NASHVILLE, TN : TDOT worker hit while changing tire on I-40; Accused driver arrested on Saturday, December 24th 2016

The man accused of hitting a Tennessee Department of Transportation worker with his car Saturday night has been arrested.

The TDOT worker was hit by the car while helping a stranded motorist change a tire on Interstate 40 in Hermitage. The wreck happened around 7:15 p.m. in the westbound lanes at exit 221A.

The TDOT worker was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is expected to be OK.

According to a TDOT spokeswoman, the worker had surgery late Saturday night. He has several broken bones.

The department later identified the worker as James Rogers. Officials told Channel 4 he had been with TDOT for just under a year.

Police say the man who hit Rogers did not have a driver's license, and according to TDOT, he was also speeding.

"He has multiple broken bones, and it's going to be a long-term recovery,” said TDOT spokeswoman BJ Doughty.

Doughty said the fact that the worker survived is a Christmas miracle.

"He is lucky to be alive. It was such that Metro police had conducted a fatal crash investigation just in case,” said Doughty.

While this employee survived, two others this year didn’t. Back in April, 65-year-old David Younger, a maintenance worker for TDOT, was killed by a semi truck. He was with two other workers waiting for help on the side of the road when the semi veered off the road and hit them.

Back in July, another worker was killed in Crockett County.

"It's just unacceptable people aren't paying attention. This man had a huge aero board directing people over at the time of this incident and he was well off the shoulder. So it's just unconscionable that somebody could actually hit him,” said Doughty.

Just last month, the Channel 4 I-Team reported that drivers failing to move over is a major problem in Tennessee. In fact, more than 1,100 people have been cited this year alone for failing to get out of the way of emergency crews.

"Hopefully this person being caught and arrested will save someone else from potentially getting hurt,” Doughty said.

TDOT says if you can't move over, you're supposed to slow down and give emergency crews as much room as possible. Not moving over can cost you $500 and up to 30 days in jail.

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TDOT worker hit while changing tire on I-40; Accused driver arrested