Arrested For Looking Like a DUI-- Micro Sleep While Driving

by Donald Eaton
(Glen Gardner, NJ USA)

It is a great sort of relief to tell my story to someone who understands and listens too. My story started back 4 years ago. While the Economy took a nose dive in building construction. I had my own business as a master plumber and was not totally prepared for what was to come. After going belly up, I had no assistance from my family, both financially and mentally. I went down hill so fast. First things was gastro- Intestinal,Like Gerd, gastritis,irratable Bowel syndrome IBS. The gerd fely like a heart attack.

This with previous 5 months of having RLS tried with Mirapex. My sleep debt was growing at a alarming rate. Ambien didnt help along with triasodone, and Rosereum. Had all scopes done from throat and rectom. My mental health started to deteriorate. In April 23,08 I saw my GP. He said that he was making a refferal for my sleep problem.

3 days later I had a massive Gerd attack. Burning like heart attack and black stool I got scared. It was 10 O'clock at night.I drove myself to our local hospital, being admitted to the ER. EVERYONE BE CAREFUL HERE! They gave me a GI cocktail. That has a Barbituate called DONNATOL. They without seeing doctor was going to send me home knowing that I drove there. I saw a behavioral health case worker and I said to him I don't want to go home. I can't sleep.

They knew I had a problem with sleep, and worse off they put a barbituate in me. They tried to shut me up put in a hospital sealed bag! ambien & 4 octsecotton, with note not to take until home. Really no kidding. Of course you don't I'm driving. With gerd starting to burn again they said they had no food to calm the pain down. So at 5.18 AM they discharged me. I drove 18 miles north,nobody open to get some thing to eat. Then proceeded 15 w thing yet to eat. and on to a State highway.

While on this I WAS IN THE TROUGH AS MANY OF YOU KNOW. I WASN'T AWARE OF IT. I remember starting to feel fatigued so I turned around to go home. WHEN YOURE ILL ONE GENERALLY DOESN'T TRY TO MAKING SOMETHING TO EAT. This is where the not knowing MICRO-SLEEP STARTED. I HEARD THE RUMBLE STRIP and my eyes started seeing the lanes bending like.

The next thing I know there's a NJ State Trooper behind me with his lights on. I pulled over using my directional in which I saw in the trooper audio-video. Well i AM PERMANETLY DISABLED SO I USE A CANE. I at that time had a Corvette. This is a low car. it would take anybody a little to get out of the car.

I said to the Trooper THANK YOU AND SAID TO HIM SOMETHING IS HAPPENING TO ME AND I JUST GOT OUT OF A HOSPITAL. So at this point I can't walk right. #2 I can't talk right, Cognitively impaired, #3 I had my presriber medicine with Dr. names phone #,& reason for taking those medicines.

This is where ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. HE SAID I'M UNDER ARREST, CUFFED ME BEHIND MY BACK. REAL GREAT ITS AGAINST ADA LAW TO DO THAT. HE THEN COULD NOT get in my car. He said where is the keys. I said it doesn't have a key, only a FOB. THE TROOPER didn't know about that or having a start button for ingnition. This is where he said he'll drag my vette and have it towed. I got angry. He shoved me in the back seat and my Disabled foot was not in the car but by the hinge as cruched my foot I yelled youre hurting me. I kicked the door open with my right foot. He got another trooper. so both crushed my foot in the door.

THIS COPS ARE NOT TRAINED FOR AT HEARING SOME SAY I-M FEEL FATIGUED. NJ HAS A LAW CALLED MAGGIES LAW WHICH WOULD SOMEONE DRIVING A KNOWING THEIR FATIGUED IS A OFFENSE. NOTE YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOU ARE. OFF TO THE BARRACKS I went. I know @ 6;46 am started to have micro sleeps and fell asleep. They dragged me by my cuffed hands inside. There they gaved me the breatholizer test 2 times I said there will be no reading I just came out of the hospital.

The arresting trooper knew I WAS DISABLED, KNEW I USED A CANE TO ASSIST BALANCE WITH WALKING. HE NEVER TOOK IT OUT OF MY CAR IN WHICH HE KNEW IT WAS IN. I HAD A HANDICAP SIGN DISPLAYED IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR.

SO he didn't do the turn, one leg test. They cuffed me to a bench in a closet with no door knob. So much for ADA LAW SAYING THAT A DISABLED PERSON HAVE READILY ACCESS. NOT HAPPENING.

NOW THEY BROUGHT IN A DRUG SPECIALIST TROOPER. HE IS NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED AND IS CERTIFIED BY THE STATES CHIEF OF POLICE. WHAT A FARCE. So this JERK makes me do the eye tracking which is known with sleep deprivation that the cognitive muscles and brain waves are not working right. He also made me look BAD BY FORCING TO DO THE WALK, ONE FOOT STAND ETC. EVERY THING THE ARRESTING TROOPER DIDN'T MAKE ME DO.

So I was arrested for under the influnce of perscribed medicine. It has been 3 years since that night. I had the 1 sleep study with my 4/23/08 referral. the resulted were that i didn't have onset sleep. I had 271 leg movements from the RLS, my breathing showed sleep apnea, and the never enter the delta or rem sleep. no sleep brain waves. I have been in court for 3 years. The first lawyer went to prove the medicines are not narcotic or Opiates. I still lost. He would not enter MY PHYSICAL SLEEP PROBLEM AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES. I HAVE HAD 5 SLEEP STUDIES Watch out for Lipator. IT WORKS ON YOUR MUSCELS.IT GIVES YOU RLS OR PLS. I TRYING TO GET ALL MY MEDICALY RECORDS SUBMITTED TO THE APPEAL COURT. IT WILL BE APRIL 27. 3 YEARS TO THE DATE. I USE A CPAP. BEFOR IT MY OXOGEN LEVELS WHERE AROUND 50%. I needed alot of prayer to get through this. I am TIRED OF THEM NOT ADDRESSING THIS WITH PEOPLE. BUT ITS OK FOR THEM TO HAVE SLEEP DEPRIVATION RECOGNIZED AS A DISORDER. SOME ONE GET THIS OUT IN THE OPEN. There is no warning in the states driving manual either. Well enough of this. PLEASE BARE WITH MY LONG WINDED ADVENTURE. THANK YOU. AT LEAST I WAS ABLE TO TELL SOMEONE.