OCOEE, Fla. – Northbound traffic on State Road 429 was brought to a crawl in Ocoee on Sunday due to a crash after a driver fell asleep at the wheel, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred around 2:09 p.m. and involved two vehicles, a Toyota 4Runner and an Infinity QX60, troopers said.
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According to a crash report, the driver of the 4Runner, a 58-year-old man from Mayo, was traveling northbound on State Road 429 approaching Plant Street Road in the outside lane.
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At the same time, the driver of the QX60, a 37-year-old man from Apopka, was traveling northbound on State Road 429 approaching Plant Street Road in the inside lane.
Troopers said the driver of the 4Runner fell asleep at the wheel and drifted off the roadway onto the outside shoulder and struck an impact attenuator.
According to the report, the collision caused the 4Runner to overturn onto its roof and enter the inside lane into the path of the QX60.
As a result, the front of the QX60 crashed into the right side of the 4Runner, Troopers said.
The driver of the 4Runner was was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. Troopers said the driver of the QX60 self-transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
The roadblock in the outside lane was cleared at 3:54 p.m., according to the FHP.
Troopers reminded motorists not drive when you are tired. It is risky to drive drowsy because fatigue can:
- Slow down your thought process and reaction time;
- Affect your judgment and vision;
- Impair your sense and abilities; and
- Cause micro-sleeping (“nodding off”) or falling completely asleep.
The crash remains under investigation.
An earlier report from FHP stated that a Kia Sportage was involved in the crash, but was was determined to not be involved.
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