In a harrowing incident early Thursday morning, a woman from California narrowly escaped a life-threatening accident after dozing off behind the wheel of her Jeep Wrangler. The vehicle veered off the road and collided with two trees in quick succession.
The accident occurred around 6:20 a.m. on Tuolumne Road, just east of Woodham Carne Road, near Sonora, as reported by the California Highway Patrol. This area became the scene of a dramatic crash that could have had far graver consequences.
The driver, identified as 66-year-old Carol Schutt from Groveland, was traveling east in a bright yellow 2021 Jeep Wrangler when she succumbed to fatigue. This drowsiness led to her losing control of the SUV, causing it to veer off the road.
Once off the roadway, the Jeep first crashed into a tree, then continued on its path until it slammed into a second tree. The vehicle finally came to a stop, resting off the road.
Emergency teams were quick to respond, arriving at the scene by approximately 6:25 a.m. They discovered the Jeep positioned about 50 feet away from the road, a testament to the severity of the crash.
Emergency responders arrived around 6:25 a.m. and found the Jeep about 50 feet from the roadway.
An ambulance was called, and Schutt was transported to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto with minor injuries.
CHP confirmed that drugs and alcohol were not factors in the crash.
CHP spokesperson Officer Steve Machado issued a stark warning about drowsy driving, saying, “Driving while sleepy is dangerous.
Fatigue slows reaction time and can cause ‘microsleeps.’
Microsleeps are very brief and uncontrollable episodes of sleep that can last for fractions of a second to a few seconds.
During this time, you’re not in control of the vehicle.
Fortunately, this driver only sustained minor injuries.
