April 24, 2010 – Construction zones workers, especially flaggers, are cautioned to utilize extra caution after a flagger is injured in another case of - driver insanity?

In today’s edition of The Province, a construction worker in British Columbia says an irate driver deliberately tried to run him over because the driver didn’t want to wait for city crews to clear a roadway.

The incident happened Thursday in Chilliwack, B.C., about 120 km east of Vancouver, and involved flagger David Miller, a 25-year-old father of one.

He said the driver of a large black SUV drove right at him after losing his cool when asked to stop and wait for a construction crew to pass through.

Miller alleges the driver had three children in his vehicle and told Miller he was going to run him over unless he moved out of the way.

Miller, an employee with A&D Flagging Services, said he told the driver, believed to be in his 40s, politely that he was just going to have to wait and then started to turn his back on him.

That’s when, it’s alleged, the man hit the gas. “I heard something coming at me and suddenly I got side-swiped,” recounted Miller.

Miller managed to jump out of the way as the SUV came charging toward him at about 40 km/h.

Miller said the force of impact knocked him back and caused injuries to his arm and back.

After striking him, Miller said, the SUV continued to accelerate through the construction site until blocked by a city truck driver who saw what happened. Another city truck driver pulled his rig up and boxed the SUV in to prevent the driver from fleeing before police came. Miller said the driver of the SUV was ticketed by police after he unsuccessfully tried to make a getaway.

The incident marks the latest in a series of run-ins involving traffic-controllers and B.C. motorists, with recent statistics showing flaggers continue to get struck and even killed. Between 2005 and 2008, 15 traffic-controllers were hit by motorists on the job, two of whom died of their injuries.