State troopers say a service technician working on the tire of a disabled semi along US 250 east was seriously injured as he was struck by a passing flatbed truck that drifted to the right of the road.
This happened Tuesday just past where the road splits off from I-77 south at New Philadelphia around 12:20 pm.
New Philadelphia Post Sgt. Clinton Armstrong says the injured service technician, 24-year-old Travis Brown of Steubenville, was flown by helicopter to an Akron hospital.
“I have no updates today. I know last night around 6pm I spoke with family members and he was still in surgery.”
The driver of the flatbed truck didn’t stick around but was located a couple hours later at a Commercial Avenue business on the south side of New Philadelphia.
Armstrong says the driver, a 33-year-old Freeport man, has been cooperative and consented to voluntary tests and a download of his cell phone.
“Our investigators spoke with him. Basically, he said he thinks he nodded off. Fell asleep. It had been a long day of work for him. He was not aware of the crash.”
When Brown was struck, he was thrown onto the driver of the semi being repaired, a 28-year-old Bridgeport man who was treated on scene.
A report will be sent to the prosecutor’s office for the consideration of charges against the flatbed driver.
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