By Micheal Chukwuebuka, Reporting
A Caltrans worker was struck and killed by a tow truck Monday while trying to pick up trash on the San Diego (5) Freeway in San Clemente.
According to California Highway Patrol Officer B. Kinsey, the crash happened about 9:35 a.m. on the northbound side of the freeway just north of Avenue Palizado.
Two Caltrans workers had pulled over to the right shoulder of the freeway to pick up some debris when a freeway service patrol tow truck driver veered off the road onto the shoulder and slammed into the Caltrans vehicle and ran over the worker, Kinsey said.
The worker was later identified as 55-year-old Alexander Rodish, who had worked with Caltrans since 2021.
It was unknown why the tow truck driver veered off the road, but he was taken to Mission Hospital following the crash for minor injuries.
The force of the collision launched the Caltrans vehicle into the air and over a curb where it struck a Nissan Rogue driving up the onramp, Kinsey said.
The Nissan driver sustained minor injuries as did the other Caltrans worker.
Stonix News reports that Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) is a state agency responsible for transportation in California.
It oversees the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the state’s transportation system, including:
Highways, Bridges, Tunnels, Railroads, Public transportation systems and Bike and pedestrian paths.
Caltrans also manages traffic operations, emergency response, and transportation-related environmental issues. Its mission is to provide a safe, sustainable, and efficient transportation system for California’s residents and visitors.
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