Van driver 'falls asleep'' at wheel causing shocking crash

This is the shocking moment a Ukrainian man ''fell asleep'' at the wheel and veered across the road before smashing into an oncoming truck.

Surveillance footage shows the crumpled heap of the front of the van and the startled driver, now exposed to the elements as his door has been ripped off.

The bald-headed delivery man was driving along a road in the village of Mylushi in the Lutsk district of Ukraine on August 28 at 10am.

Cameras show how the Renault crept across the central line straight into the path of an old blue truck, which was towing a trailer with a digger.

The blue truck carrying a driver an two passengers is seen trying to swerve out of the way at the last moment - but the two vehicles collide.

Footage shows how the white van spun out of control - with the front driver's side door being ripped off.

Both men escaped without serious injury from the crash. They are seen moving around in the cabin after the collision before the driver frees himself.

The passenger was later helped out with assistance from passers-by.

Local TV stations reported that witnesses at the scene who had spoken to the driver after the crash believed he had fallen asleep.

Zil Nicholas said: ''The driver was going from Lutsk to Kovel. I saw that the driver was moving strangely and crashed into the oncoming vehicle.

''We think that he had fallen asleep while he was driving.''

Paramedics from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine arrived shortly after the collision and took the driver and passenger to hospital.

A spokesman said: ''According to the preliminary information, there are no deaths. Passengers were hospitalised, all of them were conscious after the incident.''