RIDGWAY — A 51-year-old Pennsylvania Department of Transportation worker died in a work-related accident on Portland Mills Road in Ridgway Township about 12:30 p.m. Monday.
Ridgway-based state police said Timothy F. Fitch of Wilcox was killed during the process of off-loading highway construction equipment.
According to police, while unloading equipment, Fitch exited the cab of his PennDOT tractor trailer and was standing between the truck and a low-boy trailer. The trailer was not connected to the truck. For unknown reasons, the truck drifted backward, and the rear tires of the driver’s side rolled over Fitch, pinning him to the ground.
A passing motorist stopped and attempted to help by moving the truck forward. However, Fitch succumbed to injuries he sustained to his lower torso and extremities. He was declared dead at the scene by the Elk County coroner’s office.
State police were assisted at the scene by PennDOT, the coroner’s office, the Ridgway Ambulance Service and the Ridgway Fire Department.
