May 2015 · Saskatchewan, Canada
Semi driver later diagnosed with sleep apnea on 'autopilot' kills three teens in work zone
- Safety
- Legal
A semi-trailer carrying insulation panels drove at about 84 km/h into a highway construction zone without slowing, killing three teenagers in a stopped vehicle and seriously injuring a flag person. The driver could not recall entering the zone or seeing any of the warning signs and described being on 'autopilot'; he was within hours-of-service limits and did not feel tired, but was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea after the crash. At sentencing the provincial superior court heard that he had likely fallen asleep or was on 'autopilot', and the case turned on whether he was reckless or 'just inattentive and sleep deprived'.
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