Just last week we wrote about the results of a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Study that reported how too many people, especially Texans, were driving drowsy or falling asleep at the wheel.
Seeming to back up the results of the study, a drowsy driver caused a fatal multi-vehicle crash earlier this week in Houston. The 37-year-old driver of a Toyota Camry fell asleep behind the wheel before causing the crash. According to police, the Camry jumped the median on South Main and crashed head-on into a Lincoln Continental.
The impact of the head-on collision pushed the Continental into a third car, a Toyota Avalon. The three-car crash was fatal for the driver of the Lincoln, which sustained head-on and what appeared to be side-impact damage.
The drowsy driver sustained minor injuries in the wreck. He was treated at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. The driver of the Avalon was able to walk away without any serious injury.
There simply is no excuse for negligent drivers. Whether you are drowsy or asleep behind the wheel, texting or driving after drinking, the damage that can be caused and the pain and suffering that may result from your own poor judgment in getting behind the wheel can be catastrophic.
Serious injuries that can result from motor vehicle accidents include traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injuries, paralysis, loss of limbs (amputations) and, as in this crash, death.
Source: Houston Chronicle, “HPD: Driver fell asleep before causing fatal crash,” January 7, 2012