One killed in Duhok-Semel road crash after driver falls asleep at wheel

DUHOK, Iraq — One person was killed in a traffic accident on the main road between Duhok and Semel after a car driver fell asleep and struck him, security sources said. According to the sources, the victim had stopped a taxi on the roadside and was placing luggage in its rear trunk when an oncoming car hit him from behind. The man was caught between the two vehicles and died at the scene, the sources said. A preliminary examination by traffic police found that the car driver had lost control of the vehicle after falling asleep at the wheel, causing it to veer into the parked taxi and the pedestrian. Both vehicles sustained material damage in the crash, the sources added. Authorities said an investigation has been opened into the incident and that legal proceedings will be initiated against the driver responsible.