Two state highway workers were injured less than seven hours apart last week.
Both were on foot when they were struck by moving vehicles, and one of the drivers also received serious injuries.
• The more severe accident happened Nov. 1 at 5:25 a.m., sending two people to the hospital with serious injuries.
Basil E. Bailey, 39, of Morrisville was driving south on Interstate 89 in Middlesex when his 2002 Saturn SL sedan struck a Ford construction truck, shoving it forward into Kristy L. Cote, 37, of Sutton, Vermont State Police said.
Cote, an employee of ADA Traffic Control, was on foot, performing construction work, when she was hit, police said, and she suffered a serious leg injury.
Bailey was not wearing a seat belt and suffered bone fractures in his head/spine area and his torso, police said.
Bailey and Cote were both taken to Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, and both were later transferred to UVM Medical Center in Burlington.
Both the truck and the Saturn were demolished.
Police were investigating the accident, but no charges had been reported by press time.
Both southbound lanes of I-89 were closed briefly, then one travel lane was opened. Numerous first responders were at the crash, and authorities spotted two drivers —Megan Ashworth 31, of Barre and Eucaris Median, 34, of Montpelier — with cellphones in their hands while driving, a violation of state law. Both got tickets; the fine for a first offense is $162.
• A similar incident had occurred hours before.
According to police, at 11:04 p.m. on Oct. 31, 40-year-old Graham Taylor, 40, of Morrisville was driving south in a work zone on Route 100 in Waterbury when his 1995 Chevrolet van struck Michael Brauer, 61, of North Stratford, N.H., who was working as a highway flagger. Brauer was taken to Central Vermont Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Taylor told police he got confused by the lights and activity at the nighttime construction project and did not see the flagger until it was too late to avoid him.
According to police, Taylor’s vehicle registration had expired and he’s been charged with driving with a criminally suspended license. He’s due in Washington County Superior Court on Nov. 29.
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