Lake County Prosecutor's Office Charges Man in Indiana Construction Zone Accident
A Hammond man, who struck and killed a construction worker in a drunk driving accident in northwest Indiana, has been charged with reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
Earlier this month, Robert Shannon was driving under the influence of alcohol when he sped through a construction zone, mowing down construction worker Christopher Jenkins. The impact of the accident was so severe Jenkins flew through the windshield of Sharon's car, and landed on the motorist. When the car came to a stop, Sharon got out of the car, and fled the scene on foot. He then made a call to his girlfriend who reported him to authorities.
The accident occurred in the early hours of morning. Under investigation, Shannon admitted that he had been drinking in the hours leading up to the crash.
Soon after the accident, the Indianapolis Star ran a report on the increasing number of work zone accidents and fatalities in Indiana. In 2007, there were seven fatalities and 835 injuries in Highway work zone accidents in Indiana. Those numbers had increased to 14 fatalities in 2008.
Much of this increase can be attributed to the fact that there is more construction work going on in Indiana now, than before. The availability of federal stimulus funds has meant a large number of highway projects are underway across the state. Adding to the problem is the fact that there has been very little emphasis on work zone safety and poor oversight of the contractors who are awarded highway construction projects.
When you add reckless, speeding or intoxicated motorists to this situation, it’s easy to see the risk to construction workers.
The Indiana car accident lawyers at Theodoros and Rooth help injured victims of auto and car accidents in the Lake County region, and across Indiana, recover compensation for their injuries.
