A Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) contractor, identified as 48-year-old Raymon Cruz-Sanchez of Cedar Hill, was seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle while he was collecting litter on the right shoulder of Interstate 65. The incident occurred just before noon on Friday near Harding Place, south of Nashville.
According to NewsChannel 5, Cruz-Sanchez was wearing a reflective safety vest and was engaged in the act of throwing trash into the rear of a trailer attached to a Dodge Ram pickup truck, when a Hyundai Azera sedan, driven by a 27-year-old woman, reportedly experiencing mechanical problems, pulled onto the shoulder and hit him. Cruz-Sanchez was subsequently pinned between the trailer and the sedan.
Currently hospitalized in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Cruz-Sanchez's injuries have been deemed critical. "The victim has critical injuries and we are praying for their recovery," was stated by TDOT regional communications officer Erin Ziegler, in a statement obtained by WKRN. The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has launched an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.
The driver of the Hyundai informed the police that she was not impaired at the time of the incident. She has not been charged while the investigation is ongoing. This event adds to a concerning pattern of safety issues involving TDOT workers and equipment on highways, with WSMV reporting that TDOT vehicles or equipment had been struck 73 times in the year 2024.
