Charges pending against driver who injured utility workers

The vehicle then struck a traffic cone, a utility truck parked on the southbound shoulder of Cox Road and five utility workers.

“A car just hit some construction workers and there’s four people on the ground,” said a woman who called 911 to ask that ambulances be sent to the scene. “Three are not moving, one is.”

Those struck included Tiffanie McCants, 35, of Cincinnati; Billy Moore, 47, of Hustonville, Ky.; Joseph Olephant, 53, of Sonora, Ky.; and Amber Marie Rooks, 24, of Norwood, all of whom were working next to the utility truck.

The West Chester Fire Department responded to the scene and transported the victims, including Schuster, to West Chester Hospital.

Blake Patton, 22, of Cleves, was working in the bucket of the truck during the accident. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital about 45 minutes after the crash, police said.

McCants, Moore, Patton and Schuster all had been discharged from West Chester Hospital as of Thursday afternoon, according to UC Health officials.

Rooks and Olephant remained at University of Cincinnati Medical Center as of Thursday, officials said. Their conditions were not available.

The crash remains under investigation.

Kerry Bowlin, co-founder and president of the Bowlin Group, said his employees — Moore, Patton and Olephant — were installing new electric lines at the time of the accident.

Rooks and McCants were flaggers handling traffic in the work zone, according to Duke Energy spokeswoman Sally Thelen.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all of our contractor teammates affected in this accident,” Thelen said.

Bowlin said his company was not prepared to make a statement in the midst of an investigation.

“We’re waiting to get all the information together and will probably be issuing a formal release at a later date,” he said. Our workers, last I heard, were improving. Two have been discharged and there’s one still in ICU.”