Early on the morning of Saturday, July 20, 2013, a Bradenton woman was involved and seriously injured in a Manatee County car crash. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the accident occurred in the 1100 block of State Road 70 W., at about 4:45 a.m.
According to reports, the female driver fell asleep at the wheel of her 2008 Honda Civic while traveling westbound on State Road 70. When she fell asleep, her vehicle went across the eastbound lanes and off the road, hitting a curb and a mailbox with the front of the vehicle. Her car continued on and crashed into a utility pole. Finally the vehicle came to a rest in the eastbound lanes after it rotated counter clockwise, facing north and completely blocking all eastbound lanes.
The driver was seriously injured and was taken to Blake Trauma Center. She has been identified as 22-year-old Ashley N. Stuart of Bradenton, and was reported to be in serious condition.
No other cars were involved in this crash, and Stuart was not traveling with anyone at the time of the wreck. Florida Highway Patrol did indicate that the Bradenton driver was not wearing her seat belt, but they do not think that alcohol was a factor in the crash. It is believed she fell asleep while driving, as no skid marks were found at the accident scene.
The Sarasota accident attorneys at Mallard Perez would like to wish Ashley Stuart a full and fast recovery. However, we would also like to bring attention to this serious safety issue of drowsy driving. Sadly, drowsy driving causes over 100,000 accidents per year that results in approximately 1,550 deaths and 40,000 injuries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
In order to combat drowsy driving and reduce car accidents in Florida and nationwide, we encourage drivers to stay off the roads when they are feeling sleepy.