Nov. 19, 2006 is a day that will forever be etched in the mind of Shelia Faulkner, who lost her son, Wendall G. Williams, in a tragic accident.
At the time, Williams was only 28 years old when he was killed in a horrific car crash as a passenger on an early Sunday morning. According to police reports, the driver of a green 2001 Nissan Altima was sober but evidently had gone without sleep between 22 and 30 hours. The driver fell asleep at the wheel as the vehicle ran into a pole at a local railroad crossing. It has now been 18 years since the incident occurred, and the driver has yet to receive a single citation for the actions.
“Wendall was the sweetest, kindest person you’d ever want to meet. He had a big heart and would do anything for anybody. He was very humble,” Faulkner said.
Faulkner reached out to the Alabama State Legislature, who first proclaimed Nov. 19 as Drowsy Driver Awareness Day. This year will mark eight years since that proclamation was passed in 2016. A segment about drowsing driver has since been added to the State of Alabama’s Driver’s Manual: