Originally Posted by
icyclist
>Edit: Now if he'd been drunk or done it on purpose then..string him up!<
Do people ordinarily fall asleep behind the wheel in mid-morning? No. There's more to this than a simple mistake. The officer took the wheel of his vehicle when he was too tired to drive. How is this different than someone deciding - while drunk - to take the wheel?
There is no difference.
If he had been drunk, then the officer would less able to make an intelligent decision than when sleep-deprived. Someone who's drunk obviously can't think clearly, yet we hold them responsible, not just for the damage they cause while drunk, but for becoming drunk in the first place.
Someone who becomes so sleep deprived as to be a danger to the public should be held to the same standard. There is no excuse for driving while in danger of falling asleep. It should not matter if the officer was tired because he was up late the night before on the job - we don't hear about this happening to other officers of the law who work long hours.
It should not matter if the officer was late at a bachelor party the night before, either, or if he had to stay up to take care of his sick child.
Apparently he didn't learn the lesson he was supposedly taught nine years ago, when he was arrested for street racing his car while under the influence of alcohol - we are all responsible for our own actions.
Too me, it seems too like a light penalty - certainly he should not continue to be employed in the county sheriff's office, in any capacity.
Blah, Blah Blah....the answer to your question is yes
Ordinary people fall asleep behind the wheel at ALL hours of the day.
Not sure why the fact that it was "mid-morning" was relevant?
People also look birds flying by and pretty murals painted on the sides of the wall, and rock out to their tunes and all kinds of things that distract them from driving. None of those things are against the law and drinking and driving is........
Unless more comes out this story then it is a non story and this cop is not being treated any differently than the guy in the cube next to me. Except the guy in the cube next to me would still have his exact same job today....