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good friend, awesome machinist died in a car crash Sat night

Horrible for everyone.

I fell asleep at 6:00 am driving home non stop from Moab. 70-ish mph, crossed 2 lanes and woke up when we hit the rumble strips. Went into the median but managed to get back on the highway. Blew both left tires on the trailer and bent the frame. When I got home I had sod in the passenger side of the trailer frame. We were lucky. Rattled me enough that I came home and put my Jeep & trailer up for sale. My buddy copilot talked me out of it.

Point is, if it rattled me that much about what “could have” happened, I can’t imagine what that gal will go through. Very sad.
 
I rarely drive at night for any distance any more. Hell I fall asleep working at my desk after hours of just sitting.

Good luck to you and yours sir, that sounds rough all the way around for all involved.
 
My wake-up call was hearing the thwap thwap thwap of median posts just missing my mirror at 100+. I distinctly remember turning onto the divided highway. I woke up about 60 seconds later with my foot mashing the throttle to the floor and my drivers side in the median right next to the poles and cables.
Yanked the wheel and did a Smokey and the bandit jump over one shoulder and 2 lanes, landed at about 30 degrees off center in the other shoulder. Locked her down to a screeching halt, jumped out and face planted because my legs were moving at different speeds than my body.
Walked around the 68 Camaro a couple of times, felt awake and jumped back in. Made it another 5 miles and started nodding again.

Pulled into a ranch driveway that I kinda knew the owners of and took a nap.
Had been out dancing but not drinking. Damn car just wanted to kill me.
 
While attending UTI Phoenix I went home to surf and get out of that stupid “dry heat” and class ended at 2100 and would drive home 9 hours to get wet at sunrise, and leave Mon at 0500 to make it back for Mondays for class start at 1400.

I was on dirt on I10 too many times. My friend saved us both one night and that was my last driving tired and won’t drive past 2200, ever. Last time seeing my Mom before she passed a year ago I was bombing down I5 South and traffic sucked ass so bad a 7.5 hour drive took 12.

Up ahead was a bunch of cars pulled over and since I’m a shit magnet, I pulled over half asleep to find a sedan pinned up against the dividing wire on its side with at least 10 people standing around.

Well weirdly enough there were 4 persons in the car sitting on its passenger side, and they were all just looking at it on their phones. A HUGE gentleman was the only one to be at the car and I told him to “toss me up I’m going in.” The 4 of them were all able to crawl up and out with our help after cutting their seatbelts.

Was a good reminder for me and I went to the next exit and pounded some sodas.
 
:eek::frown::frown:

I fell alseep once and blew a t intersection and stop sign in rural NE coming back up to SD, down a a steep draw and up the hill side. Still scares the crap out of me. I just pull off and nap now. I still can't believe I didn't hit or get hit that time around.
 
4runner said:
let Emily drive as everyone else was tired from the days activities. At Alvord, TX(65 miles from home), Emily fell asleep
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The concern for driving was that everyone else was tired, and it turned out that Emily was tired as well. I can't help but look back and try to think if anything different could have been done. Maybe establish who is least tired or something. I hate to monday morning QB, but I always try to learn from it and can't help but wonder.

I hope you're doing alright and I wish the best for all the people hurt by this. I'm sorry for your loss as well as theirs. I pray for all of you.


TIPS for STAYING AWAKE:
1. Pull over and take a nap!
2. Chew gum. Move your mouth.
3. Drink water. Take a sip every 30 seconds.
4. In hot weather, put wet Tshirt on your head. Redouse with water as needed.
5. Play radio on music you do not listen to. Avoid familiar stuff and choose things that are weird and foreign.
 
Praying. I've had my fair share of the driving tired experiences, it's insane how you can have a near death experience, wake up, correct it, be wired awake, and do the same damn thing again 10 min later. I have grown more wise as I've aged, and I will pull over for a nap or even get a room if my old trick of getting a large fountain drink with ice to the brim doesn't work. The ice usually keeps me awake. Cold, something to chew on. If it does not, there's no event/deadline/whatever that's worth dying over or killing someone else. Emily at 27, was probably still not mature enough to realize that. I hope she can live with herself and become a testament to others through this.
 
2016 Hyundai VS 2020 Toyota...everyone lost.
Still waiting to get details for the funeral...
 

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2big bronco said:
Any news on the daughter and little girl?
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the daughter has a long road to recovery, broke both arm, both legs, last I have heard was in medically induced come wait for brain swelling to go down, something about inability to deal with this much pain. the grandson has shown great improvement and should go home next week. he was sitting behind driver and had least amount of injuries.
still havent heard when the funeral)s) will be, possible one for both at same time. I was told that the bodies havent been released.
 
So tragic

Praying for everyone involved .


I’ve called asleep while driving

Luckily we didn’t hit anything solid .
Ran off onto some small pine trees and totaled the car .
 
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