Driver escapes injury after falling asleep on Highway, hitting fence

Benjamin Neal Wallen was travelling north on the Kiewa Valley HIghway at Kiewa on March 29 when he fell asleep.

His Honda crossed onto the wrong side of the road, went into a culvert, and crashed into a wire fence as he awoke.

Wooden and concrete fence posts and wires were broken by the impact, with a man finding Wallen at the crash site a short time later.

He was uninjured, and later told police he had turned on his vehicle's air conditioner and opened a window in a bid stay awake before the crash.

"I just nodded off," Wallen told officers.

"I just woke up and was going through a fence.

"Must have been a microsleep."

Wallen, who was about half-an-hour from his home, later contacted the fence owner to apologise.

His vehicle was written off and was covered by insurance.

"I don't know whether you're very lucky or very unlucky," Wodonga magistrate Ian Watkins said.

Mr Watkins noted he had been unlucky to have crashed, but told Wallen he was "lucky you're walking around".

The driver agreed, and said he was glad nobody had been hurt.

The disability worker told the court he had been driving home from a friend's home and had crashed about 11.30pm.

Mr Watkins noted the accused man had an unblemished driving record before the incident.

"I don't think it's appropriate to make any order on your licence," he said.

The magistrate said there were no injuries involved, only bruised pride.

He did not impose a conviction and ordered Wallen be of good behaviour for 12 months and donate $250 to the court fund.

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