City Inspector Seriously Injured at Road Work Site
A city inspector was in critical condition Monday after being yanked to the ground by a hose being dragged by a tractor-trailer at a construction site, authorities said.
The accident occurred at 9:15 a.m. when inspector John Romo Jr., 62, of Irvine was standing next to a construction worker near the center divider of a roadway where a ditch was being built, Police Sgt. Dick Faust said.
The worker, Jose Bernal, 43, of Riverside, was holding a water hose that had been dragged across the eastbound lanes in the 4200 block of West 17th Street. The hose was being used to wash away dirt from the construction project, Faust said.
A passing tractor-trailer caught a portion of the hose and pulled it along the road, Faust said.
Bernal spun around and fell to the ground, letting go of the hose. Faust said the hose then whipped the inspector and knocked him to the ground.
Romo’s head slammed onto the pavement, and he was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange with massive head injuries, Faust and a hospital spokeswoman said.
Bernal complained of pain to the left side but declined medical treatment, Faust said.
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