Recently, a driver from Vancouver, Washington, was hospitalized after she fell asleep at the wheel. After losing control of her car due to the drowsy driving, the vehicle ended up rear-ending another vehicle.
The 54-year-old was in the southbound lane on Interstate 5 early in the morning when her car crashed into another that was going onto Exit 1A. Due to the collision, she was injured and rushed to the hospital. The other driver was unharmed.
While this particular incident didn’t result in any major or deadly injuries, too many drowsy driving accidents turn out to be fatal.
To drowsy drivers who harm others in accidents, they may be held liable for damages and injuries, and may face the legal consequences of their actions. As personal injury attorneys, we have seen countless cases of drowsy driving accidents that resulted in serious injuries. That’s why we urge all Washington drivers to beware that if they are too tired to operate their vehicle, they must pull over safely and rest. If necessary, they must find a place to rest for a few hours before they get back to the road.
If you’re leaving the house and you’re tired, remember that drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk or distracted driving. Change plans or have someone drive you instead if you feel like you will be drowsy while behind the wheel.
Being aware of our limits and our bodies will help us to understand just how far we can push ourselves, even as drivers. And avoiding distracted and drunk driving alone isn’t the way to go about being a safe motorist. We must also avoid other activities and behaviors that could expose ourselves to great danger.
While we hope the drowsy driver involved in the latest drowsy driving accident is able to recover in full and quickly, we also hope others learn from this accident.
For more on this crash, follow this link.
