Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki Parts & Logistics Manager Kelly Collopy escaped serious injury when he fell asleep at the wheel of the team’s crew van and crashed on I-65, about 20 miles north of Bowling Green, Kentucky late Sunday night, (actually about 2:30 a.m. Monday).

The van left the freeway and crossed a drainage ditch, then went down a hill and into a wooded ravine.

Collopy was returning from the AMA National at Mid-Ohio to his home near the team’s shop in Alabama and elected to drive straight through instead of stopping at a motel with the rest of the team. Collopy suffered a scratched cornea and severe facial bruising, possibly from the van’s air bag. He was treated and released from a hospital Monday morning.

Todd Fenton, Tom Kipp’s mechanic, was also in the van; he escaped injury.

The van was destroyed.