Sonora, CA – A Groveland woman is lucky to be alive after falling asleep while driving an SUV and crashing into two trees on Tuolumne Road in the Sonora area of Tuolumne County early in the morning this week.
As earlier reported here, the incident occurred on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at about 6:20 a.m., east of Woodham Carne Road. The CHP reports that 66-year-old Carol Schutt was driving a 2021 Jeep Wrangler eastbound on Tuolumne Road. And when she drifted off, so did her Jeep, right off the roadway. CHP spokesperson Officer Steve Machado reports, “As a result, the Jeep crashed into a tree. After striking the tree, the Jeep continued traveling in a southeasterly direction until it crashed into a second tree, where it came to rest.”
Schutt sustained minor injuries and was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto for treatment. Alcohol or drugs are not suspected to be a factor in this collision. The CHP warns, “Driving while sleepy is dangerous. Fatigue slows reaction time and can cause ‘microsleeps.’ Microsleeps are very brief and uncontrollable episodes of sleep that can last for fractions of a second to a few seconds. During this time, you’re not in control of the vehicle. Fortunately, this driver only sustained minor injuries. If you’re drowsy, pull over and rest. It’s not worth the risk.”
