A highway worker barely escaped death by diving out of the way of a speeding truck that slammed into his work vehicle on a New York thoroughfare.
State Department of Transportation employee Chuck Ellerson, 61, was busy mowing and clearing garbage from Interstate 81 near Whitney Point when he noticed the rapidly approaching Penske truck.
Sandwiched between two DOT vehicles parked on the highways shoulder, Ellerson saw the yellow box truck hugging the shoulder a little too tightly before throwing his hands up.
Tucked between the two DOT vehicles parked on the highways shoulder, Chuck Ellerson saw the box truck hugging the shoulder a little too tightly before throwing his hands up
The 61-year-old highway worker quickly reacted, sprinting into a roadside ditch as the truck struck a work vehicle
Ellersons hard hat was sent flying as he dove to safety
Suddenly realizing the truck was barreling toward him, he stepped back in the nick of time as the out-of-control rig plowed into the vehicle in front of him.
Ellersons hard hat was sent flying as he ran to safety.
I tried to get out of the way the best I can, Ellerson told Good Morning America on Friday.
Next thing I know I said, "This guy is not going to miss me." I dove into the ditch a little bit, grabbed my hard hat and put it back on and sat there and tried to catch my senses for a long time.
The 28-foot rental trucks driver, Muhammed Wesley, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona, careened in the vehicle despite a flashing road sign stating Mowing Ahead.
Next thing I know I said "this guy is not going to miss me" I dove into the ditch a little bit, grabbed my hard hat and put it back on and sat there and tried to catch my senses for a long time, Ellerson said
The crash left a trail of debris in its wake
I thought for sure it was close enough to where it would have done a lot more [damage] than what it did, Ellerson said.
An investigation revealed that both the attenuator and small dump truck had their amber lights activated, a release by the New York State Police read.
The DOT released a statement of its own after the incident, urging motorists to take caution and slow down.
I tried to get out of the way the best I can, Ellerson told Good Morning America on Friday
Our highway workers put their lives on the line every day to keep NY roads safe, and this recent crash on I-81 near Whitney Point is a frightening reminder of the dangers they face, a DOT post on X stated.
Drivers: Slow down, move over, and stay alert in work zones - these simple actions can save lives.
No serious injuries were reported, state officials said.
The driver was ticketed, but the details of the citation he received remain sealed in accordance with a state law, Syracuse.com reported.
The heart-stopping video, taken via dashboard camera, was recorded the same week that a New York State Thruway worker was struck and killed on Interstate 90 in in Chautauqua County while performing roadside maintenance.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! the New York State Thruway posted on X.
This video from our partners @NYSDOT comes in the same week that the Thruway lost one of our beloved colleagues who was hit and killed while simply doing his job. Our roadside workers NEED YOUR ATTENTION. Help them get home safe and SLOW DOWN! the post added.