On Crash Responder Safety Week, MDOT Worker Recounts Being Hit By A Car Four Times

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Every time Steven Stinchcomb goes to enactment arsenic an exigency effect technician, helium knows he’s risking his life.

On Crash Responder Safety Week, it’s clip to summation consciousness to little the chances. Stinchcomb has been deed by a car 4 times successful his career. But a infinitesimal two-and-a-half years agone stands out, arsenic helium laid connected his backmost connected I-695.

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“I’m looking up astatine the entity and I spot cars going astir maine connected some sides,” helium told WJZ portion sitting successful his effect truck. “I’m like, ‘Man, I request to get up and get retired of present earlier I get deed again.’ So I stood up and ran successful beforehand of my motortruck arsenic accelerated arsenic I could.”

His scars person healed but the memories are fresh.

“I had a beauteous bully chopped connected my manus from my pouch weapon and I had immoderate scraps and bruises from being dragged connected my little extremities,” helium said.

Other road workers weren’t arsenic fortunate.

Last month, 38-year-old AAA idiosyncratic Muhammad Shehzad was killed by a operator connected I-70 successful Marriottsville aft changing a level tire. Since 2016, determination person been 68 crashes astatine sites wherever Maryland Department of Transportation archetypal responders were tending to postulation calls.

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Joey Sagal, lawman head of operations for the proscription agency, is urging drivers to beryllium cautious.

“We’re asking and urging motorists to dilatory down, determination implicit erstwhile you tin and if you can’t determination over, delight admit the accidental to astatine slightest dilatory down erstwhile you can,” helium said.

Cameras connected authorities trucks were installed years agone but tin lone assistance truthful overmuch erstwhile radical substance portion driving oregon don’t wage attention. Gov. Larry Hogan has declared Nov. 8 to 14 arsenic Crash Responder Safety Week successful an effort to raise awareness astir archetypal responders astatine mishap scenes.

Stinchcomb recognizes the benefits of the job.

“It’s a bully job. I emotion helping people,” helium said. “We’re similar the unsung heroes. We get to assistance people.”

Stinchcomb is fortunate to beryllium alive.

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A year-and-a-half ago, Stinchcomb was presented with the Lifesaving Award from the American Red Cross. He said moments similar that marque up for each the atrocious ones astatine his job.

Max McGee