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A  law enforcement officer was killed and a Caltrans worker severely injured when a big-rig slammed into stopped traffic in a construction zone near Modesto. (Photo: Modesto Bee)

An off-duty law enforcement officer was killed and a Caltrans worker suffered major injuries Thursday when a big-rig slammed into cars stopped in a construction zone on Highway 132 near Modesto.

•   A Caltrans worker flagged traffic to stop in a marked construction zone on a rural highway.

•   A semi truck approached the stopped traffic but did not stop. The big-rig slammed into a Honda sedan, which then crashed into a Nissan.

•   The Nissan hit the Caltrans worker, who was airlifted to a hospital with major injuries.

•  The Honda driver, an off-duty police officer, died at the scene.

The deadly truck accident occurred at about 12:15 p.m. near Faust Road, according to a report in the Modesto Bee.

Road work had closed the westbound lane of the two-lane highway, so traffic headed in both directions had to take turns using one the eastbound lane.

Caltrans worker Brian Smith, a 30-year veteran of the department, was stopping eastbound traffic when a black Nissan and a silver Honda pulled up and stopped as directed.

A big-rig drove up behind the stopped traffic and slammed into the stopped traffic.

“He collided first with the back of the silver Honda, which pushed it forward into the black Nissan,” California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Parsons told CBS Channel 13 News.

The impact killed the driver of the Honda, who was identified as an off-duty law enforcement officer from Stanislaus County. His name was not released, pending notification of next of kin. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Nissan struck the Caltrans worker, Brian Smith, who was severely injured. He was airlifted via helicopter to a hospital to be treated. No details about his injuries were released.

The Nissan driver reportedly was not injured.

Caltrans and the CHP said the construction area was clearly marked with signs.

Modesto Truck Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented truck accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A cyclist remains in critical condition after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in Sonoma County.

Hit-and-run accident: A 68-year-old driver who fled the scene after he hit a cyclist in Penngrove late last week appeared in Sonoma County Superior Court Wednesday to postpone his arraignment. The victim remains hospitalized in critical condition.

•   A pickup truck swerved off the roadway, hit a cyclist on the paved shoulder, and didn’t stop or even slow down.

•   The cyclist was critically injured and remains in a coma.

•   The hit-and-run driver was later arrested on felony hit-and-run charges. 

The bicycle crash occurred last Friday, shortly after 8:30 a.m., according to a report in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.

California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Hill said that 68-year-old Steve Norwick, a retired Sonoma State University environmental studies professor, was riding his bicycle southbound on the paved right shoulder of Petaluma Hill Road when he was struck from behind near East Railroad Avenue.

Based on physical evidence and witnesses’ statements, CHP investigators believe that 68-year-old Robert Cowart of Rohnert Park was driving his Dodge Ram pickup truck when he drifted onto the shoulder, hit Norwick, and kept driving without stopping.

Norwick was riding with his friend Rolfe Erickson, a retired geology professor. Erickson was about 10 feet ahead of Norwick when the accident happened. He said the truck never even slowed down, and had to veer back onto the roadway to avoid hitting him as well.

The impact knocked Norwick down an embankment and into a drainage ditch. He was unresponsive when firefighters arrived, according to Rancho Adobe Fire Captain Pete Albini.

Norwick suffered life-threatening catastrophic injuries to his head, spine, and kidneys, CHP officer Kerri Post told ABC News. He remains in a coma at the Intensive Care Unit at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

The collision left telltale damage to the truck, according to the Press-Democrat:

The impact sheared off the truck’s right side mirror and knocked out its front right headlight, leaving evidence at the scene that helped investigators piece together a description of the suspect’s vehicle.

CHP investigators said there was absolutely no way that the driver would not be aware that he hit someone, but Cowart did not come forward. Later that day, two off-duty law enforcement officers who live in Cowart’s neighborhood — CHP Officer Robert Powers and Rohnert Park Public Safety Sgt. Jeff Nicks –saw him drive up to his home in the damaged truck.

Nicks said Cowart “spoke matter of factly” about having hit a cyclist on the way to work but he said the cyclist was not hurt. He said the cyclist had been riding in the middle of the road when he hit him. He also said he stopped to check on the cyclist and thought he was OK.

The officers, who already were familiar with some of the details of the accident, initiated an arrest on charges of felony hit-and-run. Later Cowart changed his story and admitted that “he never stopped,” because he was late for work, Hill said. He was booked into jail and released on $30,000 bail.

When Cowart appeared in court Wednesday, he was in a wheelchair and appeared frail and unsteady, according to updated reports in the Press-Democrat, the Community Voice, and CBS News. His attorney said he had recently had a stroke and an aneurysm that may be impairing blood flow in his brain.

Deputy District Attorney Troye Shaffer said Cowart had three prior DUI arrests — two in 1989 and one in 2005 — and asked the judge to raise bail to $100,000. The arraignment will resume on Monday.

Regardless of what happens in Cowart’s criminal trial, the victim and his family will retain the legal right to be compensated for his injuries.

Sonoma County Bicycle Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented bicycle accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.