Caltrans Worker Is Killed on Job : Accident: Man hit by truck on Artesia Freeway in Cerritos is the fourth employee fatality in two months. A co-worker is critically injured.

A Caltrans worker loading brush onto his truck was killed Friday afternoon when a GMC truck slammed into the back of his service vehicle, which was parked along the westbound side of the Artesia Freeway in Cerritos.

Jerry Alcala, 39, of West Covina was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:50 p.m. Alcala, who was standing in the bed of the truck, was thrown into the air by the impact, and then crushed by the GMC truck, which overturned on him, CHP officials said.

A second Caltrans worker, Ralph Goins, 57, of Los Angeles was taken by a Sheriff’s Department helicopter to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. He was listed in critical condition Friday evening, with multiple head injuries and cuts, hospital spokesman Ron Yukelson said.

Goins was sitting in the Caltrans truck’s cab when the accident occurred, CHP officials said.

The driver of the GMC truck, Timothy Lambert, 31, of Cypress also was taken to Long Beach Memorial with a broken leg and facial injuries. He was in critical condition, Yukelson said.

CHP officials said there were empty beer cans in the cab of Lambert’s truck, which was carrying lumber and roofing tiles, but there was no indication he was intoxicated.

It was the third fatal accident involving California Department of Transportation workers in two months. In April, two workers were killed on the Long Beach Freeway by a suspected drunk driver. Another worker was killed in April on the Orange Freeway, also by a suspected drunk driver.

Caltrans worker John Waldroff said his co-workers involved in Friday’s accident are “family men, good guys, easygoing types who would do anything for you.”

The accident created a huge afternoon rush-hour traffic jam, closing two lanes and causing traffic snarls east to the Santa Ana Freeway, CHP officials said.