LEVY COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) says a state Department of Transportation (DOT) worker was injured in an accident Tuesday morning while rerouting traffic.
Smoke from a prescribed burn at Goethe State Forest caused troopers to shut down portions of three roads in Levy County due to dangerously low visibility. The impacted roads included:
- US 19 near the intersection of SR-121. The detour is setup south of the closure in Inglis at CR-40 and north of the closure at SR-24.
- SR 121 is closed from the intersection of US-19 to CR-337. The detour is set up on CR-337.
- CR 336 is closed from the intersection of CR-337 to SR-121.
Troopers say a Toyota pickup truck being driven by a 25-year-old woman from Dunnellon was traveling south on CR 337, approaching the intersection of SR 121.
“Due to diminished visibility from fog and smoke in the area, all southbound traffic was being rerouted to travel north on SR 121,” said troopers in a news release.
Troopers say the DOT worker was standing in the intersection of SR 121 and CR 337 behind traffic cones. FHP says the pickup truck driver did not try to stop and proceeded through the intersection. Troopers say the front of her vehicle hit a large traffic cone and then hit and critically injured the DOT worker.
The DOT employee has been identified as a 64-year-old man from Chiefland. FHP says he was air lifted to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
FHP says that all roads have been reopened as of 1:15 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 30.