Lorry driver crashes into motorway traffic after falling asleep



A video capturing the moment a lorry driver crashed into stationary motorway traffic after falling asleep at the wheel has been released by police.

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The Eddie Stobart driver was sentenced to 16 months in prison after causing the accident on the M6 motorway which left a woman with broken ribs and fractures to her vertebrae.

West Midlands Police released footage of the crash which happened on November 29.

Mariusz Wlazlo, 47, was driving a fully-laden HGV on March 16 when he crashed into the back of a Volkswagen Polo, which then hit a Toyota Verso.

The accident occurred in a 40 mph zone but Wlazlo was accelerating and travelling at 43 mph when he hit the stationary Polo.

Wlazlo told police: "I think I went to sleep for a moment. I can't explain as I don't remember. It was like a dream."

The video shows footage from the lorry dashcam and from a rearview camera in a nearby car.

PC Gareth Phillips, of the Central Motorway Police Group, said: "Wlazlo was clearly not paying attention and indeed was accelerating into stationary traffic at the time of impact.

"It shows just how important it is to keep fully focussed on the road and surrounding conditions, and to always abide by the speed limit as displayed on gantry signs."

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