The Macon Telegraph
MACON, Ga. — Nayef Mohammad Al-Shroof had his driver’s license for about three weeks before he struck a Macon-Bibb County firefighter last summer while driving on Interstate 75.
Then 18, Al-Shroof was headed north on I-75 on his way from his home in Warner Robins to Mercer University in Macon, where he attended school.
Up ahead, fire Sgt. Eric John was helping work a traffic crash near the Sardis Church Road exit. Emergency vehicles were parked on the left side of the interstate.
Data from his car’s computer — similar to an airplane’s black box — showed that Al-Shroof was driving nearly 76 mph until about three seconds before he struck John, said Laura Hogue, Al-Shroof’s lawyer.
Although Al-Shroof initially told authorities he “momentarily lost focus” and didn’t see the accident, Hogue said Al-Shroof later was diagnosed with a sleep disorder.
“It appears very clear that the answer to what happened here is that Nayef fell asleep,” she said during a hearing in Bibb County Superior Court on Monday.
Al-Shroof pleaded guilty to violating the state’s “move over law” Monday and was sentenced to a year on probation. That law requires drivers to move over one lane when possible if an emergency vehicle with flashing lights is parked on the shoulder of a highway.
In an indictment filed last year, he also was charged with serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving in the July 11 collision. Those charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
District Attorney David Cooke said prosecutors considered that Al-Shroof didn’t have a prior criminal record and wasn’t under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. There also was a “lack of malice,” and John consented to the plea agreement.
Timothy Rhyne, John’s brother-in-law, spoke during the hearing and described John’s injuries.
“His life changed that day,” Rhyne said. “Very likely, his career as a fireman is over.”
John, a firefighter of about 20 years, spent six months in the hospital. He is still in rehabilitation for a “severely broken” left leg and a shoulder injury that leaves him unable to lift one of his arms above elbow level. He may need a right knee replacement, Rhyne said.
He also sustained a brain injury.
“He will likely suffer short-term memory and reasoning issues the rest of his life,” Rhyne said.
Hogue said Al-Shroof awoke just seconds before striking John.
He veered toward the emergency lane and slammed on brakes, reducing his speed to about 29 mph by the time of impact, she said.
Still, the crash threw John into the southbound traffic lanes.
Authorities checked Al-Shroof’s cellphone and ruled out texting as a cause of the crash. There wasn’t any food as a distraction either, Hogue said.
Friends and family drove Al-Shroof to school while he was out on bond. He’d been prohibited from driving.
They discovered that Al-Shroof fell asleep during the short drive to Macon, Hogue said.
His parents took him to a sleep study, where his disorder was diagnosed. He’s now taking medication.
Al-Shroof spoke at the end of the hearing, saying he wished he could apologize to John but had been kept from doing so because of the pending court proceedings.
“He feels absolutely as awful as a person could feel about this,” Hogue said.
In addition to his probation, Al-Shroof must pay a $500 fine and complete a defensive driving course. As a condition of his probation, he can’t have any traffic violations.
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