A Caltrans worker sustained minor injuries after being hit by a wrong-way driver attempted to turnaround in Santa Maria Monday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officers say around 9 a.m., the northbound Highway 101 onramp to Stowell Road was shut down while Caltrans crews worked to assist with a trailer that had overturned.
Vehicles were being diverted when a driver heading eastbound on Stowell reportedly turned onto the closed onramp and headed in the wrong direction.
Officers say Caltrans workers were successful in getting the driver to stop and while helping with traffic control so she could turn around, she reportedly traveled too far forward and clipped the leg of one of the workers, pulling his leg slightly underneath the vehicle.
Caltrans says the maintenance worker suffered bruises and scrapes, adding that the agency will thoroughly investigate what happened.
The driver was not arrested.
Caltrans says it urges drivers to always “Be Work Zone Alert,” “Slow for the Cone Zone” and move over if they see flashing amber lights as “Just the smallest bit of inattentiveness on the road can have tragic consequences.”
