Mesquite, Texas — A 45-year-old TxDOT litter crew member was seriously injured Thursday (02/20/2014) afternoon when he was struck by an out-of-control truck while working near the highway.
The accident happened at around 2:23 p.m. near the 1300 block of eastbound Highway 80. According to police, the driver of the truck was caught off guard by slowed traffic (meaning he was either following too closely or not paying attention) and veered off to the right of the highway in order to avoid hitting the traffic ahead of him or her. The truck still ended up striking the rear of a Honda which was in the right lane, and continued off to the right of the road where the driver struck a member of the Texas Department of Transportation’s litter crew.
The worker was transported by air ambulance (CareFlite) to Methodist Dallas Medical Center in serious condition. Luckily, the injured victim is expected to live.
The TxDOT litter crew works to clean up our highways, and you’ve probably seen them wearing bright vests while carrying a litter spike and trash bag. I’d like to take this moment to stress the importance of driving alertly and defensively – especially when you see a work crew or construction zone with workers present. April 7th, 2014 begins National Work Zone Awareness Week, and an incident like this just serves to reinforce why we must continue to raise awareness about this issue.
