Sneezing fit causes driver to crash into Ore. home

[March 31, 2009]  SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Add sneezing while driving to the list of potential safety hazards.

Authorities said a sneezing fit caused 25-year-old Ramon Stephen Ayala to lose control of his vehicle Saturday and hit a home. Marion County Sheriff's Office Cmdr. Kevin Schultz said Ayala sneezed as he headed toward an intersection around 1 a.m.

When he stopped sneezing, he had run a stop sign and tried to hit the brakes. But it was too late. Ayala's 2001 Volkswagen Jetta crashed into a corner of a house.

Schultz said a shower wall and bathtub were damaged, but no injuries were reported and Ayala was not cited.

[Associated Press]

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