A professional with 37 years of experience keeping drivers and workers safe on local highways is now battling a devastating workplace injury.
An employee of Okanagan Traffic Control Professionals was in Lavington. The 66-year-old Enderby resident remains in serious but stable condition at 91大黄鸭 General Hospital.
While the loving wife and mother to two sons and a daughter fights in hospital, her colleagues are shaken by the incident.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty terrible thing,鈥� said Traci Jeeves, OCTP owner.
Unable to hold back her tears, Jeeves explains how Friday was a special day for the flagger.
鈥淚t was her 66th birthday on the day she was hurt.鈥�
Having worked for her for 10 years, no one ever would have expected this to happen.
鈥淪he was top notch. She had 37 years experience so it鈥檚 a bit of a shock to all of us who have a lot of experience because there鈥檚 nothing we could have done,鈥� said Jeeves, who has been in business for 17 years and says her staff have hundreds of hours of experience.
鈥淚f anyone would have been hurt I would have never guessed it would have been anyone from my team.鈥�
Therefore the incident has left the 鈥渇amily鈥� at OCTP shaken.
鈥淭here is critical, serious head injuries,鈥� said Jeeves. 鈥淪he is not doing very good so we are waiting for her to respond to medications that will reduce the bleeding and swelling in her head.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty hard.鈥�
Jeeves only hopes that the incident can serve as a reminder to motorists to pay attention.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter how much experience you (traffic control personnel) have, if a driver is distracted it, it can happen.鈥�
At the same time, she feels for the 75-year-old driver.
鈥淭his poor driver he made an error and now he鈥檚, I鈥檓 sure, mourning and grieving somewhere - I just can鈥檛 imagine how he鈥檚 feeling.
鈥淗e tried to stop, he saw our stop sign but couldn鈥檛 stop in time, for whatever reason. It was an accident.鈥�
Meanwhile an for the site where the flagger was hit, has been moved from the somber site. The event will take place on Highway 97 in Vernon on hospital hill.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little too soon,鈥� said Jeeves. 鈥淗ow do we support that? I would love to be there, but I was just there picking up garments on the roadway.鈥�
While she knows those planning the event and attending mean well, it鈥檚 still so raw for those still in shock from the incident.
鈥淚鈥檓 supporting my workers to do whatever they want. But Sunday was a world day of remembrance for traffic victims. I don鈥檛 think we need another day this close to when (she) was hurt.鈥�
jennifer@vernonmorningstar.com
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