Bridge attendant injured, succumbs to injuries in Boston

In Massachusetts and elsewhere in New England, we see them all the time. We may say hello or ask about the weather, but most people probably just give the toll attendant the money and smile. It may be a lonely job, stuck in a small hut in the middle of traffic, and apparently it can also be a dangerous job on occasion.

According to recent news reports, a bridge attendant was hit by a car just after he left his booth. The car-pedestrian accident turned fatal when the attendant succumbed to his injuries at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

The bridge attendant was from Seabrook, and worked for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. News sources say that the accident took place at the Neil Underwood Bridge on Route 1A in Hampton, New Hampshire, at about 10:10 at night when the attendant left his booth at the end of his shift.

Apparently, the Seabrook man was found lying in the road, although this was not a hit-and-run accident. The driver who struck the attendant has been identified. Whether the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident was not reported, although the accident is being investigated.

The attendant was taken to Exeter Hospital in New Hampshire but then air-lifted to Beth Israel when the extent of his injuries became fully apparent. He was in critical condition for about four days before succumbing to his injuries.

In this particular case, negligence may have been involved in his death and those responsible could be held liable for the man’s wrongful death. The driver of the car that struck him could be at fault, but so too could the New Hampshire Department of Transportation if there was bad lighting or some other factor that led to this accident and this death.

Source: Daily News, “Seabrook man dies of accident injuries,” Dave Rogers, July 6, 2012