Pothole worker hit by SUV (hit and run, man down in my local)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100324/NEWS01/100329836/0#pothole-worker-hit-by-suv

Published Wednesday March 24, 2010

An Omaha police officer documents a hit-and-run crash in which a blue Suburban hit a city worker, then a nearby vehicle at Vinton Street and Hanscom Boulevard.
Photo link: http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=OW&Date=20100324&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=100329836&Ref=AR&maxw=490&maxh=275

An Omaha city worker helping to fill potholes was seriously injured when he was hit by a vehicle that jumped a curb, then fled the scene Wednesday morning.

The worker was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center in serious condition after being struck near 32nd and Vinton Streets about 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Mark Chase, another city employee who works with a street-sweeping crew, was driving a pickup truck in the area when he saw a blue Suburban eastbound on Vinton.

The crew filling potholes was on the side of the road. Chase said he saw the Suburban go up on the curb and hit one of the workers.
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Chase followed the Suburban after the worker was hit. The Suburban sped away from the scene, Chase said, and was driving in the wrong lane eastbound on Vinton Street. The Suburban then hit a green van driven by Bob Staab, who was not seriously injured.

The driver of the Suburban then got out of the vehicle and ran to a nearby house, Chase said.

FULL story and photo at link.

[Omaha Steve]

1. Kick

[spoony]

2. Damn, hope he makes a full recovery

In our state we have signs up at every works informing people of the stricter fines and jail sentences for infractions in work zones. I honestly don't know if the laws/signs are effective deterrents, but do you guys have anything like that?

[Maru Kitteh]

4. Yeah, we have that too.

But, no exaggeration, much of Omaha has a major (as in potentially car-killing) pot-hole every..... I dunno ..... 25 to 50 yards or so - easily. I doubt if they have enough signs.

[Maru Kitteh]

3. The potholes in Omaha ARE INSANE.

OMG. It's like driving in a freakin' war zone. I saw some fish jumping in one of them, I swear.


It will be interesting if the driver was swerving to avoid other potholes or if they just snapped and took out their frustration on one of the few people actually working to fix it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Signs, reflective vests, flashing lights

I wonder if this guy was drunk? In which case throw the book at him anyway.

True story, flashy lights are like oh SHINY to drunks... I am not kidding

That was our fear in the field.

Oh and to the worker, speedy recovery and all that.