(Photo: MARANDA FARIS/The Jackson Sun)
TDOT worker killed in Alamo ID'd
Maranda Faris, The Jackson Sun 7:49 p.m. CDT July 27, 2016
ALAMO, TN — James "Pee Wee" Hopkins was killed Wednesday after he was hit by a car while working road repairs with the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
TDOT identified Hopkins as an operations technician who had been with the department since 1996. He is the second TDOT worker killed in the line of duty this year, according to TDOT.
Tennessee Highway Patrol Lt. Cary Hopkins said James Hopkins was hit by a car coming through the construction area where crews were working to level "high spots" on the road. James Hopkins was directing traffic, acting as a flagman for the work crews, where the road had been shut down from a two-lane to one-lane roadway.
Hopkins said the wreck is still under investigation. The wreck was reported between 11:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Highway 88 at the intersection of U.S. 412, near Alamo.
"TDOT was doing some road maintenance out here and had the road down to one lane," Lt. Hopkins said. "Basically, they had a flagman out stopping traffic because it was down to one lane and we had a car that failed to yield, and hit the TDOT worker."
The name of the driver has not been released, but Lt. Hopkins said it was likely charges would be filed against the driver of the four-door Cadillac that hit James Hopkins.
The exit ramp, between Maury City and Alamo, was shut down while THP troopers and TDOT crews worked to clear the wreck.
Nichole Lawrence, spokesperson for the West Tennessee division of TDOT, said the work being done on the roadway was routine maintenance.
"We had crews out here in Crockett County doing some routine maintenance. They had a lane shut down, and our flagman was unfortunately struck and killed this morning," Lawrence said. "There's areas in our pavements that get little bumps in them, and we randomly go out and mill those up and sweep up the debris and clean those up. That's why we had the lane closure."
Lawrence said crews started work earlier in the day on Highway 54 and were working their way down the highway between Maury City and Alamo to smooth out the bumps in the roadway.
As crews finished clearing the wreck around 2 p.m., Lawrence asked for prayers, both for James Hopkins' family and for the TDOT workers who knew him.
"There's going to be lots of prayers said for this, and for (Hopkins') family, and his TDOT family as well," she said. "It's a good time to remind motorists, and we remind them all the time, this is a dangerous job. Please watch for us. We wear our vests and hardhats. Those flagmen are out there to tell you to stop or slow down for a reason."
Lt. Hopkins said wrecks involving road crews are not typical.
"You had a good line of sight," he said. "I don't know what factors played a role in him not being able to see the TDOT worker."
TDOT released a statement Wednesday afternoon identifying James Hopkins, an employee who had been promoted from a highway maintenance worker in 2005, and again in 2014 to operations technician. He is the 111th TDOT worker killed since 1948, according to the release.
"We lost one of our own today, and it breaks your heart for the family and for the TDOT family across the state," Gov. Bill Haslam said in the release.
Counselors will be available for employees in the West Tennessee region and across the state as needed, the release said.
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TDOT worker killed while flagging traffic in West TN Posted: Jul 27, 2016 5:08 PM EST Updated: Jul 27, 2016 5:08 PM EST
Posted by Stuart Ervin
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
Officials said a Tennessee Department of Transportation worker was killed on the job Wednesday in West Tennessee.
James Hopkins, an operations technician, was flagging traffic around a maintenance crew along State Route 54 in Crockett County when he was hit by a vehicle.
Hopkins, 63, had worked with TDOT since 1996.
No other workers were hurt. TDOT officials said the crash remains under investigation.
This is the second time a TDOT worker has been killed on the job this year.
In April, David Younger was hit by a semi-truck while he was on the side of the road in Hickman County.
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