PLACER COUNTY, Calif. (KTXL) — The California Highway Patrol issued a clear message to drivers to stay off the road if they’re too tired to drive after a big rig toppled over in the Sierra. 

According to the CHP, just after 6 a.m., the truck driver was headed up the mountain when he fell asleep at the wheel.

A short time later, the trailer lost control and toppled over on Interstate 80 near Blue Canyon, leading to a partial closure of the roadway. 

“We urge drivers to please be well-rested before you come out on the freeway,” said CHP Sgt. David Lavezzoli. “If you are feeling tired, please pull off the freeway somewhere and get some rest.”

The driver was uninjured.

Sgt. Lavezzoli said given the steep terrain and heavily wooded area, the crash could have turned out a whole lot worse.

“It is very dangerous, especially up here because we have so many trees along the freeway where if you do run off the roadway, if you collide into a tree, most of the time it’s going to cause major injuries,” he explained.

And that is exactly what he and his patrol team hope to avoid this weekend as the snow comes in. 

“If you don’t need to come up during the snowstorm, don’t come up,” the sergeant said.

The two right lanes on eastbound I-80 were closed near Blue Canyon for much of the morning but have since reopened.