Two people are listed in critical condition after a car went off the road on I-77 North in Cana, VA. According to a report from the Virginia State Police, the 66 year-old driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing the car to drive off the side of the road, hit an embankment and roll over several times.
A 33 year-old male passenger, who was in the back seat, was ejected out through the rear window. He was airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he was listed in critical condition.
A 62 year-old woman who was in the front passenger seat was also airlifted to Baptist Health in critical condition. Both she and the driver were trapped inside the vehicle and had to be extracted by emergency responders. The driver, and a six year-old boy who was also in the backseat, were both transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
The driver has been charged with reckless driving for failure to maintain control of his vehicle.
Falling asleep at the wheel is a serious problem on the nation's road. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals at least 100,000 car crashes are attributed to driver fatigue/falling asleep while driving each year resulting in roughly 1,550 deaths and 40,000 potentially serious injuries. Our personal injury law firm has written about the dangers of drowsy driving and the risks associated with it.
Our personal injury law firm has successfully secured damages for clients who have been seriously injured by drivers who were in a compromised condition behind the wheel, including a settlement for $112,000 for four passengers who were rear-ended by a drunk driver.