I talked to Ashley earlier today and she gave me details about the accident--what happened before, during and after. I thought it was intersting before.
Six people went out last night for one of the girls' birthday. The driver who fell asleep at the wheel chose to be the designated driver so that the others could drink. However, the driver of the vehicle didn't even have his license, yet he chose to be the DD!
A little while before they headed home, they stopped at Denny's. While there, the driver was falling asleep. Someone else offered to drive, but the driver said he'd be fine.
When they left Denny's and got on the highway, the driver decided to use cruise control, knowing that he was tired to begin with. After the accident, he said, "I just closed my eyes for 10 seconds." Ten seconds? You shouldn't be closing your eyes at all! You're driving!
So not only did he know he was tired, but he engaged the cruise control and closed his eyes. Hello, cruise control is not auto pilot! You still need to be alert and aware of things, like bends in the road, other cars and where the road is to begin with. In order to turn, you need to have your eyes open and your hands on the wheel. But hey, how are you supposed to know how to drive when you don't even have your driver's license. I guess that's what the police thought.
Apparently, the police "gave him a break." Are you kidding me? Why does this kid, who made multiple bad judgments in a row (not just on this day, but in his life!), get a break?
Apparently people have to get seriously injured or die in order for those responsible to be held accountable for their actions.
Showing posts with label sleeping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleeping. Show all posts
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Stupid Drivers: Stop Risking the lives of my Family & Friends
"Can I just say that it is 6:30 am.We just got home and I was in a vehicle when it rolled over on route 80 tonight. I woke up hysterically crying and I was sitting on the roof of [his]* blazer and the head rest was in my lap. He fell asleep. I have never been so scared in my life. Like I seriously don't want to get in a car again."
I woke up to my phone vibrating and beeping at 6:27 this morning. I had a text message from my friend Ashley, telling me that she was in a car accident. I was concerned, but I knew she was okay because she told me she was home. Still, I asked her if she was all right and she said that she was just shaken up and "a mess." At this point, I was frustrated and angry.
For those of you who have fallen asleep at the wheel: why didn't you just pull over or, if you were with someone else, have them drive? It is completely unfair for you to drive when you know you're tired because, in case you didn't know, you're risking the lives of everyone around you, which could be my family and friends. If they're not mine, they are someone's. In this case, Ashley is my friend. And you didn't even have to think to know that she was in harm's way because she was riding in your back seat! But obviously, you weren't thinking at all.
As far as I'm concerned, when someone falls asleep at the wheel, it's no accident. You know when you're tired (unless you have a major sleeping disorder) and at the point, you should pull over and ask soemone else to drive, or sit where you are for a while and rest. I don't care what time it is and what time you have to be wherever you're going. If you are tired and you don't pull over, you may never make it there at all.
If I would have gotten a phone call this morning, telling me that my friend was killed... I'm not sure what I would have done. I know that I would be completely shocked and heartbroken, but I would still be angry. Why should my friend's life be put on the line because you don't have any common sense? And this isn't the first time that this driver has used bad judgement. He races people in his car on public roads and he's driven drunk, probably among other things. And everytime, he's risking his own life as well as the lives of others.
So here's a tip: If you want to be stupid and risk your life, go sky diving or bungee jumping. Go race on closed roads. But do not get behind the wheel when you know you're tired and risk the lives of my friends and family.
*name concealed to protect the stupid.
I woke up to my phone vibrating and beeping at 6:27 this morning. I had a text message from my friend Ashley, telling me that she was in a car accident. I was concerned, but I knew she was okay because she told me she was home. Still, I asked her if she was all right and she said that she was just shaken up and "a mess." At this point, I was frustrated and angry.
For those of you who have fallen asleep at the wheel: why didn't you just pull over or, if you were with someone else, have them drive? It is completely unfair for you to drive when you know you're tired because, in case you didn't know, you're risking the lives of everyone around you, which could be my family and friends. If they're not mine, they are someone's. In this case, Ashley is my friend. And you didn't even have to think to know that she was in harm's way because she was riding in your back seat! But obviously, you weren't thinking at all.
As far as I'm concerned, when someone falls asleep at the wheel, it's no accident. You know when you're tired (unless you have a major sleeping disorder) and at the point, you should pull over and ask soemone else to drive, or sit where you are for a while and rest. I don't care what time it is and what time you have to be wherever you're going. If you are tired and you don't pull over, you may never make it there at all.
If I would have gotten a phone call this morning, telling me that my friend was killed... I'm not sure what I would have done. I know that I would be completely shocked and heartbroken, but I would still be angry. Why should my friend's life be put on the line because you don't have any common sense? And this isn't the first time that this driver has used bad judgement. He races people in his car on public roads and he's driven drunk, probably among other things. And everytime, he's risking his own life as well as the lives of others.
So here's a tip: If you want to be stupid and risk your life, go sky diving or bungee jumping. Go race on closed roads. But do not get behind the wheel when you know you're tired and risk the lives of my friends and family.
*name concealed to protect the stupid.
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