Drowsy Driving Fatality Report

The truck accident that critically wounded comedian Tracy Morgan and killed fellow comedian James “Jimmy Mack” McNair has little bright side except that it has put a much-needed spotlight on the dangers of driving while fatigued.

In the Morgan accident, a truck driver for Wal-Mart swerved and plowed into Morgan’s limo bus, allegedly in a belated reaction to slow traffic ahead. A criminal complaint filed against the driver alleges that his delayed reaction and the ensuing crash occurred because he had not slept for more than 24 hours. Operating a motor vehicle with so little sleep is a crime in New Jersey, where the accident took place.

Truckers and bus drivers aren’t the only workers at risk for driving while fatigued

At the end of a grueling 24-hour shift at a natural gas site in a remote part of Texas, Daniel Zambrano climbed behind the wheel of a van carrying six of his co-workers.

Before long, fatigue started to overtake Zambrano. The 26-year-old from Kilgore, TX, allegedly dozed off as he drove along Highway 72, and the full-size van slammed into the back of a school bus that had stopped to pick up a child.

The front of the van was crushed, and the vehicle toppled onto its passenger side. Zambrano and two others were killed. The van tore a hole into the rear right corner of the school bus, but no children were injured.