Asleep, Driver Crashes in Midland Park, Then in Ridgewood

A driver who said he was asleep at the wheel crashed his car into a median on South Broad Street in Ridgewood moments after a witness said he took out a street sign and nearly hit a bus at the Midland Park border.

Witness Eugene Thomas said he was riding the 164 NJ Transit bus at around 6:30 p.m. Sunday when he observed the a gray Lexus shoot up the sidewalk near Cottage Street in Midland Park, taking out a street sign. The vehicle, Thomas said, went up on the lawn before the driver put it in reverse and nearly hit the bus, which was discharging passengers.

The driver, identified as a 57-year-old Ridgewood resident, continued up Godwin Avenue, drove under the train trestle, made a right turn onto S. Broad St. and then struck the median right in front of the four-way intersection at East Ridgewood Avenue.

The male driver told police due to a medical issue he fell asleep, which led to the accidents, Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward told Patch. He was issued a citation for careless driving. Police said they found no evidence of inebriation.

He was taken by Ridgewood EMS to Valley Hospital and treated for hyperventilation, police said. He did not appear to suffer other injuries in the accidents.

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