Gonzales, LA — A construction worker was injured when he was hit by a passing automobile in Gonzales, Louisiana, on Monday, June 29, 2015. The accident happened at the intersection of Church Point Road and Guitreau Road, around 5:45 in the afternoon.
Police identified 30-year-old Emily Hughes as the woman who hit a construction flagman after being told that construction work in the area was going to block the flow of traffic. The worker told Hughes that she could either wait for the work to be finished, or turn around and leave. Hughes drove through the construction zone, hitting the flagman as she passed. She gave the construction crew a fake phone number and address where police could reach her before fleeing the scene. Hughes had four children inside her vehicle at the time.
Witnesses took the woman’s license plate number down and gave it to police. Police located her and placed her under arrest. She was charged with disturbing the peace, hit-and-run, and aggravated battery.
The name of the construction worker hasn’t been released, and the extent of his injuries is unclear. The accident is currently being investigated.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
Whenever someone is injured in a work accident, they’ll usually have some sort of recourse through their employer’s workers’ comp policy. The policy will pay out benefits that can be used for medical expenses or lost wages. However, this same policy will also forbid an employee from bringing a claim against the employer. That’s the big catch in the workers’ comp system. However, this rule doesn’t apply to third parties involved in an accident, such as the woman responsible for what happened here. In those cases in which a third party is involved, the injured employee is perfectly within their rights in bringing a claim against them.
— Grossman Law Offices
