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+--- Thread: [News] Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder (/Thread-News-Expectant-Father-Dies-in-Crash-Family-Blames-Sleep-Disorder)
Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - ApneaNews - 04-27-2013
![[Image: wsaz_BooneFatalVictim.jpeg]](http://media.graytvinc.com/images/300*168/wsaz_BooneFatalVictim.jpeg)
Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder
BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A deadly accident has ripped a young family apart. One month from now, a baby girl will be born and will never get to meet her father.
David Fraker, 27, died in a crash Tuesday night.
Fraker’s family says he had a severe case of sleep apnea and has had several accidents from falling asleep at the wheel.
“He had beautiful eyes, beautiful teeth, a beautiful smile and always the same,” Missy Toler, Fraker’s stepsister, said.
Fraker and his fiancé were expecting their first child.
“He was so excited about the baby. He wanted to name her Shaylyn,” Toler said.
But Shaylyn will never meet her dad. Fraker was driving along Route 119 when he got behind a tractor-trailer and rear-ended it.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Early indicators lead to that he was definitely taking prescription medication at the time of the crash,” Boone County Chief Deputy Chad Barker said.
In Fraker’s car, deputies found pills they say had been prescribed by a doctor. His family believes the medicine was for his sleep apnea.
“Often he would have to pull over on the side of the road and sleep,” Toler said. “He had just spoke to his fiancé prior to the accident and said he was very tired, very sleepy, and he wanted to go home.”
But Fraker never made it home, and in just one month -- that's where his daughter will be.
"We’ll definitely make sure she knows she had an awesome father, and he would have been there for her. I'm sure her life would have been full of joy,” Toler said.
Deputies are waiting for Fraker's autopsy results to know for sure if the sleep apnea or the medication caused the crash.
fair use from:
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/UPDATE-Expectant-Father-Dies-in-Crash-Family-Blames-Sleep-Disorder-204405161.html
RE: Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - Shastzi - 04-27-2013
This guy was driving a car....why? :/
RE: Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - jgjones1972 - 04-27-2013
It never specifies Obstructive Apnea - but assuming it was, I wonder what medication would have been prescribed and why.
I would love to echo Shastzi and ask why in the world he was behind the wheel; but, unfortunately I already know why...he was behind the wheel for the same reasons I was when I was in that condition.
That could have been me just a year ago...
Very sad story.
RE: Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - iSnooze - 04-27-2013
(04-27-2013, 11:08 AM)ApneaNews Wrote: In Fraker’s car, deputies found pills they say had been prescribed by a doctor. His family believes the medicine was for his sleep apnea.
What sort of medicine is prescribed for sleep apnea?
The article doesn't mention if he was on cpap therapy or not.
It is a sad story and one that can be avoided. Driver fatigue is the #2 reason for car crashes. #1 is distracted drive and #3 is drunk driving.
RE: Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - Sleepster - 04-27-2013
The medicine was probably just some kind of upper to combat excessive daytime sleepiness.
There's no pill that treats sleep apnea.
RE: Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - SuperSleeper - 04-27-2013
Drug could have been Modafinil.
RE: Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - Shastzi - 04-27-2013
I had a sobering experience a long time ago with sleep-driving and immediately pulled over and had my passenger, who was napping, take over as driver.
I was lucky that time but I will never be too proud to ask for a ride or just stay someplace for a nap.
RE: Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - bwexler - 04-28-2013
I worked with a fellow years ago, who told an interesting story.
He was working night shift in LA, CA. He lived in San Diego and commuted on weekends. Leaving work Friday night he woke up Saturday morning in Sequoia National Park, about a hundred miles in the wrong direction. He had no idea how he got there.
RE: Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - Shastzi - 04-29-2013
bwexler:
I say to that story: "Yow"
I was driving along I-10 at the time late at night. Just a bit drowsy but ok. I was in the right lane. Nothing unusual.
Then a car passed us at high speed continued a good bit down the road in front of us and proceeded to flip over with all the noise, sparks and violence of such a scene.
I started to apply the brakes and started to plan an escape path to avoid it.
My sleeping passenger woke up and asked what was wrong
but about that time the passing car had vanished into thin air...
So..either that section of road was haunted, or I was hallucinating.
Occams razor say go with number 2.
It changed my life though.
RE: Expectant Father Dies in Crash; Family Blames Sleep Disorder - questeor - 04-29-2013
That could have been me less than a year ago.
Had a few close calls before I was able to finally see a doctor and get diagnosed with Sleep Apnea.
I would nod off sitting at a red light.
Now that I have my CPAP I am wide awake and no more sleepy driving.
Probably saved my life or at least saved me from a accident waiting to happen.
