Yellow Pages
ROCKPORT — A Skagit County Sheriff’s deputy bloodied his nose after he fell asleep at the wheel of his patrol vehicle and went off the roadway, hitting a tree early Monday morning, a sheriff’s official said.
The Ford sports utility vehicle rolled onto its side on Highway 530 near Illabot Creek, trapping the deputy inside, said Chief Criminal Deputy Sheriff Will Reichardt. The accident occurred at 3:05 a.m., Reichardt said.
Aside from the bloody nose and soreness, the deputy was unhurt, “except his pride,” Reichardt said. The vehicle was totaled, he said.
The cause of the accident is fatigue; the deputy was near the end of his workday, was tired and had driven a lot of miles during his shift, Reichardt said. He said the deputy has been with the department for four years.
The Sheriff’s Office, following its protocol, will conduct an accident review board to see if there is anything that can be done to prevent a similar accident from occurring in the future, Reichardt said.
