A recent traffic accident in a highway construction zone has claimed the life of an off-duty police officer and seriously injured a California highway worker. Road work was being done on Highway 132, and it was limited to one lane of traffic with eastbound and westbound traffic alternating usage of the open lane. Authorities say a semi-truck slammed into the rear of the off-duty officer’s vehicle, causing that car to lurch forward into a second vehicle. The impact killed the driver of the first vehicle, and the California highway worker suffered an injury on the job as the second car careened into him.
Officials say the accident occurred around noon along a stretch of Highway 132 just west of Modesto. Initial reports indicate signs warning drivers they were approaching a construction zone were placed along the road approximately one half-mile from where the accident occurred. The California highway worker signaled for eastbound traffic to stop, allowing westbound traffic to use the open lane. The truck driver purportedly did not slow down soon enough, and this created the chain of events that led to the death of the driver of the first car and the injury to the road worker.
Officials say the accident occurred around noon along a stretch of Highway 132 just west of Modesto. Initial reports indicate signs warning drivers they were approaching a construction zone were placed along the road approximately one half-mile from where the accident occurred. The California highway worker signaled for eastbound traffic to stop, allowing westbound traffic to use the open lane. The truck driver purportedly did not slow down soon enough, and this created the chain of events that led to the death of the driver of the first car and the injury to the road worker.
Accident reports show the driver of the semi-truck and the driver of the second vehicle were not injured. However, the highway worker was reported to have serious injuries as a result of the accident. He was stabilized and airlifted to a Modesto hospital, where it was said he was alert and talking. First responders pronounced the driver of the first vehicle, the off-duty police officer, dead at the scene. The name of the officer was not immediately released in order that authorities would have the opportunity to inform the family.
For many reasons, including altered traffic patterns and the presence of road workers and heavy equipment, highway construction zones can be highly dangerous. The California highway worker who suffered an injury on the job in this case may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for his medical bills and the time he may miss from work as a result of this incident. The family of the deceased police officer would likely gain by investigating their rights under our state laws to pursue civil remedies for monetary damages occasioned by the acts of others that are deemed to have negligently caused the fatality.
Source: The Modesto Bee, “Oakdale officer dead in Highway 132 crash identified,” Erin Tracy, Nov. 8, 2012