Soap Star Nathaniel Marston May Have Fallen Asleep at the Wheel in Horrific Car Crash

by Meredith B. Kile     12:15AM EST, November 4, 2015

Soap opera star Nathaniel Marston was critically injured in a car ccident on Oct. 30, and now new details have emerged about the horrific accident that could potentially leave the 40-year-old actor paralyzed.

"A preliminary investigation has lead police to believe that Marston was fatigued and fell asleep while driving," according to a statement sent to ET on Tuesday, emphasizing that local Nevada highway patrol and tribal say no drugs or alcohol were involved in the single-car accident.

"The vehicle drifted into the opposite lane and it is believed that when Marston awoke he over-corrected, causing his pickup truck to flip several times," the statement continues.

Marston, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, "was ejected from the vehicle through the windshield and upon landing crushed several vertebrae in his neck and back. Remarkably, he suffered no head trauma."

NEWS: Soap Star Nathaniel Marston in Critical Condition Following Car Crash, Could Be Paralyzed

Marston's mother, Elizabeth Jackson. has been keeping fans and loved ones updated on his status via Facebook, and posted Tuesday about her son's improved condition.

"Nate opened his eyes and is responsive again," she wrote. "Thank you for your prayers and and positive thoughts. They are working, please continue to pray for him. If he makes it through the next few weeks he will have a long period of hard work and therapy."

"Doctors initially believed that, should Marston survive, he would be paralyzed from the neck down and need a ventilator to breathe," the statement continues. "But, following surgery, the prognosis has brightened considerably...There will be more surgeries in the near future, but it is now believed that, with significant physical therapy, the actor should be able to regain function of his upper body, although it is too soon to tell when, or if, he will be able to walk again."