• 04
  • August
    2010

We are all aware of the dangers of driving while intoxicated, and we have been hearing more and more stories about accidents caused by distracted drivers using cell phones; however, we sometimes forget that driver fatigue is one of the most common causes of car accidents. Drivers that are tired may be less observant and slower to react to conditions on the road, and drivers that fall asleep may drift off the road or into oncoming traffic.

It appears that driver fatigue may have been the main factor in a recent one-car accident occurring on I-95 near Hanover, Virginia, that resulted in the death of two men and the serious injuries of a married couple. All four passengers of the car were Durham residents.

According to police reports, Teresa Bridges was driving the car northbound on I-95 when it began to run off the left side of the road. She allegedly overcorrected the vehicle and eventually struck a tree. She was last reported to be in stable condition at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Her husband, Spencer Bridges, was last reported to be in critical condition. The two occupants of the vehicle riding in the backseat, Joe Thomas and Garry Estes, suffered serious injuries and were airlifted to VCU medical center where they later died.

Teresa Bridges was charged with reckless driving and allegedly told police she was fatigued at the time the accident occurred. Studies have shown people often feel most fatigued in the early morning and then again in the mid afternoon. In this case, the accident was reported just before 7 a.m., which seems to fit the pattern of when many drivers may be dangerously fatigued while driving.

Related Resource:

Injured driver charged in twin-fatality wreck (The Herald-Sun)