A Ford Explorer careened onto the shoulder of Miller Road and collided with a tree Wednesday morning, after the driver, a 41-year-old Bainbridge woman, apparently fell asleep at the wheel.

Both the woman and her 9-year-old son suffered minor injuries in the accident and were transported to Harrison Hospital for observation according to Bainbridge Fire Captain Greg Borgen.

An employee of Bainbridge Gardens said the collision happened at about 10:20 a.m. He said he was working in the business’s yard off Miller Road when he heard what sounded like the squealing of brakes or tires.

He looked up to see the vehicle flip onto its side off the southbound lane, slide across the Bainbridge Gardens driveway and slam into a tree.

The collision shattered the vehicle’s windshield and caved in its hood.

According to the employee, a number of bystanders helped pull the woman from the vehicle and she was tended to by a doctor who happened to be shopping at Bainbridge Gardens.

The woman and her son were treated by aid at the scene before being transported to Harrison Hospital.

Traffic on Miller Road was diverted for several hours following the accident.