Worker Injured In Accident (deputies are still investigating a mid-morning accident that injured a worker standing on the side of the road - the accident happened around 9:00 a.m. along Highway 43 - county dispatcher says an 18-wheeler was in the middle of unloading when a passer-by in an SUV hit one of the workers)
Highway worker struck by truck, thrown 21 feet (a town highway worker was knocked 21 feet into the air when he was struck by a runaway recycling truck - he was cleaning leaves out of a drainage ditch when the accident occurred about 10:50 a.m. - a garbage truck and recycling truck were working in tandem - they had both stopped to pick up bags - the recycling truck apparently slipped out of gear and started rolling backward - he was operating a leaf-collecting vacuum from a parked street sweeper nearby at the side of the road, had his back to the trucks and couldn't hear them)
Men injured on Swampscott Road job site (a man working injured a leg after an accident involving a piece of equipment, possibly a front-end loader - no other details yet)
Highway worker injured when hit by vehicle (a highway worker, 26, for a private company was struck by a vehicle when she was placing construction barriers - she had entered the highway and placed a barrel in the travel lane - on her way back to the roadway, she entered the path of a passing vehicle and was struck)
5 hurt when van hits IDOT truck on Bishop Ford (five people, including three Illinois Department of Transportation workers, were injured when a contractor's van rear-ended an IDOT truck - about 9 a.m., the highway workers were riding in the truck retrieving orange safety cones that had been set out earlier for a bridge project that had been canceled because of snow squalls in the area)
Worker killed in road construction accident (a Department of Transportation employee was killed when he stepped in front of a moving 25-ton roller - worker, 49, was working at a road construction site when the accident occurred - witnesses said he stepped in the machine's path as it was backing up - the machine, known as a pneumatic roller, compacts pavement)
Worker injured on construction site(a worker in the process of paving a parking lot was seriously injured when he was run over by a dump truck)
DOT worker hit by driver reportedly drag racing (a Department of Transportation worker suffered minor injuries this morning when a motorist lost control, allegedly while drag racing through a Ga. 400 work zone with another vehicle, and struck the pickup truck in which the worker was sitting - the worker was injured when one of the racing vehicles clipped a tractor-trailer, careened onto the shoulder and pushed the worker's pickup truck into traffic — where it was struck by another vehicle that was not involved in the race)
Caltran Worker Injured In Hit-And-Run (a worker was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident - a trailer on the back of a landscaping truck broke loose - worker was sent to the hospital with major injuries, including a broken leg)
Worker injured in Dan Ryan hit-and-run (a construction worker was slightly injured on the Dan Ryan Expressway when struck by a vehicle, which then fled the scene - employee suffered minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene)
TXDOT Worker Dead After Vehicle Avoiding Accident Strikes Him (a 32-year-old man died in an auto-pedestrian accident - a vehicle traveling northbound swerved from the right land to the left lane - in an effort to avoid a crash with this vehicle, several other vehicles swerved to the median)
I-4 Construction Worker Hit by Car (a construction worker was injured when a car crashed through cones and hit her - the ramp is closed, and there were orange construction cones blocking the ramp, but a vehicle crashed through the cones and hit her - she suffered a compound fracture)
UPDATE Kentucky Construction Worker Dies After Accident Man Suffers Injuries Monday A Kentucky road worker has died from injuries he suffered while working on a street in Villa Hills, Ky., a suburb of Cincinnati. Frank Chandler, 58, of Independence, Ky., was standing between two trucks on state Route 8 Tuesday morning when one of them was hit by an oncoming car. Chandler got trapped in the middle. The driver of the car has not been charged.
Update Dump truck driver won't be charged in death of worker Associated Press GAFFNEY, S.C. - A dump truck driver who struck and killed a worker at a road construction site will not be charged, the Highway Patrol says. Buford Phillips, 57, was backing up a state-owned dump truck hauling 8 tons of asphalt Monday morning when he hit 46-year-old David Allen Stapleton, a flag man for the state Transportation Department. Phillips said the alarm that was supposed to sound when he backed the truck up was not working when he struck Stapleton. The alarm was working when his shift began, Phillips said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident, spokesman Jim Knight said. The agency requires certain vehicles at construction sites to have an alarm that sounds when the truck is in reverse, Knight said. Those alarms must be tested regularly, he said. Information from: Herald-Journal
SCDOT Worker Killed Near Blacksburg; Fellow Worker Runs Over Victim With Dump Truck POSTED: 2:04 p.m. EDT August 11, 2003 BLACKSBURG, S.C. - A South Carolina Department of Transportation worker is dead after an accident near Blacksburg. It happened around 8:45 this morning on Bluebird Lane. Troopers told WYFF News 4 that Buford W. Phillips of Gaffney was backing up a dump truck loaded with eight tons of asphalt when he ran over another DOT worker. The worker was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not yet been identified. No charges have been filed. Stay tuned to WYFF News 4 and TheCarolinaChannel.com for the latest information.
UPDATE Family of Highway Flagman Crushed to Death to Receive $3 Million in Settlement of Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against JDM Materials, Inc. 8/11/03 2:24:00 PM PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- As a highway safety flagman on the Route 202 reconstruction project, Robert Boyle, 60 of Philadelphia, knew how important it was to be visible to anybody behind the wheel, whether the vehicle was a passenger car or a six-ton concrete truck. But on July 23, 2001, being clearly visible in the rear-view mirror of the driver of a JDM Materials, Inc. concrete truck he was directing wasn't good enough. Tragically and inexplicably, Anthony Matthews, the driver, backed his more than 35-ton truck right over Boyle. The firm of Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, represented Robert's widow, in a lawsuit against JDM Materials. Shortly before the case was scheduled for trial in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, the case was settled with JDM agreeing to pay compensatory and punitive damages in the amount of $3 million. But for Joan Boyle the personal suffering, and her concern for the safety of other construction workers, is far from over. "Bob was so careful on the job and so concerned for the safety of his co-workers that Joan and others who loved him can only hope and pray that work zones become safer places because of her husband's sacrifice," said Robert J. Mongeluzzi. "There was absolutely no reason for the driver of that truck to continue backing up at a high rate of speed once he saw Robert in his mirror. His haste and negligence cost Robert Boyle his life," added Mongeluzzi's co-counsel John T. Dooley. Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, PC is dedicated to the representation of people who have been seriously or fatally injured. With offices in Philadelphia and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the firm specializes in highly complex cases including those involving catastrophic construction site and other workplace accidents, product and premises liability, and medical malpractice. Mongeluzzi is also President of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association.
Safety worker hit by car, dies in construction zone By Pedro Ruz Gutierrez Sentinel Staff Writer August 2, 2003 Grady Thomas Hill, 38, lived and breathed safety. As a highway traffic-maintenance supervisor, Hill knew the hazards of roadway construction sites. On his last night of installing tape stripes on the express E-Pass lanes on the Central Florida GreeneWay, Hill was killed when a motorist slammed into a construction areaearly Friday morning.Two other workers -- Paul Kimbro, 44, of Oviedo and Charles Starett, 43, of Geneva -- suffered serious injuries. "He supervised safety and lane markings for traffic shifts and was responsible for seeing that all the safety precautions were taken," said Dave Freytag, a friend of the Hill family and fellowworshipper at First Baptist Church of Tuscawillain Seminole County. "It's kind of ironic." Hill worked for Martin K. Eby Construction of Maitland,which is remodeling the University Boulevard interchange. Kimbro and Starett worked for subcontractor Sun Ray Paving and Construction. A few hours before the 1:55 a.m. accident, Hill had helped set up the bright-orange cones and the lighted arrow signaling the closed left southbound lane. The Florida Highway Patrol arrested Corey C. Price, 34, of Wellington on charges of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. State records show Price is a convicted DUI offender with arrests in Volusia County for driving a car under the influence in 1994 and operating a boat while drunk in 1995. FHP troopers described him as "intoxicated" but aware that someone had been killed. "He was a little unsteady on his feet," said FHP Sgt. Ron Behnke, a traffic-homicide investigator. "And he knew he had killed somebody. He kept making remarks that there was a body lying over there, so he's aware of what happened." FHP Trooper Kim Miller, an agency spokeswoman, said Price's 2000 Nissan Maxima was estimated to be traveling between 60 and 80 mph when he hit the workers as he entered the E-Pass lane. Miller said witnesses reported seeing Price's car swerve from side to side andknock down the orange cones. Authorities said the area is under constant construction and that shifting lanes may add to the confusion. Some motorists have complained, said Bryan Douglas, communications and marketing manager fortheOrlando-Orange County Expressway Authority. The dangers of working in such high-traffic areas are obvious, Douglas said, and that is why most of the work is done at night or when it is not raining. "Whether you do it at night or at the peak of traffic hours during the day, it's just a dangerous place to be doing construction work," Douglas said. Construction crews sometimes employ off-duty FHP troopers to alert drivers of their work, but it's not a requirement. There were no troopers on duty Friday. A Martin K. Eby officialwould not discuss the use of troopers. "The issue here is speeding at night so, people, please slow down in construction zones," said Tom Haisch, a Martin K. Eby operations manager. "It's not a happy place here." Hillis survived by his wife, Audrey; twin daughters Traci and Marilyn, 11; son Timothy, 9; and daughter Cathy Jo, 8. He was active in his church, where he served as chairman of the deacons. He also was involved in ministries to help the needy and young people. In a statement, the family urged the public to be cautious when driving through construction zones, not to drink and drive, and to oppose efforts to extend alcohol sales to 4 a.m. The statement noted that a husband, father, son and brother has been lost. "Why? Because a drunk driver speeding through a construction zone took his life," the statement said.
Rockford Woman Killed in Construction Zone Accident by Sean Lewis A Rockford woman was killed early this morning when she was struck by a drunk driver while working in a construction zone near Schaumburg. And news of the death is hitting friends and family hard here at home. 51 year old Deborah Wead was holding the "slow down" sign in a work zone at about 1:00 this morning when she was killed. Police say a 28-year-old Lemont man was driving drunk when he hit Wead, lost control of his car and crashed into a concrete barrier. News of Deborah's death is hitting friends and family hard here in Rockford. Sometimes the hardest lessons in life are learned when another life is cut short."I learned how to be a good person, how to be true, how to be real and how to live," says Rachel Otto who knew Debbie Wead very well. They were roommates for 2 years, and had known each other for 4. To Rachel, Debbie was like a second mom. "I've never met somebody who'd just give up anything to give to somebody else to help them out. She did everything she could for me," says Rachel. And for her family, she was a mom, and a grandmother. Rachel says she was a friend who taught life lessons well, and who'd also talked about the danger of getting hit by a car while working on a road crew job, one she'd only started in October of last year. "So many times when you talked about Debbie--we called her Weadie--talked about how this could happen to her and it was never real. It was never real to me until now," says Rachel. She says this accident was the waste of a good life, one she already misses. "I walk around my house, and this is like 7 o'clock this morning when she usually come home and she didn't come home, and it hurts--it really hurts. It really hurts that somebody this stupid went and did something stupid like that because they don't realize what they're doing to someone else. And now they've ruined somebody else's life. Because I lost a lot when I lost her last night," says Rachel. What she won't lose are those lessons, especially the one she wants drivers to remember on the road before anther life, another friend is lost. "I can live on with her legacy. Try to do the best I can for her.. now that she's gone... to pass on. But it's just something you never get over. It doesn't go away," says Rachel.
UPDATE Road construction worker's death is ruled a homicide; Streator man, 25, faces charges in May traffic crash July 25, 2003 By OMAR SOFRADZIJA of the Journal Star PEORIA - A Streator man was legally drunk, driving aggressively and lacking a valid license in a crash that fatally injured a road construction worker in LaSalle County in May, a Peoria County coroner's jury was told Thursday. The jury eventually ruled the death of worker John W. Crozier Jr., 40, of 805 N. Wasson St. in Streator as a homicide, concurring with LaSalle County prosecutors who earlier charged driver Douglas Black, 25, with reckless homicide and other criminal counts in connection with the death. Crozier died of head injuries at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center on May 26, four days after he was struck by a sport-utility vehicle driven by Black on Illinois Route 23 just south of Ottawa. Crozier was a flagger in the work zone, and Black was driving north. On the day of the crash, Black "veered sharply left to the southbound lane to try to get around stopped and slow traffic in the construction zone," said LaSalle County sheriff's Sgt. Gregory Jacobsen, before clipping the rear of a dump truck, swerving back into the northbound lane and striking Crozier around 11:15 a.m. Black had "been driving erratically" prior to the crash, Jacobsen said. "Traffic was stop-and-go in the area at the time due to the construction zone." Jacobsen said Black had a blood-alcohol level in excess of 0.08 percent - the state's threshold for intoxication - but he did not have precise results from a blood test. Police found several cans of beer in the rear passenger area of the SUV and an opened can of the same brand outside the vehicle at the crash site. Black had been carrying five passengers, including three children between 3 and 10 years of age. One passenger, Bryan Campagna, 24, of Streator, who was the owner of the SUV, also was injured. Earlier, prosecutors said Black - who had been taking his passengers on a fishing trip - left the scene with two of the children and attempted to hitch a ride with a bystander. Police later caught up with Black, who reportedly admitted being intoxicated. Crozier was an employee of project contractor Advanced Asphalt, a member of Ottawa Laborers Local 911 and a certified flagger. Along with two counts of reckless homicide, Black has been charged with two counts of child endangerment and single counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood-alcohol level in excess of 0.08 percent, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and driving with a suspended or revoked drivers' license, Jacobsen said. Black was being held this week in the LaSalle County Jail in lieu of $300,000 bond.
PENNDOT worker hit by vehicle A state Department of Transportation worker helping to resurface Banetown Road in Amwell Township was injured about 1 p.m. Monday when he was struck by a vehicle. Robert Puskas of Marianna was putting yellow tape on the road to mark the center line when he was hit by a vehicle driven by Gertrude Roupe of Washington. Puskas was admitted to Washington Hospital, where he remained Tuesday. Jeff Breen, Washington county maintenance manager forPENNDOT, said the crew had just finished paving that portion of the road. He said it was a signed construction area with warning signs. State police said Roupe will be cited for failure to drive at a safe speed. Breen said that Puskas is the first PENNDOT employee to be hit by a vehicle in a Washington County construction area in several years.
UPDATE Condition Of Worker Injured In Hit-And-Run Improves; Former Local Weatherman Charged In Crash POSTED: 5:13 p.m. EDT July 15, 2003 CLEVELAND -- A construction worker injured last week in a hit-and-run crash is now in good condition. NewsChannel5 reported that Brad Davis, 20, was hit while working on Interstate 480 near the Jennings Freeway. Another worker was slightly hurt but was treated and released. Police said former Cleveland weather forecaster David Rogers was allegedly behind the wheel. Rogers has been charged with two counts of aggravated vehicular assault and leaving the scene of an accident.
Construction worker injured near Denver Athletic Club Written By: Susan Wells DENVER - A city public works employee was seriously injured Tuesday after a roto mill construction machine ran him over. The accident happened around 11:15 a.m. at 14th and Glenarm in front of the Denver Athletic Club. The victim was transported to Denver Health Medical Center. Police officers on the scene say he was breathing but was seriously injured. A roto mill is a machine that picks up concrete and grinds it. The crew was working on Glenarm from Colfax to 15th St. milling, or taking up the old pavement.
Construction worker dies in accident Written By: Susan Wells DENVER - A construction worker died after an accident Monday morning on Yosemite just south of the I-225 interchange. An asphalt truck hit and killed a construction worker. Police say it was an accident. A Denver Public Works spokesperson says it was a paving crew of general contractors hired to pave some roads in Denver that was involved. The worker who died was not from the Denver area. We will have more on this story as it becomes available.
Suspected drunk driver critically injures freeway construction worker ABC13 Eyewitness News (7/07/03 - HOUSTON) — A man faces charges of intoxication assault after officials say he hit two construction workers with his car while he was drunk. Sheriff's deputies say the workers were fixing a drainage pipe on the North Freeway and Louetta Saturday morning when the car hit them. One worker had his leg amputated by the accident and was taken to the hospital. Right now, he's in critical condition. The other worker only suffered a few scrapes and bruises.
Norwalk worker remains critical KATIE GALLAGHER , Morning Journal Writer 07/12/2003 CLEVELAND -- The Norwalk college student seriously injured by a driver while working on a road project remains hospitalized in critical condition, according to hospital officials. Brad Davis, 20, of Norwalk is listed in critical condition at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, according to the hospital, as a result of the early Thursday morning accident on Interstate 480. Davis and Lake Erie Construction Company co-worker Jeremy Prelipp, 25, of Willard, were reportedly hit by a Land Rover driven by David Rogers, 44, of Orange about 4 a.m. as they repaired a guardrail on I-480 westbound near the I-176 northbound exit, according to Cleveland police reports. Rogers is a weatherman for WCBS-TV in New York City, according to the station. A statement from Lake Erie Construction Company in Norwalk said that MetroHealth doctors have successfully contained internal bleeding from Davis' spleen following surgery Thursday morning. ''That surgery returned his blood pressure to levels that allowed additional surgery T ursday evening to reset the broken bones in Brad's legs,'' the statement said. Prelipp was treated and released from MetroHealth on Thursday, according to the statement. Lake Erie Construction Company Safety Director Ken Bleile said Prelipp suffered cuts and bruises, had stitches and may have problems with his knee. Bleile said that Prelipp has worked for the company for two or three years. ''We're hoping that he's back next week,'' Bleile said. ''He's a pretty tough guy.'' Rogers was charged yesterday morning with two counts of aggravated vehicular assault and one count of leaving the scene, according to Detective Nancy Dominik, assistant public information officer for the Cleveland Police Department. Rogers is scheduled to appear in Cleveland Municipal Court today at 8:30 a.m. for his arraignment on the two felony charges, according to police. Judge Robert Triozzi was scheduled to preside over the case, according to Ed Ferenc, public information officer for Cleveland Municipal Court. Don Shantz, 24, of Milan, who was working alongside Davis and Prelipp at the time of the accident, said the six Lake Erie Construction Company employees had only been at that job for 10 or 15 minutes when the accident occurred. The employees were repairing a guardrail on I-480 near I-176 northbound, commonly referred to as the Jennings Freeway split, Shantz said. Shantz said they were clearing debris from the damaged guardrail when he heard tires squealing and a co-worker shout, ''Get out of the way!'' Shantz looked up and saw a car driving alongside the workers on the gravel berm, he said. The car drove along the berm for about 500 feet, according to Shantz, before returning to the road. Shantz then realized that his co-workers had been injured, he said. Prelipp was limping and Davis was lying on the ground, Shantz said. His three other co-workers were assessing the situation, he said. Shantz quickly climbed into a company vehicle and chased after the driver along I-480. ''I had two guys laying on the ground hurt, and I didn't wnt him to take anyone else out,'' he said. Shantz caught up with the driver about one mile away from the scene of the accident, he said. He found the Land Rover off on the berm on I-480 near State Road, according to police reports. Shantz noticed damage to the right side of the vehicle and that the car had a flat tire, he said. ''He was unaware that he even hit anybody,'' Shantz said of the driver. ''He didn't seem to know what was going on.'' Shantz said he wrote down the vehicle's license plate number and waited with the driver for police to arrive. ''It's terrible that this had to happen to anybody,'' Shantz said. Shantz said that Davis has been working with the company since May on summer vacation from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. ''He's a good kid. He really is,'' Shantz said. ''He's innocent. Just out there trying to make money for school.'' Bleile said that Davis' father, Don, has worked for Lake Erie Construction Company for 25 years. ''Our focal point should be on him because he's in the hospital,'' Shantz said of younger Davis. ''It could have been avoided and it should have been avoided.'' In Shantz's five years working for Lake Erie Construction, this is his first encounter with this type of accident, although he has seen cars hit cones before, he said. ''People don't pay attention to what's going on,'' he said of highway drivers in construction zones. Shantz said that the workers have their backs to traffic about 90 percent of the time. Shantz said this accident is going to open his eyes more. ''Be more cautious on watching your back and watching your surroundings,'' he said. ''Watch yourself and watch your co-workers.'' There were 6,808 work zone crashes throughout Ohio in 2002, according to Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) information sheets. Twenty-six of those crashes were fatal. The ODOT information sheets also show that 120 to 130 workers die each year in road construction activities in the United States. Of the fatalities, 23 percent are a result of pedestrian workers being struck by traffic vehicles, according to the information sheets. Paul Wasilewski, ODOT District 12 spokesman said that Lake Erie Construction Company is a subcontractor of Kenmore Construction of Akron for the I-480 reconstruction. Wasilewski said safety procedures for construction zones follow the Federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. He said the speed limit in a permanent construction zone is 50 mph. ''If anything, slowing down and paying attention is the message we consistently enforce when traveling through work zones,'' he said. Karen Mateo, director of communications for WCBS-TV, said that Rogers is a meteorologist for CBS News in New York. He was in Cleveland this week on vacation, Mateo said. Rogers worked as the chief meteorologist for WKYC-TV3 in Cleveland from 1997 through 2000, according to the CBS New York Web site. A statement from Mateo said that Rogers will not appear on the station until further investigation. ''Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured in the accident,'' the statement said. Bleile says that he could care less who is responsible for the accident. ''Our only thoughts are with Brad and his family and with Jeremy too,'' he said.
Town highway worker injured by truck (New Milford-WTNH, July 7, 2003 Updated 5:03 PM) _ A town highway worker was seriously injured Monday when he was run over by a paving truck he was driving. The accident happened at about 3:00 p.m. on Long Mountain Road in the Gaylordsville section of town. A town official says the worker got out of the truck and somehow the truck started rolling down the hill, striking the man. He was taken to the hospital. The man has not been identified.
Highway Worker Struck By Pickup While Redirecting Traffic; 39-Year-Old Sent To Hospital With Internal Injuries POSTED: 4:12 p.m. EST July 7, 2003 REMINGTON, Ind. -- A state highway worker directing traffic around the scene of an Interstate 65 accident was injured when he was struck by a pickup truck Monday, police said. The worker was hit about three hours after two southbound tractor-trailers collided in Jasper County about 25 miles north of Lafayette, causing one of the rigs to burst into flames and injure the driver, Indiana State Police said. That tractor-trailer and its cargo of aluminum cans were destroyed by fire in the 4 a.m. accident. The driver was hospitalized with minor injuries. The driver of the other tractor-trailer wasn't hurt, police said. Southbound traffic was diverted off the highway and allowed to re-enter four miles away. James M. Salkeld, a 39-year-old Department of Transportation worker based in Gary, was directing traffic on foot when a southbound pickup struck him. The pickup's driver later told investigators he had been working overnight and was tired. The driver reported he had been traveling 65-70 mph before the crash, and tried to brake before hitting Salkeld. Salkeld was being treated at Jasper County Hospital for internal injuries to his pelvis and back, state police said.Welder sparks fire at Camp Williams CAMP WILLIAMS, Utah (AP) - A spark from a contractor's welding ignited a wildfire that blackened more than 500 acres of grassy, open land Tuesday at the Camp Williams National Guard facility. The fire was about 70 percent contained as of 4 p.m., said Salt Lake County fire Captain Jay Ziolkowski. The nearby communities of Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs faced a low threat, but there were no evacuations. The fire was contained to the guard camp, located about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City. More than 100 fire personnel, an air tanker and two helicopters fought the blaze. The fire moved quickly under high winds and low humidity even though the welder had two people monitoring for fire safety, Ziolkowski said.
UPDATE Woman sentenced for killing construction worker while driving drunk ABC13 Eyewitness News (7/01/03 - HOUSTON) — A local woman will go to jail for 15 years for killing a city worker while driving drunk. Thirty-four-year-old Yvonne Marie Webber pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle Tuesday. Back in late February, Webber was driving drunk when she hit Benny Allen Junior while he was doing street repair work on Braeswood near Braesridge in southwest Houston. Allen later died at the hospital. Police say at the time of the accident, Webber's blood alcohol level was .32, four times the legal limit.
Dump truck backs over road worker CAMDENTON, Mo. (AP) -- A 58-year-old road worker was killed Thursday morning when a dump truck backed over him, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. Harold Morrison, of Macks Creek, was working on a construction project along Missouri 5 near Camdenton around 8:28 a.m. when the dump truck backed up to dump asphalt and ran over Morrison, the patrol said. Morrison didn't notice the truck was backing toward him, the patrol said. Morrison was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police: Construction Worker Hit By Drunken Driver; Richardson Is In Good Condition WEST JEFFERSON, Ohio -- A man is in jail after police said he hit a construction worker with his pickup truck Wednesday while driving drunk on Interstate 70 in Madison County. Police said Ronald G. Delozier II, of Grove City, was traveling east through a construction zone when he struck Robert E. Richardson with his Toyota pickup truck while the worker was standing about 3 or 4 feet inside the closed right lane. Richardson was taken by medical helicopter to The Ohio State University Medical Center with possible internal injuries. He is listed in good condition. Several motorists said they saw Delozier's pickup truck moving erratically and recklessly for several miles before the accident. Police said that as Delozier approached the work crew, he swerved into the closed right lane and struck several orange barrels and the construction worker. The worker was thrown to the ground, police said. Police said Delozier slowed down, but then returned to the open left lane and continued driving. A fellow worker got into an Ohio Department of Transportation truck and chased Delozier, forcing him to the shoulder of the road. Delozier is in the Tri-County Jail in Mechanicsburg. He is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, aggravated vehicular assault, hit-skip and failure to control a motor vehicle. Delozier is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
Worker struck by semi in I-80 construction zone ASSOCIATED PRESS ELKO, Nev. (AP) - A Nevada Department of Transportation worker was injured Thursday when he was struck by a semi in a construction zone on Interstate 80 east of Elko. Ron Holt, 50, Elko, was flown to Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital in Elko following the 10:30 a.m. accident, Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Rocky Gonzalez said. Rescuers told radio station KELK that Holt was conscious and stable but suffering from internal injuries. Gonzalez said he suffered two broken legs and a broken pelvis as well as head trauma. The westbound trucker, Marion Klocek, 53, Chicago, was hauling a load of frozen food. He was not hurt. Authorities said he was able to brake and steer sharply while trying to avoid the worker. The highway patrol was investigating. Gonzalez said a preliminary review indicated Holt was working in a closed zone but may have stepped into the travel lane. Witness told authorities the worker was thrown into the median by the impact but was not run over. The interstate's westbound lanes were closed for about an hour backing up traffic 2 to 3 miles.
Worker injured in 401 collision By Daily News Staff Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 09:00 Local News - Eastbound traffic on Highway 401 west of Chatham had to be diverted for much of Tuesday following a two-vehicle collision, which also resulted in injuries to a construction worker. The two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane were closed for seven hours as Chatham-Kent OPP investigated the collision involving a tractor trailer used for hauling garbage from Toronto and a construction truck. Ernest Arsenault, 30, of Acton, had to be extricated by volunteer firefighters after the vehicle he was travelling in was hit, sending it into a ditch. Staff Sgt. Doug Babbitt said Arsenault was part of a five-vehicle crew involved in repainting lines along the highway when the incident occurred shortly after 10:30 a.m. Arsenault, who was taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries, was in a parked 2002 GMC truck owned by Metro Pavement Markings Ltd. of Acton. Robert Joseph Gerencser, 35, of London, was travelling eastbound on the highway in an unloaded 2003 Volvo tractor-trailer, owned by REDTREE Contract Carriers of Etobicoke, when it collided with the construction truck. He was not injured. “I just saw the (vehicle) fly across. I was the first one down to the guy in the truck,” said Joy Laframboise of Amherstburg, who was on her way to Chatham. She said the man, who was suspended upside-down inside the cab, which landed in the median, was conscious, coherent and complaining of neck pain. There was debris from the accident covering approximately 50-100 feet in length and across both lanes and into the centre median. OPP technical traffic collision investigators were at the scene for much of the day. The investigation continues.
Road Worker Killed A Madison county road department worker was killed in an accident Tuesday. It happened at the intersection of King Ranch Road and Highway 22 in Canton. Forty-six-year-old Bennie Dent of Jackson was driving a county dump truck filled with gravel when another vehicle reportedly ran a stop sign and hit the dump truck. Dent swerved to avoid the collision, but the dump truck flipped. A co-worker riding with Dent was taken to U.M.C. and later released.
Worker struck by car in construction zone STREETSBORO: A state worker was injured Monday night when he was hit by a car in a highway construction zone on state Route 43 in Streetsboro. Robert B. Potopsky, 41, of Strongsville was in stable condition at Cleveland's MetroHealth Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday. Police said Potopsky, an Ohio Department of Transportation worker, was hit by a Chevrolet Beretta driven by Richard D. Makley of Uniontown. No charges have been filed because the incident is under investigation, police said. Makley, 41, also was injured when his car hit construction equipment. He was in good condition Tuesday at Robinson Memorial Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Multiple Car Accident Closes I-80 Des Moines, May 29, 2003 - A multiple car accident on Interstate 80 shut down part of the roadway overnight. It happened just before midnight near the 2nd Avenue exit on eastbound I-80. A silver car hit a white truck that was painting in a construction zone, starting a fire. Another motorist stopped to help put the fire out. That's when a passing semi veered to the side of the road, hitting one of the drivers. Two people went to a local hospital, one is in serious condition. Their names have not been released. In 2003, there have been a total of two workzone deaths in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Transportation says two years ago, they recorded eight deaths in just one month. In that same year, there were 327 workzone accidents across the state.
Tractor-Trailer Knocks Road Worker Off Repair Truck; 35-Year-Old Man In Critical Condition May 28, 2003 A tractor-trailer reportedly crashed into an Oakland County Road Commission repair truck early Wednesday morning, knocking a worker who was fixing a traffic light to the ground. The 35-year-old Grand Blanc, Mich., man and his coworker were repairing a traffic light at Long Lake and Beach roads around midnight when the accident occurred, according to police. They were parked along the shoulder and had the boom of the repair truck over the road while they worked on the light, police said. The light had reportedly been damaged earlier in the evening from another accident. The workers were completing the repairs when the tractor-trailer heading east on Long Lake Road struck the bucket on the end of the boom, and knocked the 35-year-old worker to the ground. The victim was taken to Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital where he was listed in critical condition. His family has been notified, but his name has not been released. The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 48-year-old Ontario man, was questioned and released, according to police. Police continue to investigate. They said alcohol was not involved in the crash.
UPDATE Flagger dies; driver charged By Greg Stanmar Pantagraph correspondent OTTAWA -- A Streator man faces reckless homicide charges following the death of a road-construction worker he is accused of hitting with his vehicle. Douglas Black, 25, was charged with reckless homicide on Tuesday. He already faced two counts of aggravated driving under the influence along with single charges of driving under the influence, driving on a revoked license, driving under the influence on a revoked license and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, LaSalle County authorities said. John Crozier, 40, also of Streator, died Monday at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Police said Black was driving under the influence of alcohol when he passed cars stopped at a highway construction site May 21 on Illinois 23 north of Streator. Black's car reportedly hit Crozier, who was working as a flagman. Crozier was then flown to the Peoria hospital. Crozier had been a flagman for 10 years and was working his first day on the Illinois 23 project, said Tim Roseberry, spokesman for the Laborers International Union of North America. Crozier's obituary is on Page A8.
Construction worker in critical condition; Flagger, 32, was hit Thursday near Ottawa May 24, 2003 By KRIS WERNOWSKY of the Journal Star OTTAWA - A construction site flagger who was hit by a car Thursday near Ottawa was in critical condition Friday at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. John Crozier, 32, of Streator was taken to Community Hospital after the accident and transferred Thursday night to St. Francis. The accident prompted an appeal from the Illinois Department of Transportation for motorists to use caution. "You just have to ask yourself why? Why this happens?" IDOT Secretary Tim Martin said in a news release. "And I'm often frustrated when I find out tragedies like this can be avoided if people would just slow down and use caution in and around construction zones." Authorities say the driver of the car that hit Crozier was Douglas Black, 29, of Streator. Black appeared Friday in LaSalle County Circuit Court, where he was charged with two felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol. One count charges Black with striking Crozier, said LaSalle County State's Attorney Joe Hettel. The other charges him with driving while on a revoked license from a 2002 drunken-driving incident in Grundy County. Black also was charged with driving on a revoked license and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, both misdemeanors, Hettel said. He was being held Friday in the LaSalle County Jail on $300,000 bond. Hettel said Black could face additional charges because three children were in the car at the time of the accident. His case is to be brought before a LaSalle County grand jury on June 4. Authorities say Crozier was hit at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday in a construction zone at Illinois Route 23 and Fosse Road south of Ottawa. Black was driving in the northbound lane when he noticed traffic was stopped for construction. He then drove his car into the closed lane and hit a dump truck, according to the LaSalle County Sheriff's Department. The impact pushed his car back into the northbound lane. His car then slid off the road and struck Crozier, police said. Crozier, an employee with Advanced Asphalt, is a member of Ottawa Laborers Local 911 of the Laborers International Union of North America. "Our prayers and thoughts go out to our brother's family," Ed Smith, vice president and regional manager of the international, said in a news release. "Every year, thousands of workers and motorists are killed despite our efforts to keep construction work zones safe." IDOT said construction will be suspended and lanes will be opened where possible to help motorists get around during the Memorial Day weekend.
Road worker hit at construction site STREATOR -- A Streator construction worker struck by a car while controlling traffic remained in critical condition Friday night. John Cozier, 40, was flown to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria after the accident at noon Thursday on Illinois 23 between Streator and Ottawa. Authorities said a drunken driver struck the Advanced Asphalt employee, throwing him into a field. Douglas Black, 25, of Streator, was charged with aggravated drunken driving, driving while his license is revoked and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. He remained in LaSalle County jail Friday night in lieu of posting $3,000.
UPDATE Woman Who Ran Down Highway Worker Draws Two Year Sentence A woman who was drunk when she plowed into a road construction site and killed a 32-year-old father of five was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday. On May 14, 2002, 24-year-old Tanzania Jackson swerved into a coned-off area on Northrop Avenue in Sacramento, striking Jim Bridges Junior. Bridges was seriously injured, lingering for 12 days in the hospital before passing away. Jackson could have been sentenced to up to four years in prison, but a plea bargain reduced that time to two years. Jim Bridges' friends and family were in court, wearing orange road crew vests in his honor. His sister said today's sentencing brings with it an important message for all motorists. "If you've been somewhere and you've been drinking, call somebody for a ride," said Donna Patterson. "Don't just get into a car. You don't only kill the person, you kill their entire family." Before she was handcuffed and taken from the courtroom, Jackson made a brief statement, saying she was sorry for the pain she has caused her victim's family. Following sentencing, Jackson was taken to the women's prison in Chowchilla to begin serving her sentence.
T-REX has first fatal construction-zone accident By News Staff May 20, 2003 The first fatal accident in a T-REX construction zone happened when a woman driving a small sedan south on I-25 plowed into the back of a heavy "impact truck" at 1:34 a.m. Monday just north of Interstate 225. Detective John White, a police spokesman, said the car then hit two workmen. One worker suffered broken bones and other injuries, and the other received minor treatment, White said. He said the truck had flashing lights to signal drivers to keep left of it. He did not know if alcohol or fatigue played a role in the crash.
State investigates road worker death CHEWELAH (AP) -- The Washington Department of Labor and Industries is investigating a construction accident that killed a Port Angeles man near the 49 Degrees North ski area, Stevens County Sheriff Craig Thayer said. Richard Rexford, 56, was killed Wednesday when the tractor he was operating rolled over, pinning him underneath. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Rexford, an employee of Delhur Industries of Port Angeles, was clearing ice and snow from a road when the tractor skidded off the road and overturned. Delhur Industries is doing work on Flowery Trail Road, which leads to the ski area above Chewelah, about 50 miles north of Spokane.
Accidents kill 2 on Gulf Freeway Houston Chronicle Houston police said two people were killed in separate motor vehicle accidents on the Gulf Freeway this morning. A pickup burst into flames, trapping the driver inside, about 2:30 a.m. in the 15000 block of the southbound Gulf Freeway. The driver apparently lost control and struck a guard rail, causing the truck to roll on its side, police said. "The driver was burned beyond recognition," said HPD spokesman Joe Laud. About three hours later, a construction worker was killed after being hit by a vehicle at a work site in the 6800 block of the Gulf Freeway. The driver, possibly a woman in a red pickup, struck the worker shortly before 6 a.m. and then fled the scene, police said.
One Dead In Lancaster Accident May 16, 2003 LANCASTER, S.C. -- Emergency officials are on the scene of an accident that killed one person in Lancaster. The accident involved four vehicles on Highway 521 south on the bypass. The victim was driving through a construction zone when the car was struck by a vehicle Highway Patrol says was speeding. The victim's car then went into the median and struck an asphalt truck. Troopers say the car of the driver who was speeding went down an embankment. Authorities say traffic is backed up in the area as a result of the accident.
Road worker critical after A47 accident May 14, 2003 11:44 STAFF at a road engineering firm today spoke of their shock at hearing a colleague had been critically hurt while carrying out repairs on the A47. Marcus Frost, 26, of Low Common, Swardeston, was taking measurements on the busy road on Monday afternoon when he was hit by a dark blue Saab 9.5. He suffered serious head and leg injuries and is being treaetd at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Mr Frost, who had been working with a colleague for East Anglian engineering contractors Atkins, was initially taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn. The driver of the Saab, a 67-year-old man from Leicestershire, was not injured in the crash which happened less than a mile from the Swaffham side of Church Road, West Bilney. Richard Scrase, marketing manager for the Atkins Group, said the firm wished Mr Frost a speedy recovery. He added: "We were shocked and saddened to learn of the accident and our thoughts and prayers are for Marcus, his family and friends. "We take incidents of this sort extremely seriously and will be conducting our own inquiry. We will cooperate fully in any investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the circumstances."
VDOT Worker Struck, Killed on I-395 By Christina Pino-Marina washingtonpost.com Staff Writer Friday, May 9, 2003; 12:49 PM A Virginia Department of Transportation worker was killed this morning after being struck by a vehicle traveling on the Duke Street overpass at Interstate 395. Lt. Curtis Bailey, of the Virginia State Police, said the accident occurred about 10:30 a.m. when a vehicle traveling on the overpass struck a VDOT employee and pushed that person off the bridge and onto the northbound lanes of I-395. Sgt. Richard Keevil, of the State Police, said a 79-year-old woman was behind the wheel of a car that rear-ended a van before accelerating and plowing into the worker. The worker went over the railing and was hit by several vehicles on the highway. The female motorist who hit the worker was taken to Inova Alexandria Hospital as a precaution. Officials have not released her name or the name of the victim. Part of I-395 had been closed but has since reopened. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DOT worker suffers minor injuries when semi hits his truck 2003-05-08 By Journal Staff TUKWILA -- A state Department of Transportation maintenance worker suffered minor injuries Wednesday when the truck he was driving on Interstate 5 was struck by a semi-truck. The worker, Robert Blair, was treated at a hospital for neck and back injuries and released. Blair was driving an ``attenuate truck,'' a dump truck modified with collapsible cushions on the rear end. The truck, with flashing warning lights and an electronic sign directing drivers to move to the left, was driving slowly along the northbound lanes of I-5 near Interurban Avenue South to protect other workers and vehicles sweeping the roadway. After the accident about 1 p.m., state DOT officials once again asked the driving public to be extra cautious when they see maintenance vehicles and crews working along freeways and state highways. Fourteen DOT maintenance vehicles have been struck in accidents in King County since January 2002. Three of the accidents resulted in injuries to state employees, said Greg Phipps, a DOT spokesman.
UPDATE Injured man gets multi-million-dollar judgment May 03, 2003 A man who suffered severe brain damage when he drove into the back of a construction vehicle parked on the Pennsylvania Turnpike was awarded a multi-million-dollar judgment by a federal jury. Anthony Ravotti, 37, of Avon, Ohio, was driving about 50 mph in a construction zone near Bedford that had a posted 40 mph speed limit. The jury ruled Ravotti was 25 percent at fault because he was speeding, so the award totals about $5.6 million. A federal judge ruled that New Enterprise Stone and Lime Co., which had set up the construction zone, would have to pay interest on the award, bringing the total amount closer to $7.5 million, Ravotti's lawyer Neil Rosen said. A truck driver working for contractor Bilger Concrete, which was also found partially responsible for the accident, became lost and stopped his dump truck, mistakenly believing he was off the road. New Enterprise failed to close one lane to allow for construction to go ahead, Rosen said. Ravotti veered to avoid the truck, but struck the tire of a tractor-trailer, spun and hit the parked vehicle. They wiped this man's life out," said Rosen. Calls to both companies went unanswered on Saturday. The money was awarded to Ravotti and his mother, who is also his guardian.
UPDATE Woman Found 'Not Guilty' In Fatal Construction Crash, Defendant Faced Conviction Under 'Andy's Law' May 2, 2003 A Macomb County jury found a local woman not guilty on Friday for the Aug. 9, 2002, accident that caused the death of one road construction worker and injured another. Stacey Ann Bettcher (pictured, left) was the first person charged under a law enacted in 2001 known as "Andy's Law" -- named after worker Andy Lefko, who was paralyzed on a Interstate 275 construction site in 1999. The law cracks down on drivers who cause injury or death to road construction workers. Bettcher had pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2002, but changed her plea in February to force the case to trial, Local 4 reported. The families of the victims were surprised and upset by Bettcher's last-minute switch, Local 4 reported. Police say Bettcher had a long list of prior driving offenses including driving with an open alcohol container and driving with an expired license at the time of the crash. Bettcher could have faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Trucker Not To Be Charged In Death Of Construction Worker April 29, 2003 GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A construction worker was killed early Tuesday on Interstate 40/85 when a tractor-trailer hit him as he worked on a painting crew. The victim is identified as Thomas Ray Myers of Troy, an employee of Blythe Construction Company in Greensboro. The crash occurred about 5:30 a.m. in the northbound lanes of the interstate between Burlington and Greensboro. A work crew was painting lane stripes on the highway and the state Highway Patrol said Myers was trying to retrieve a small piece of equipment in the road. Myers tripped and fell into the path of the tractor-trailer, according to investigators. Authorities said the truck wasn't speeding and the driver tried to avoid hitting Myers. Officials said no charges will be filed against the trucker.
Traffic Accident Traffic is back to normal at I-295 and Route 1 in Henrico County, but it was quite a different story Monday afternoon when a dump truck hit an overpass there. The driver had just left a nearby construction project at Virginia Center Commons and apparently forgot to drop the truck bed. It hit the sign, causing $100,000 in damage. The bridge appears to be okay. The trucker is charged with reckless driving.
Deadly Crash Slows I-95 In St. Johns County April 28, 2003 A Palm Coast man was killed and thousands of motorists on Interstate 95 were delayed after a crash between a pickup and a dump truck in southern St. Johns County before dawn Monday. The Florida Highway Patrol said the accident occurred in the northbound lanes just before the county Road 206 exit around 5:30 a.m. Police say a dump truck driven by Marian Nash turned around in the median after dumping a load of asphalt. She was hit by the white Chevrolet pickup truck as she pulled into the northbound lane. Laurence Holler, 61 -- driver of that pickup -- was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was hurt in the accident. The Florida Highway Patrol said that the speed limit in the area is 60 mph despite this area's designation as a construction zone. Troopers said they are not sure how fast Holler was going when the accident occurred, but their investigation is continuing. Investigators also say fog may have contributed to the crash. Channel 4's Tammie Fields reported that only one northbound lanes was open for more than three hours until the accident was cleared. Northbound motorists experienced 25- to 30-minute delays due to the congestion.
Downtown traffic accident JACKSONVILLE, FL (Downtown) -- Emergency crews, fire trucks and police cars are lining a downtown-area street after a traffic accident Thursday before 5pm. Some construction workers were putting out cones when the accident occurred. It happened on the main street ramp to I-95 south just south of the Main Street Bridge. A detective in a JSO homocide van crashed into the rear of a work crew truck that was picking up cones. He was taken to the hospital with broken legs.
Construction Worker Electrocuted Lake Milton Gerry Ricciutti A North Lima man is dead, following an accident in a highway construction zone. State troopers say 37-year-old Peter DeLucia, Jr. was killed Wednesday morning along Interstate 76 near Lake Milton. Investigators say the victim was part of a construction crew working on a paving project on the interstate. He reportedly was moving concrete barricades with the help of a crane, when the crane came into contact with power lines overhead, electrocuting DeLucia.
Man unhurt after being struck by truck 3/19 By TODD HARPER For The Lebanon Reporter WHITESTOWN -- A man was unhurt after being struck by a pickup truck along County Road 650 East near Whitestown Tuesday morning. Wayne Flowers of Columbus, Ohio, was placing warning markers along C.R. 650 East just north of C.R. 400 South when he was struck by a silver pickup truck about 10 a.m. The driver of the pickup truck, Mark A. Boil, 39, Whitestown, fled the scene, but returned a few minutes after the accident. Flowers, who was driving a large flat-bed trailer, parked along the road after his vehicle broke down. He was attempting to make a delivery in Whitestown. "I could tell he wasn't going to stop, and when he hit me I then kind of flew in the air," Flowers said, adding that the pickup truck was "not going that fast." According to Flowers, Boil's truck was traveling south on C.R. 650 East when he came to Flowers disabled vehicle. He said because of a construction truck on the west side and his trailer parked in the east lane, Boil should have stopped and waited for a clear path. "I realized I was going to be hit and then was hit by the hood of his vehicle," Flowers said. Indiana State Police Trooper Robert Trimp said, Flowers and Boil gave different accounts to the accident. According to Boil's report, Flowers jumped into the path of his truck, and Boil had no time to stop to avoid hitting Flowers. Trimp said, Boil's truck was traveling at around 10 mph when the accident occurred. Trimp said he will give his findings to the Boone County Prosecutor's Office, but said he was unsure what action may or may not be taken. Flowers was examined by medics and released at the scene.
Surveyor killed on highway The Edmonton Journal Tuesday, March 18, 2003 EDMONTON - A construction worker was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle during a surveying operation Monday afternoon in Nisku. RCMP told Global Television that the construction worker doing survey work was hit when he tried to cross the road. Weather and road conditions were good at the time. The road was closed to traffic for several hours at Sparrow Drive just south of Highway 625 because of the accident.
PennDOT Worker Narrowly Avoids Serious Accident Wednesday, February 26, 2003 A PennDOT worker on Interstate 79 had a close call Wednesday morning. A truck driver lost control of his tractor trailer rig and hit a PennDOT truck that was parked along the side of the interstate north of Meadville. William Deeter was taken to Meadville Medical Center for treatment, but was not seriously injured. The trucker ran off the highway into the woods, but was also not injured. PennDOT officials say this is the second accident Deeter has been involved in in less than a month. Officials say that two weeks ago, Deeter’s snow plow was struck by a mail truck during white-out conditions on I-79.
Seattle man dies after crashing into DOT truck SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF A 28-year-old Seattle man died early yesterday from injuries suffered when the car in which he was riding crashed into a state Transportation Department truck on Interstate 5, the Washington State Patrol reported. The man was a passenger in a sport utility vehicle that plowed into the state truck at 11:45 p.m. Saturday near the Roanoke Street exit in Seattle. A worker in the truck was treated for shock but wasn't injured. The truck had stopped behind two southbound vehicles that had been in a minor wreck, patrol spokeswoman Monica Hunter said. The driver of the SUV was treated for minor injuries at Harborview Medical Center. The passenger's name was not available.
City worker killed by drunk driver while fixing pothole ABC13 Eyewitness News (2/22/03) — A city worker is dead after being struck by a drunk driver as he fixed a pothole. Ederell White was on an area of South Braeswood shortly before 10am Friday morning, when 34-year-old Yvonne Webber struck him with her car. White, a 22-year city employee, was pinned between a dump truck and the car. He later died at Memorial Hermann Hospital. Police say Webber's blood alcohol level was .32%, four times the legal limit. She is charged with intoxicated manslaughter.
UPDATE MAN STILL JAILED FOR FATAL ACCIDENT Monday, February 17, 2003 A truck driver is still in the Montague County jail following a fatal accident on U.S. Highway 287 south of Bowie in November. Forty-one year old Ted Richard Couch is being held on $100,000 bond facing charges of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. The accident happened when Couch was driving south on Highway 287. The Department of Public Safety says Couch swerved to the right crashing into a construction crew, killing 26-year old Brock Phillips of Burnet, Texas, and injuring several other workers. The case will now go to the grand jury.
MoDOT workers hurt in separate accidents ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Two highway workers were injured Thursday in separate accidents in the St. Louis area. Neither injury was considered life-threatening, but police blamed both on inattentive drivers traveling too fast through work zones. A Missouri Department of Transportation contractor was clipped by a car as he put out safety barrels to close travel lanes on westbound Interstate 70 near Mid-Rivers Mall Drive in St. Charles County. The worker, William McGhee, 27, of Cedar Hill, suffered minor injuries. The car then struck another vehicle. Two people in that vehicle were hospitalized with moderate injuries. The second accident happened on Interstate 44 in Eureka, where state highway worker Jeffrey Hillis was in a truck that was fixing potholes in the center lane when it was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer, MoDOT spokesman Megan McEntee said. Police say the tractor-trailer careened off the road and down an embankment. The MoDOT worker was in stable condition with broken bones. The semi rig's driver suffered minor injuries. A Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman said a ticket would be issued in the I-44 wreck. He didn't know if one would be issued in the I-70 accident.
UPDATE Highway death settled for two-point-five million dollars (New Haven-AP Feb. 13, 2003 7:30 AM)_ A lawsuit involving a fatal crash on Interstate-95 more than seven years ago has ended with a cash settlement. A North Haven contracting company will pay two-and-a-half million dollars to settle the case from the fiery truck crash in Milford. LG DeFelice Incorporated has agreed to the settlement with the estate of Stephen Hutchinson of Massachusetts. Last week a New Haven jury found that the construction company and the driver of one of its dump trucks caused the fatal accident through negligent and unsafe practices. Hutchinson was killed instantly when the tractor-trailer he was driving hit the rear of the LG DeFelice dump truck on October 20th of 1995. The accident shut down part of I-95 for nine hours.
UPDATE I-75 Construction Worker Dies from Injuries A local construction worker died Monday morning from injuries he suffered during a chain reaction crash on Interstate-75. Ron Gambrell and Bonnie Mills were installing a barrier system in the median last Wednesday, when a pair of cars smashed into their truck. Gambrell passed away Monday morning and Mills is in serious condition. Police cited the drivers for following too close to one another. The Department of Transportation set up additional flashing signs to alert motorists near the construction site.
Early morning accident causes delays By Monica Sattley February 10, 2003 An eight-hour delay occurred in the northbound lanes of Interstate 30 Monday morning as the result of a tractor-trailer charging through a concrete barrier, hitting construction equipment and finally skidding to a halt in two pieces. The driver suffered a minor cut, the Arkansas State Police reported. No other vehicles were involved. At 2 a.m. the driver of a truck carrying epoxy resin from Freeport, Texas, to Huron, Ohio, "lost control of her vehicle," said ASP Trooper Quinn Best. The road was not icy, Best said. "There were no road conditions whatsoever," he said. When the truck struck the concrete barrier, it then bounced off equipment owned by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department's contractor, PBS&J. The equipment included a generator, a skid-loader, a crusher and a front-end loader. "When it hit the front-end loader, it ripped the trailer in two," Best said. The tractor half "continued on and the trailer straddled the concrete barrier." Traffic was re-routed to the service road while the tractor and trailer were towed away and 75 gallons of diesel fuel were cleaned up. "There's a lot to clean up in an accident like this when it involves a commercial vehicle," Best said.
UPDATE Worker Struck On Tri-State Highway Downgraded; Victim Listed In Critical Condition MONROE, Ohio -- One of the two people struck by a car Wednesday morning while working in a highway median has taken a turn for the worse. Ron Gambrell and Bonnie Mills, employees of Security Fence Co. of Northside, were installing safety fence on Interstate 75 near Monroe when they were hit, WLWT Eyewitness News 5 reported. Gambrell, 52, was flown to University Hospital. He was listed in serious condition initially, but was downgraded to critical condition Thursday morning, according to WLWT. Mills was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. She is listed in serious condition. The stretch of roadway on Interstate 75 between Interstate 275 and Dayton has seen its share of serious accidents. Workers were out Wednesday to help make things safer, but ended up caught in the middle of danger, WLWT's Tony Gnau reported. One driver slowed down for the construction workers, but, according to police, the car behind him failed to stop in time because the second driver was following too closely. "A (vehicle) swerved to avoid other vehicles that had already collided with each other," Ohio Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Michael Black said. "It swerved into the median and hit two workers that were working in the median there." As the victims were flown from the accident scene, they left behind mangled wreckage that symbolically served as a cruel irony, Gnau reported. The project was to improve safety on that stretch of highway. "We were installing a cable rail system for this exact reason," worker Darryl Winningham said. Black said that such accidents can be avoided by putting more space between your car and the one in front of you. "Vehicles, when they're following too close, they don't have enough time, they don't leave themselves enough time to react," he said. "And then they have to swerve, and once you start swerving at 65 mph, you leave yourself nowhere to go except out of control." Construction workers are, unfortunately, quite familiar with the orange cones, which they say are out there for an important reason. "You've got 2-ton cars coming down on you," Winningham said. "You're helpless, just defenseless." Added Black: "We always ask if people leave enough distance in between vehicles so they can react to something that happens in front of them, so this does not occur." Winningham said Wednesday's wreck had more to do with general driving habits than the particular stretch of interstate that's being repaired, Gnau reported. "It doesn't matter the stretch of road, really," he said. "It's all the same. (Interstate) 71, 75, it's just all the same. It's just as dangerous as it gets." Stay tuned to WLWT Eyewitness News 5 and ChannelCincinnati.com for updates to this story as they become available.
I-95 Accident...Worker Hit by Vehicle The accident happened just before 9:30pm Sunday evening. The victim was directing traffic on I-95 where it meets the beltway in Baltimore County, when a vehicle allegedly struck him. The accident involved 2 vehicles, and no one else was injured; however, the construction worker was taken to Saint Agnes Hospital. So far, there is no word about the victim's condition.
Workers Struck On Local Interstate; Victims Flown To Tri-State Hospitals MONROE, Ohio -- Two people working in the median of a local interstate were struck by a car Wednesday morning. The accident happened just before 9 a.m. on southbound Interstate 75 near state Route 63 in Monroe, WLWT Eyewitness News 5 reported. Ron Gambrell, 52, of Northside, was flown to University Hospital, where he is listed in serious condition, WLWT reported. The second victim, Bonnie Mills, was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Her condition is not known. Both victims are employees of the Security Fence Co. of Northside, WLWT reported. The northbound and southbound lanes of I-75 were shut down for about an hour. They reopened at about 9:45 a.m., WLWT reported. The victims are part of a crew installing barriers in the highway median because of a rash of accidents in which cars traveling one direction crossed the median and slammed into oncoming vehicles. When completed, the 14-mile barrier will run from Hamilton-Mason Road in Butler County to just south of state Route 73 in Warren County, WLWT reported. Stay tuned to WLWT Eyewitness News 5 and refresh this ChannelCincinnati.com page throughout the day for details.
KHP continues probe into recent fatal accident By JOE NOGA Morning Sun Staff Writer The Kansas Highway Patrol is still investigating the death of a survey worker last week north of Girard. According to Lt. Rick Wilson, of the highway patrol, the investigation is nearly complete, but investigators are still trying to piece together the events surrounding the incident. "We are still working on it," Wilson said. "Basically, we are looking at where the workers were in the roadway, what their movement was at the time and the circumstances surrounding the incident." At this point investigators know that around 10:42 a.m. on Jan. 24, a 1994 Chevy Astro van, driven by Lawrence L. Henderson, 48, of Farlington, struck Mark A. Nelson, 22, and Richard C. Stinnett, 20, both survey workers from Oklahoma City. Nelson was pronounced dead at the scene and Stinnett was taken to Hospital District No. 1 of Crawford County by Crawford County EMS. Henderson was uninjured. Wilson said that Stinnett was released the next day from the hospital. "His injuries were not as serious as they first thought," he said. Nelson and Stinnett were working on the roadway when the van hit them. According to Wilson, Henderson hit at least one of them with the right front corner of the van. According to Wilson, Henderson stopped after striking the men and a passer-by called 911. Wilson said that the investigation would have been easier if there had been a witness to the events of the morning. "It doesn't necessarily make (the investigation) more difficult but it would be easier if we had a direct witness to it," he said. "We are looking at witnesses who were there shortly before and shortly after the incident, trying to piece together where everyone was and what their movements were. Things such as that." Wilson said he expects the investigation to be done by the first part of next week. "We are looking at every single aspect of the accident," he said. "The speed of the van, the guys; location, the advance warning, just everything we can possibly look at to complete the report."
TDOT workers injured by Alagasco truck By Stephanie Taylor January 18, 2003 TUSCALOOSA | Three city workers who were injured in a vehicle collision Thursday while working on the Hugh Thomas Bridge have been released from the hospital. Malcolm Storey, Billy Powell and Jamaal McCollins were cleaning inlets on the downtown bridge in preparation for possible severe weather and icy conditions Thursday night. Inlets are the openings for water drainage on the sides of a bridge. The Tuscaloosa Department of Transportation workers had blocked traffic in the right northbound lane while they cleaned the roadway. The Alagasco driver said he didn’t realize the TDOT truck had stopped. He said he couldn’t tell whether it was stalled or just moving slowly. He tried to get in the left lane, and when he saw that he couldn’t, it was too late to stop," said Beverly Stone, an Alagasco spokeswoman. When the driver hit the brakes, she said, the Alagasco truck slid on the wet road and collided with the TDOT vehicle. The three city workers were treated for minor injuries at DCH Regional Medical Center. TDOT director Joe Robinson said the men/ssuffered no visible injuries but were experiencing back, leg and neck pain. Tuscaloosa Police Department Capt. Mitt Tubbs said that the chance of being injured in an accident is greater if both vehicles are moving at very different speeds. If a vehicle traveling 45 miles per hour struck a vehicle traveling 20 miles per hour, the impact would be less than if one of the vehicles were not moving. “The impact is greater if the vehicle is stopped," he said. Tubbs said that, according to the accident report that was made available on Friday, the Alagasco driver rounded a curve on the bridge and saw the yellow strobe lights the TDOT workers had set up in the roadway but wasn’t able to stop in time. Stone said that Alagasco employees attend monthly safety classes, which include an annual defensive driving course. “We regret that [the wreck] happened. We’re really glad that everyone’s fine and that there were no serious injuries," she said. “We take this kind of thing very seriously because we have such a strong safety program." Robinson said that this is the first time workers have been injured while working on one of the city’s bridges. “We’ve been very fortunate that we’re able to attract the attention of drivers almost all the time, to let them know we’re working," he said.
Worker Killed While Directing Traffic Laid to Rest A state highway worker killed while directing traffic near a fatal accident was laid to rest Saturday. 20-year-old Christopher Mills was hit by a pickup truck, while flagging cars at the crash site three miles east of Manchester on the Daniel Boone Parkway on Tuesday. Mills was taken to Manchester Memorial Hospital, where he died from his injuries. Workers were removing a tractor-trailer that had been involved in a wreck Monday night, resulting in one death. In that wreck, police said a car driven by 33-year-old Robert L. Rucker, of Bulan, crossed the center line into the path of a tractor-trailer loaded with coal and driven by 44-year-old Cary J. Logan of Wooton. Rucker was pronounced dead at the scene. Logan was taken to Manchester Memorial.
UPDATE, Injured Nevada highway workers slowly recover ASSOCIATED PRESS 12/27/2002 ELKO - Four Nevada Department of Transportation workers seriously injured when a car plowed through a construction zone on Interstate 80 are slowly recovering. But the agency said all have a long way to go. The crew was repairing a guardrail Nov. 27 about 25 miles east of Battle Mountain when a car slammed into a heavy equipment loader. The driver of the car died instantly. The loader spun around, striking three workers who were standing nearby. The legs of two workers were partially amputated. Mike Anderson, 38, lost a portion of his left leg and will be fitted with a prosthesis in the near future, NDOT said. Steve Werner, 47, remains hospitalized. He suffered the partial loss of a leg as well as head injuries, but officials said his is making steady progress. Patty Griffith, 41, suffered broken ribs and a fractured knee and may require further surgery, and 44-year-old David Dyer, who was operating the loader, suffered back and head injuries and is receiving physical therapy. All four workers are from the Elko area. Co-workers set up an account to help the families with incidental expenses during their long recoveries, and so far nearly $8,000 has been donated and distributed to the workers, the agency said.
