Michigan officer nudges sleeping wrong-way driver on highway

WYOMING, Mich. (FOX 2) - An officer is being credited for using his patrol car to stop a sleepy driver who was going the wrong way on a highway in western Michigan.

The Wyoming, Michigan, police department says Officer Tony Jacob was driving on U.S. 131 about 2:45 a.m. Thursday when he saw headlights coming at him and the wrong-way vehicle went past. Jacob quickly turned around and dashcam video shows him catching up to the vehicle, which police say was going roughly 50-60 mph.

Jacob noticed the driver appeared to be sleeping at the wheel, so he nudged the other vehicle multiple times until it spun and stopped.

The driver reported he hadn't slept for 40 hours. Lt. Eric Wiler says without Jacob's quick actions the wrong-way vehicle "most certainly would have hit another vehicle head-on."

Police told FOX 17 alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in the crash. They're using this incident to warn people about drowsy driving and to not rely on caffeinated drinks to get you through if you're sleepy behind the wheel.

Nobody was injured and the driver was cited for reckless driving. 

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. 

FOX 2 reported on this story from Southfield, Mich.