NHR Outs Video of Deadly Semi-Truck Crash to Stress Dangers of Drowsy Driving

Though widely covered in the press at the time, the NHR believes the video can serve to stress the dangers of drowsy driving, by showing exactly what happens when a driver falls asleep at the wheel.

The crash happened at mile marker 63, near Interstate 16, just after 6 o’clock in the morning. Several cars were stopped on the shoulder, as a flagger kept pulling them over because of ongoing construction work. The driver of the semi-truck fell asleep just as he was approaching the area and missed the flagger by pure chance.

Though the video shows the impact with just 3 cars (the one with the dash cam, a red pickup and a Toyota Corolla), Fox5Vegas reports that the semi-truck actually smashed through 4 vehicles in total. The Corolla, a Nissan, another semi-truck and a Chevrolet Malibu, plus the at-fault semi-truck, were damaged in the crash.

The passengers in the Toyota Corolla were inside the car at the moment of the impact, and were killed on the spot. The coroner's office said they died from blunt force trauma, when they were ejected from the car.

Trooper Jason Buratczuk, of Nevada Highway Patrol, tells the publication the driver of the semi-truck admitted to “drowsy driving.” He and several other people were taken to the hospital for their injuries, but are expected to be making a full recovery.

“Drowsy driving is just as bad as if you were intoxicated or texting and driving… it impairs your ability to drive a vehicle,” Buratczuk says, urging motorists to be more careful when approaching construction zones.

*Warning: please be advised that the video contains images that might cause upset.