Flipped semi truck sends driver to the hospital
Published 12:50 pm Friday, August 25, 2023
- ALL HANDS ON DECK: Georgia State Patrol, Thomas County Fire Rescue, Georgia Department of Transportation and the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office all responded to a flipped semi.
THOMASVILLE- A flipped semi truck sent a driver to the hospital on Thursday morning, after he fell asleep at the wheel.
According to Georgia State Patrol Trooper Steven Kornegay, the semi was traveling north on U.S. Hwy 19, when the driver fell asleep at the wheel and drifted off into a ditch.
“Once he realized he was in a ditch, he tried to correct it, but the weight of the trailer was already leaning and tipped the vehicle over,” Kornegay said.
The driver only suffered minor injuries to his arm and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Kornegay explained GSP often sees distracted commercial drivers, but it is unusual to see a driver fall asleep in the middle of the day.
The Motor Carrier Compliance Division was called to conduct a full investigation into the cause of the accident, ensuring there were no mechanical issues and also review the driver’s log book.
“I don’t imagine there were any issues or that he was over on his hours,” Kornegay said. “We don’t believe he was impaired or anything like that; just drowsy.”
According to federal studies on trucking accidents, driver fatigue accounts for 20-40 percent of commercial transportation accidents and a fatigued driver is four to six times more likely to be involved in a crash.
