearby. After interviewing the driver, authorities concluded that the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving.
Ohio State Highway Patrol officers consistently patrol Ohio’s roadways on the lookout for individuals speeding and driving while intoxicated but some officers believe “sleepy drivers,” those too tired to safely be behind the wheel of a motor vehicle are “the most dangerous drivers on the road today. Some compare to a drunk driver with a blood alcohol level of nearly twice the legal limit.”
According to police, fatigued drivers are seven times more likely to crash than anyone else on the road. Already in 2010, nearly 500 citations have been used on the Ohio Turnpike for sleepy drivers.
Source: WKYC “Ohio Turnpike accidents involve driver fatigue” 08/19/2010