Car crashes after driver falls asleep
A Taumarunui couple and their puppy were lucky to escape serious injuries when the driver fell asleep at the wheel north of Napier on Saturday.
The BMW veered across the road, into a ditch and crashed into a bank at midday, when the 57-year-old male driver fell asleep at the wheel on the Napier-Taupo Rd near Eskdale, Senior Sergeant Dan Foley of Napier Police said.
"Fatigue was the suspected cause," he said.
"It was a pretty simple case of a man driving along and he fell asleep."
Police, fire crews and the St John Ambulance Service attended the crash scene.
Mr Foley said the man and his 22-year-old female passenger had minor injuries and were taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital.
Bay View Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer Ian Lilburn said the car had significant damage.
