When an Alabama Department of Transportation crew member was hit by a car on U.S. Highway 29, he was flown to a hospital by Life Flight. Tragically, he died from personal injuries almost two weeks later on December 26. The man was only 21-years-old.

The young man was working as a flagman when he struck by a Geo Prism driven by a 19-year-old woman. The impact caused one of his boots and his cell phone and radio to become dislodged from his body, said an emergency responder to the scene.

According to a sergeant with Alabama Highway Patrol, no charges have been filed, but the case is being investigated. The AHP Traffic Homicide Unit is conducting the investigation and waiting on toxicology reports from the Department of Forensic Sciences.

Working as a flagman, the young man's job was to warn drivers that workers were present and they should slow down. There were also signs warning that speeding fines would be doubled if workers were present.

While the young man initially seemed to be recovering well and had come through surgeries for his spleen and leg, his body had experienced too much trauma. There was a lot of trauma to his chest and lung and he had contracted pneumonia in that lung. He was sedated and on a ventilator, and doctors told the young man's mother that it would probably be a couple of weeks before they tried to wake him up. He died when his blood pressure dropped suddenly and medical staff could not save his life.

The tragic accident should serve to remind the public that roadway maintenance is potentially dangerous and that driver should exercise caution in work zones.

Source: The Troy Messenger, "Friends, family mourn Hussey's passing," Robbyn Brooks, Dec. 27, 2011