WALTON, Ind. — A highway worker suffered multiple broken bones when he was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic in Cass County early Wednesday.
State police say the crash happened on US 35 near Cass County Road 500 South near Walton around 8:15 a.m. Thursday. Investigators believe a pick-up truck driven by 83-year-old James Paullus was approaching the area, where Charles Davis was holding a stop sign to control traffic around a highway crew that was working on the road. Paullus stopped, but his truck was clipped by a Nissan Sentra driven by 38-year-old Yigermal Getachew of Indianapolis, who failed to stop and swerved to avoid Paullus' truck.
The Nissan swerved to avoid Paullus' vehicle, and struck Davis on the shoulder of the road.
According to our partners at the Pharos-Tribune, Davis was flown to a Fort Wayne hospital in critical condition. State police said he had suffered several broken bones.
Neither of the drivers involved in the incident were injured. The investigation is ongoing, but police do not believe drugs or alcohol played a factor in the crash.
Davis' employer, Rieth-Riley Construction Co., halted the construction project until their workers can safely return to the job site, the Pharos-Tribune reported. The company has also made counselors available to those workers who need it.
