Police: Driver Says He Fell Asleep Before Striking a Tree

An Oak Ridge Road man reportedly told police he fell asleep while driving on Hammertown Road at around 3 a.m. Nov. 17, before his 2001 Volkswagen knocked over a mailbox and struck a tree head-on in the 100-block of the street.

Police said an off-duty officer called in the accident and that the owner of the mailbox reported hearing a noise outside at 3 a.m. Officers responding to the call found an unoccupied Volkswagen with a cold engine, according to the report.

A check on the vehicle's registration determined that the owner was Jonathan Rodrigues, 24. Rodrigues told officers he had fallen asleep at the wheel and struck the tree, but left the scene because he was unsure what to do, police said.

Rodrigues was charged with driving with no insurance, traveling too fast for conditions, evading responsibility and failure to drive in the proper lane. He was released on $250 bond for a Nov. 26 court date.