NORWICH – A Chenango County Department of Public Works employee was struck by an SUV Tuesday as he directed traffic along County Road 32 in the Town of Norwich.
Francis French, 40, of Sherburne, was conscious when he was airlifted to Wilson Memorial Regional Medical Center in Johnson City with head and other injuries, reported emergency crews at the scene.
Wednesday morning, Director of Public Works Randy Gibbon said French had been released from the hospital and is now home with his family. He also said that the driver, 90-year-old Fred Wuthrich of Sidney, phoned the injured DPW workman at home and personally apologized for the incident.
The accident occurred at around 1:13 p.m. on Rt. 32, just north of the red light intersection at Hale Street. The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office said French was in a posted work zone at the time and directing traffic as other DPW employees were shoveling the road side ditches.
Sgt. Ted Ellingsen said witnesses reported the French was struck at a high rate of speed and went over the SUV’s hood.
Gibbon said the men were working just inside a 40 mile per hour speed zone at the time, but were also near a posted 55 mph zone. Other temporary work zone signs and flags were placed at each end of the work site to warn drivers, he said.
Police said Wuthrich was heading south on the road as he left the posted 55 mph zone and entered the 40 mph zone when the accident occurred.
Police ticketed Wuthrich with failure to stop at a stop sign, explaining that French was signaling for traffic to halt with a hand held sign when he was struck. Gibbon said he and other officials had to follow strict state guidelines in handling the incident which included inspection of the work area to ensure all safety protocols were followed.
“The guy just never saw him. The handling of these incidents are highly documented by the state and we made sure nothing was moved, got with witnesses and examined the site to ensure it was in line with all the proper safety policies – and it was,” said Gibbon.
French has worked for DPW for just over a year. Prior to that he worked at the Chenango County Office Building as a grounds keeper for about a year before his assignment to the DPW. The office also reported that work crews were using shovels to remove debris from the concrete ditches along the roadway at the time of the accident.
Gibbon said he couldn’t recall a single incident of a DPW worker being hit by a vehicle at a work site since before 1985.
“We were very fortunate this wasn’t worse. There was actually a guy working at the scene who is also a paramedic,” he said. “You can do everything you can do out there to get people to slow down, but no matter what we might do, drivers need to remain diligent. People just don’t listen and they don’t like to be slowed down. We’re lucky no one got killed.”