Early Sunday morning, a motorist driving north on Dixie Highway fell asleep behind the wheel and plowed into a TARC bus stop, killing 47-year-old Shively resident Samuel Hazley III who was waiting for the bus. Dwight Mitchell, LMPD Public Information Officer, told the Courier-Journal, “He [the driver] told us he fell asleep and drifted over to the sidewalk… It was just an unfortunate thing.”
According to the C-J, no charges were filed against the driver. You would think sleeping behind the wheel on a major arterial would at least constitute wanton endangerment or reckless driving…
Founder and Editor at Broken Sidewalk
Branden founded Broken Sidewalk in 2008 while practicing architecture in Louisville. He continued the site for seven years while living in New York City, returning to Louisville in 2016. Branden is a graduate of the College of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, and has covered architecture, design, and urbanism for The Architect's Newspaper, Designers & Books, Inhabitat, and the American Institute of Architects.
Latest posts by Branden Klayko (see all)
“…just an unfortunate thing.” what the fuck?! granted we can find studies to support nearly any idea, but that said, there have been many that found driving while tired, or sleeping in this matter, is many times more hazardous than driving while intoxicated. unfortunately there’s not a MASS (Mom’s Against Sleepy Swerving) or some such shit to lobby against driving under the influence of not enough damn sleep. this is sickening.
@jimmy – Agreed. If as a pedestrian and cyclist I could contrive a way to kill a driver, I’m betting I go to jail.
Thank your legislator – since under the current law, officers cannot arrest for misdemeanors unless they witness them, and due to a recent change in the law, in many of those cases, they STILL can’t arrest. They could investigate and with the help of a victim (or in this case, the victim’s representative) swear out a warrant, but they are strongly discouraged from doing so. This was not an accident, but negligence, and negligence is actionable.
That would be “wanton” endangerment, not “wonton” endangerment.
Thanks, Ben. Fixed.
Just an unfortunate thing… hmmm. Does anybody know if he took Ambien the night before? or Benadryl? and at what time?
@jimmy –
seriously? we have enough lobbying going on we don’t need any more.
geez people, accidents do happen. You all want to put anyone in jail for anything.
and btw before you all start going on about what if it happened to your family!! My brother was killed when he was 2 years old by a lady who accidently hit him with her car. It was an accident. This did happen years ago though back before everyone wanted to throw everyone in jail for anything.