Police: Landscaping worker struck by blinded driver

A driver, who was blinded by the sun?s glare, struck and pinned a landscaping worker under a trailer in Tarrytown Friday morning, police say. The accident happened at around 8 a.m. on Benedict Avenue,

News 12 Staff

Oct 24, 2008, 11:16 PM

Updated 5,797 days ago

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A driver, who was blinded by the sun?s glare, struck and pinned a landscaping worker under a trailer in Tarrytown Friday morning, police say.
The accident happened at around 8 a.m. on Benedict Avenue, where 35-year-old Robert Loja, of Peekskill, was unloading his equipment on the side of the road. Police say the driver, who was coming down the hill in her Nissan sedan, first hit the ?Men at Work? sign the landscaping company put up and then slammed into Loja.
Emergency responders who arrived at the scene saw Loja pinned upright against a trailer and bleeding profusely. Tarrytown Fire Chief Patrick Derivan says his unit had to use an airbag in order to lift the trailer and free the trapped worker. He was taken to Westchester Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery to try and save his legs that were crushed in the accident.
The 23-year-old unidentified driver was not hurt in the crash. Police say they do not expect to charge her, as it appears to be simply an accident.