Sidetracked

Early Saturday morning, shortly after sunrise, sunny, warm and dry road conditions.  No traffic (animal or otherwise), just the normal sounds and sights of a residential subdivision on the weekend. The car pictured above was parked, legally, curbside, on a hill, in front of the owners home.

The driver, an adult, female, two blocks from home, traveling in the same direction as the parked car.  After the crash, she was able to get out of her car (whew) however the car required tow truck assistance; (broken axle).

Was she intoxicated, intexticated or:

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• struggling with a mechanical failure,
• putting on makeup,
• reaching in her purse or on the floor or back seat,
• speeding,
• eating breakfast,
• sipping on a drink,
• talking on the phone,
• having a medical emergency,
• writing herself a note,
• combing her hair,
• changing her clothes,
• reading the paper,

SLEEP?

Being sidetracked or distracted happens every time we drive and this is just a short list of possibilities noted from folks who I showed the picture to.  What’s your guess?  It's April, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Before we get behind the wheel let’s make a mental note to limit the number of distractions (things) we will allow while we drive, including our physical ability to make the journey.  The driver told the owner that she fell asleep. The good news is that she was able to wake up and walk away.