One person is dead and five more people in the vehicle were injured after police say a man fell asleep behind the wheel while driving on Interstate 95 early on Saturday morning.
According to the Virginia State Patrol, 60-year-old Claude Hogue was driving southbound on I-95 when he nodded off and drifted off of the right side of the road. He then woke, overcorrected to the left, and drove off of the left side of the street, striking several trees. Three teens and two adults were injured in the crash, though only a 12-year-old boy suffered serious injuries and required helicopter transportation to Richmond’s VCU Medical Center. Hogue was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Authorities say that the group was driving to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from Canada at the time of the accident.
Unfortunately, driving while tired can be just as dangerous as driving while distracted or driving while drunk. In the above case, we can guess that the family had likely been driving a number of hours to reach their destination and did not stop for proper rest and relief.
Here are a few quick tips on how to prevent an accident caused by driver fatigue:
• Make sure you are rested before beginning a long drive.
• Try to avoid driving late at night or early in the morning, when fatigue is most likely to strike.
• Never plan to drive more than six or eight hours in a single day.
• Never drive more than two hours without stopping for a break.