OXFORD – A Norwich man fell asleep at the wheel Saturday and drove off the road, sending both he and his wife to the hospital.

According to Sgt. Jerrod Hitt of the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence Wright, 60, of Norwich, was traveling northbound on State Hwy. 12 south of the Village of Oxford at approximately 2:20 p.m. when he reportedly fell asleep. The 2006 Chevy Trailblazer he was driving drifted across the road and struck the guide rail on the other side before leaving the roadway. It traveled approximately 150 to 200 feet, overturning before coming to a rest in a culvert.

Wright’s 61-year-old wife, Ruth, was trapped in the vehicle. She was extricated by the Oxford Fire Department and transported to Wilson Hospital by LifeNet helicopter. According to Hitt, she had lacerations to her arms and head, as well as a possible broken arm.