Maryland: State Highway Administration worker struck by vehicle on Ridge Road

A Maryland State Highway Administration worker was seriously injured Tuesday night after a vehicle struck him while salting a road in the Damascus area, a Montgomery County police spokesman said.

The worker was on the shoulder of Ridge Road near Hoffman Drive around 6:35 p.m. when the vehicle hit him, said Capt. Paul Starks, a department spokesman.

Starks said the worker — described only as a man — was spreading salt on the roadway with a crew just before the collision. The worker was taken to a local trauma unit in serious condition.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with our employee,” said David Buck, a Maryland State Highway Administration spokesman.

It’s unclear exactly what happened or what caused the crash, Starks said. He added that alcohol was not a factor and the vehicle’s driver — also described as a man — stayed on the scene.

Some lanes on Ridge Road are blocked while police investigate the collision.