Sonora, CA…On Monday, November 4th at approximately 1:10 am, 64-year-old Sonora resident, Josefina Lee was driving a 2015 Chrysler Town & Country northbound on Jamestown Road approaching Johnny Avenue. Lee fell asleep behind the wheel and awoke to the impact of her vehicle crashing into a power pole. The impact completely sheared the post bringing power lines and other utility lines down across both lanes of Jamestown Road. Lee and her 85 year old passenger, Lewis Lee, were properly restrained with seatbelts and the airbags deployed in the vehicle. Both occupants only sustained minor injuries. Neither alcohol or drugs are suspected to have been a factor in this crash.

Drowsy driving is a major problem in the United States. The risk, danger, and often tragic results of drowsy driving are alarming. Drowsy driving is the dangerous combination of driving and sleepiness or fatigue. This usually happens when a driver has not slept enough, but it can also happen due to untreated sleep disorders, medications, drinking alcohol, or shift work.

No one knows the exact moment when sleep comes over their body. Falling asleep at the wheel is clearly dangerous, but being sleepy affects your ability to drive safely even if you don’t fall asleep. Drowsiness—

Makes drivers less able to pay attention to the road.
Slows reaction time if you have to brake or steer suddenly.
Affects a driver’s ability to make good decisions.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, an estimated 1 in 25 adult drivers (aged 18 years or older) report having fallen asleep while driving in the previous 30 days.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving was responsible for 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013. However, these numbers are underestimated and up to 6,000 fatal crashes each year may be caused by drowsy drivers.