Sleepy drivers trigger two Franklin County highway crashes within minutes

A pair of sleepy drivers triggered two rush hour crashes within 20 minutes on Franklin County highways Tuesday.

Richard A. Zeman, 51, from Valrico, Fla., was the first person to nod off at 3:34 p.m. when he was driving his Dodge Durango east on Interstate 182 near 20th Avenue in Pasco. The SUV veered into the oncoming lane and hit a semi pulling a trailer heading west, the Washington State Patrol said.

Zeman was treated at Kadlec Regional Medical Center. The semi’s driver, Jaspal Dhillon, 54, of Kent, was not hurt.

The Florida man was cited for second-degree negligent driving.

The crash caused slowdowns in the area.

The State Patrol said fatigue caused Sean E. Roby, 18, of Kahlotus, to veer off Highway 395 about a half mile south of Connell. His Cadillac Escalade rolled off of the road.

Roby was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center.

He was cited for second-degree negligent driving.

This story was originally published April 3, 2019 at 11:27 AM.