MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One look at the MATA bus and you know this was a pretty serious crash.
“I remember I dropped off my last passenger, and looked at my watch. It said 10 minutes to six, and next thing I know paramedics are pulling me off the bus.”
Bus driver Willie Townsend believes he fell asleep at the wheel.
His friends say it happens to him all the time.
“We sitting have a conversation and he get quiet, and before I know it he went to sleep.”
Townsend told WREG he has sleep apnea, and his nightly CPAP machine isn’t solving the problem.
“I sleep all night and get on the bus and I get real sleepy,” admitted Townsend.
He said it led to another crash just a few months back on the interstate and he’s scared another will come.
The problem?
Getting disability from sleep apnea is pretty tough to get.
MATA was unable to get us information on Townsend’s disability claims on Friday, but said, “all operators must have a valid license, and DOT Medical Examiner’s certificate, issued by a certified and licensed physician. All active bus operators are current with those requirements.”
Still with the cuts on his face and injured leg, Townsend said he needs a new position before someone else gets hurt.
“It could have been worse than what it was.”
