Semi-Truck Driver Admits He Crashed and Spilled Hundreds of Chickens on Washington Highway Because He Fell Asleep
Just after one in the morning on Interstate 5 near DuPont, Washington, a semi-truck hauling live chickens drifted out of control. Soon after, it overturned. The driver later explained to state patrol he’d nodded off before the crash. When the rig went over, crates burst open and birds scattered across the roadway. Three lanes shut down while crews tried to corral the chaos and clear debris.
The Washington State Patrol logged the car accident near milepost 116, at Mounts Road. The department noted at least 200 chickens died in the crash. A company from Mount Vernon was dispatched to pick up the surviving birds and continue the job. Traffic backups stretched as far as Martin Way in Lacey while lanes were blocked until about 9:30 a.m., NBC’s affiliate in Seattle, King 5 News, shared.
This isn’t just an isolated incident of a semi-truck driver nodding off
Research shows fatigue and long driving hours remain stubborn risks in trucking. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), drivers behind the wheel for more than eight hours are twice as likely to crash.
In a 2008 survey of long-haul drivers, about one-fifth said they’d fallen asleep at the wheel in the prior month.
Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) records that drivers obtaining fewer than four hours of sleep in a 24-hour period were roughly 11.5 times more likely to crash than those who got seven or more hours.
Semi-truck driving rules may be on the books, but the pressure to drive long shifts means fatigue is still very real
In the DuPont case the truck driver reportedly fell asleep; whether schedule pressure, previous rest, or other fatigue factors played a role wasn’t detailed in the report. Semi-truck drivers often grapple with hitting delivery windows, mileage goals, and keeping earnings up.
Big rigs carry big loads
At highway speeds, when a semi-truck driver nods off for even a moment, the consequences can amplify quickly. In addition to mechanical failures or road conditions, driver alertness remains a critical safety link.
