Caltrans worker in ICU after being hit by van, struck by light pole on I-80, CHP says

A Caltrans worker was filling potholes Friday on I-80 in West Sacramento when he was struck by a car that spun out, according to the California Highway Patrol. The worker was critically injured both during the collision and afterward, when a light pole fell on him.

He was transported to UC Davis Medical Center, where he remains in the intensive care unit, California Department of Transportation officials said.

A CHP incident report identified the injured worker by his last name, Morin, and his age, 32. His fiancée, Madeleine Ison, identified him as Gary Morin and said that a co-worker at Caltrans had started a GoFundMe campaign to help Morin.

The collision began when a driver in a Ford van was traveling east in the No. 3 lane near Enterprise Drive, approaching the I-80 split in West Sacramento. The driver realized he needed to merge right, into the No. 4 lane, to get on the I-80 east ramp to Reno, according to the CHP incident report.

When he merged right, the rear passenger side of the van struck a semi truck that was traveling in the No. 4 lane, the CHP said.

The van spun out to the right and onto the shoulder. There, it collided with Morin and his work truck, and continued until the van hit a light pole and sound wall, according to the CHP.

According to the CHP, after the collision “stabilized,” the light pole fell and hit Morin, who was lying on the ground.

The driver of the Ford van was also transported to UC Davis Medical Center, with minor injuries.

This story was originally published December 10, 2018 at 2:59 PM.