At about 9:30 in the morning, a 55-year-old excavator worker was struck by a car while standing in a two-lane state highway. He was acting as a spotter so that the driver of a dump truck could safely back out of a roadway. The accident occurred just as the worker stepped out onto the highway. Investigators say the worker was dressed in dark pants, a dark shirt, and was wearing no high visibility garments of any kind.
The posted speed along this roadway was 35 miles per hour and the State Patrol investigating the accident believed the driver was driving about 38 mph. There was no reported indication that the driver was “under the influence” or distracted while driving. There were, however, no posted signs along the roadway indicating road work ahead or warnings of any kind. The driver of the car said he simply did not see the worker.