DOT Worker Pinned By Tractor-Trailer In Endicott

A man working on an Endicott road project escaped serious injury when he was pinned between a tractor-trailer and a paving machine.

Authorities say 56-year-old Brian Fitzgerald of Endicott was extricated after about 25 minutes.

The incident happened around 10:45 this morning on the Route 26 South exit ramp from East Main Street.

Police say Fitzgerald, a state Department of Transportation employee, was conscious and alert when he was taken to Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City.

Sergeant Laurie Sorensen told WNBF News "it really was a miracle" that Fitzgerald wasn't seriously hurt.

Sorensen said Fitzgerald was on the side of a paver as the tractor-trailer tried to make a turn. She said the worker was wedged behind a one-foot lip on the paver.

Sorensen described it as an "exceptionally" close call. She said rescue workers used a hydraulic tool to free Fitzgerald.

The truck involved in the incident belongs to Prime Incorporated of Springfield, Missouri.

Sorensen said the man who was driving the truck was from Virginia. No tickets had been issued as of this afternoon.