Temple Driver Hospitalized After Hitting Parked Police SUV Head-On
A driver in Temple is lucky to be in one piece after slamming head-on into a Temple Police Department cruiser Tuesday morning.
The crash happened in the 7200 block of Airport Road near Temple Fire Station 8. Alejandra Arreguin says officers responded to the scene of the collision around 8:25 AM.
According to Arreguin, Officer Hassan Enriquez was parked on the shoulder of Airport Road facing West when a 40-year-old man driving east crossed the westbound lanes and hit Hassan's police SUV head-on.
Investigators believe the driver fell asleep at the wheel. He was transported to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Officer Enriquez wasn't hospitalized, but was checked out for possible injuries.
The crash was still under investigation Tuesday afternoon, and police were asking anyone who witnessed it or has helpful information to call them at (254) 298-5500.
This story is pretty scary if you think about the fact that not only was the roadway probably full of people driving to work, but the area where the crash happened is in a school zone by Temple Charter Academy. This could have been much worse.
Police haven't said if the driver had a medical issue or was simply too tired to be behind the wheel.
That said, many of us have been in the position of having to drive to work after not having gotten much sleep. However, there's no excuse for falling asleep at the wheel.
If you're exhausted, try not to get behind the wheel. Call a rideshare service or a friend who can drive you.
If you absolutely have to be the driver, have some coffee, run in place or do some jumping jacks to get your blood pumping, and keep your windows down while you drive to keep fresh air circulating and hitting your face.
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