A Palm Springs man suspected of falling asleep at the wheel rolled his car on Amboy Road Monday afternoon. According to a press release from the California Highway Patrol, Claude Smithern, 89, was driving a 1987 Lincoln Continental southbound on Amboy Road, north of Bell King Road, when it’s believed he fell asleep. The car crossed into the northbound lane and onto the eastern shoulder of Amboy Road. The sand shoulder caused the car to overturn into the desert. Claude Smithern had minor injuries and complaints of pain, and was transported by helicopter to Desert Hospital in Palm Springs for treatment. CHP Officer Alex Scott advises motorists to pull off the road and stretch and walk around if they begin to feel tired, adding “Falling asleep behind the wheel ceases all ability to operate a motor vehicle safely.”
