A 55-year-old Caltrans worker was tragically killed after being struck by a tow truck on the 5 Freeway in San Clemente Monday morning.
The incident occurred at around 9:30 a.m. on the northbound side of the freeway just north of Avenue Palizado, officials with the California Highway Patrol told City News Service.
CHP said the driver of a freeway service patrol tow truck veered out of lanes and onto the shoulder where two Caltrans employees had pulled over to clear some debris from the roadway.
The tow truck slammed into the Caltrans vehicle and purportedly ran over the worker, later identified by Caltrans Alexander Rodish.
The impact of the collision was so strong that it launched the Caltrans vehicle into the air and over the curb where it collided with a Nissan Rogue coming up the on-ramp.
“Caltrans mourns the loss of one of our own today. Alexander was a dedicated maintenance employee who was working to make our roads safer,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said in a statement. “Our thoughts and support go out to his family, friends and colleagues.”
Rodish, who began working for Caltrans in 2021, was an equipment operator II at the San Juan Capistrano maintenance yard, the statement noted. He is survived by his two adult children, a sister and a brother.
It is unclear if the second Caltrans employee suffered any injuries. The driver of the tow truck and the driver of the Nissan, according to CHP, both suffered minor injuries during the crash.
It is unknown if drugs and or alcohol were a factor in the crash.
Rodish is among the 194 Caltrans workers who have lost their lives on the job since 1921. Flags at the state capitol and all Caltrans buildings will be lowered to half-staff in his honor, officials said.