A New Jersey driver crashed head-on into a pole — after passing out from wearing an N95 mask for hours, police said Friday.
Lincoln Park police believe that the driver, who was not named, lost consciousness while behind the wheel Thursday from lack of oxygen and breathing in excessive carbon dioxide thanks to the mask, the department wrote on Facebook.
“The LPPD responded to a lone occupant single car motor vehicle crash yesterday. The crash is believed to have resulted from the driver wearing an N95 mask for several hours and subsequently passing out behind the wheel due to insufficient oxygen intake/excessive carbon dioxide intake,” the cops wrote.
“We also know that nothing was uncovered at the accident scene that would suggest that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“While we don’t know [the cause] with 100% certainty, we do know that the driver had been wearing an N95 mask inside the vehicle for several hours and ultimately passed out while operating the vehicle,” the department said.
Police told residents that while they should continue to follow Gov. Phil Murphy’s guidelines for wearing face coverings in public, wearing an N95 mask while driving with “no other occupants is unnecessary.”
Still, “We are not trying to cause public alarm or suggest wearing an N95 mask is unsafe,” the department added.
The driver was taken to a local hospital, where the person was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, cops said.