Worker Robert Bartz, 43, died, severals others were injured when the man-lift they were on got hit by reckless truck driver Justin Clark, 31, who failed to obey road work signs in Clarksville, TN

A worker who was on a lift when it was hit by a truck on Riverside Drive Friday has died from his injuries.

Robert Bartz, 43, died Thursday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, according to Clarksville Police spokesman Jim Knoll.

At about 11:37 a.m. Friday, Justin Clark, 31, was driving southbound on Riverside Drive, passing through a work zone, and for some reason did not maintain the work zone travel pattern, Knoll said.

His truck hit a stationary police cruiser and then two lifts carrying workers who were painting the pedestrian overpass.

Three of the people injured were on the two lifts, Knoll said.

Bartz and Gerald Buck, 41, were both flown to Vanderbilt.

Also on the lifts were with Charles King II, 59, and Charles King III, 26. Charles King II was treated at Tennova Healthcare and released.

The driver of the truck, Clark, was also taken to Tennova and released. No charges had been filed in the crash as of Thursday, but it remains under investigation, Knoll said.

 Worker Robert Bartz, 43, died, severals others were injured when the man-lift they were on got hit by reckless truck driver Justin Clark, 31, who failed to obey road work signs in Clarksville, TN

• Studied Business management at Kirtland Community College
• Went to Roscommon High School
• Lives in Clarksville, Tennessee
• From New Castle, Indiana

   

  

  Bartz, this one is for you.  RIP, bro.
  

   

Rob Sandberg, 43, of Camarillo, a pilot for Alaska Airlines, crashed the Condor Squadron-owned North American SNJ-5 (T-6) vintage plane in Agoura Hills, California

CA: All Lanes Reopened on 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills After Crash of Small Plane Alejandra Reyes-Velarde On Oct 24, 2018


Oct. 24, 2018--

A vintage small plane crashed onto the 101 in Agoura Hills on Tuesday afternoon, shutting down the freeway in both directions, authorities said.

Los Angeles County firefighters arrived at the crash site near Liberty Canyon Road about 1:50 p.m. According to spokeswoman Vanessa Lozano, the plane crashed "in the middle of the freeway."

No injuries were reported, and no one was taken to a hospital. Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Marvin Lim said he did not know whether the pilot was able to safely exit the plane himself or had been removed by rescuers.

About 4:15 p.m., the north and southbound slow lanes reopened, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Chris Baldonado. Because the crash happened between the on- and offramps, traffic was directed off the freeway and immediately back on the other side of the crash, he said.

All lanes on both sides of the freeway were reopened shortly before 6 p.m., the CHP reported on Twitter.

Images tweeted by drivers on the freeway showed the vintage airplane in flames, emitting a black cloud of smoke. Firefighters put out the flames about 2:15 p.m., officials said.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Terry Williams said the agency was "in the very early stages of the investigation and will have more information tomorrow." Officials identified the plane as a North American SNJ-5 (T-6), a trainer aircraft used by the U.S. Army Air Forces, U.S. Navy, Royal Air Force and others during World War II.

Chris Rushing, president of the nonprofit Condor Squadron, said the plane belongs to his organization. According to its website, the group was formed in 1965 to preserve World War II history.

"The pilot obviously had a catastrophic failure and had to put it down on the 101," Rushing said. "Thank God he's OK and no one got hurt on the ground." Rushing said the pilot, whom he identified as Rob Sandberg, was able to get out of his plane.

Cole Puente, who was driving on the freeway when the crash occurred, said traffic was sparse but that he was surprised no injuries had been reported. "I find that really remarkable," said Puente, a 28-year-old Thousand Oaks resident. "I'm guessing it was just a very fortunate set of circumstances."

6:10 p.m.: This article was updated with the freeway being reopened.

4:50 p.m.: This article was updated with details from the NTSB and the plane's owner.

3 p.m.: This article has been updated with more details.

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The pilot of a small vintage plane with German fighter aircraft markings that crash-landed on the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills on Tuesday decided to set down on the roadway after the plane’s engine began to fail.

Rob Sandberg, 43, of Camarillo, a pilot for Alaska Airlines, had taken off from Van Nuys Airport on a practice flight when the plane’s engine began running rough, said Chris Rushing, president of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Condor Squadron, which owns the plane, a North American SNJ-5 (T-6).

This type of aircraft was used by the U.S. Army Air Forces, Navy, Royal Air Force and others during World War II, according to historical reports. The plane was deemed airworthy in 1958, Federal Aviation Administration records show.

Sandberg has been a member of the Condor Squadron for more than a decade. The organization was formed in 1965 by a group of former World War II fighter pilots to honor those who have flown for the U.S. military.

Rushing said the engine continued to experience issues as Sandberg tried to fly back to the airport, so he looked for an open spot and set the plane down on the freeway. A video shot by a driver shows the aircraft flying low before it touched down, bounced up and then stopped at the center divider, where it burst into flames.

“We train for this as pilots,” Rushing said. “We’re always thinking about the worst-case scenario. We just hope it never happens.”

Los Angeles County firefighters arrived at the crash site near Liberty Canyon Road about 1:50 p.m. and extinguished the flames. Images tweeted by drivers on the freeway showed the vintage airplane in flames, emitting black smoke. No one was hurt in the crash landing.

Sandberg couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday, but the pilot told KABC-TV Channel 7 that he chose a section of the freeway where there weren’t any cars.

“The engine completely failed,” he told the station. “I was able to fortunately not hurt anybody, other than the airplane.”

The crash prompted the California Highway Patrol to close the freeway in both directions for about four hours as officials investigated and moved the plane. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Sandberg has been a pilot with Alaska Airlines for five years and is a first officer for the airline based out of Los Angeles, according to a company spokesperson.

The airline honored Sandberg with the Spirit of Community Caring Award in 2014 for his volunteer work with the Condor Squadron. A blog post on the airline’s website notes that despite having never served in the military, Sandberg was influenced by his father’s and grandfather’s experiences serving in World War II.

“I remember being around them and their World War II buddies, going to reunions and air shows, and that really shaped who I am,” he told the airline in 2014. “I grew up knowing a lot of the guys who were still flying World War II airplanes, and that always seemed really cool.”