WESTLAKE, Ohio — A construction worker was seriously hurt after being struck by a vehicle in Westlake early Tuesday morning, and now Westlake police say they have a suspect in custody.
ODOT spokesperson Matt Bruning tells 3News the incident happened during the early morning hours as a construction company was setting up a work zone on I-90 West at Columbia Road. Police and a family friend have identified the worker as Richard Szymkowski to 3News.
“The employee sustained serious injuries and was transported to the hospital,” Bruning said.
Sara Niemann, a family friend of Szymkowski's who tells 3News she was given permission by his family to speak on this matter, said that her friend, while in good spirits in the hospital, is seriously hurt.
"He does have some pretty serious injuries, including a skull fracture, which does have 17 sutures on it, he did have some internal bleeding with a liver laceration," she said. "He is completely covered in road rash and cuts, bruises, and his legs are both broken from the knee down, one including a compound fracture."
Niemann, who describes her friend as one of the kindest people you could ever meet, said he has a son and two cats. She also said his younger brother, his colleague, was also on the worksite when Szymkowski was hit.
"Any time you see a disabled driver, construction, first responders, please just slow down, move over," she said. "These people have families, they have children, they have pets, they have lives outside of their job that they need to return to."
After asking the community for assistance in finding the driver involved earlier in the day, the Westlake Police Department announced on Tuesday evening that it had recovered the suspect vehicle and was interviewing the owner about the incident. Police also posted pictures of the damage done to the vehicle, including a damaged passenger-side door mirror as well as passenger-side front damage.
Westlake police tell 3News that it took collaboration and community help to track down the car and driver. Police say they used the pieces left behind from the car to begin narrowing down which model they were looking for, also posting photos on Facebook for community input.
Police say they also used ODOT cameras to narrow down which vehicles were in the area at the time. When they were able to narrow down a specific car type, they used the footage to determine a car matching the description was heading in the direction of Avon. There, law enforcement used license plate readers to narrow in on a specific car.
Police later confirmed on Wednesday morning that 50-year-old Rolando Rodriguez of Avon Lake has been charged in the case.
On Wednesday, Rodriguez appeared in Rocky River Municipal Court via Zoom, where he was arraigned on charges of Aggravated Vehicular Assault with a specification of reckless operation (a third-degree felony) and Stopping After an Accident on a Highway (a fourth-degree felony).
Rodriguez faces a minimum of 2-8 years in prison as a result of the vehicular assault charge and up to 18 months in jail due to the fleeing charge. Rodriguez, who appeared without an attorney, waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was ordered to abstain from alcohol and wear an alcohol detection bracelet and issued a $200,00 cash surety bond.
According to Westlake police, distracted or under the influence driving is a possibility in this case, however, they don't know for certain because of the time that lapsed between the crash and taking the alleged driver into custody that evening.
"Thank you to everyone who passed this along and responded with helpful information," the department stated. "The damaged suspect vehicle, actually a Toyota FJ Cruiser, has been recovered and detectives are currently interviewing the owner about this crime. We will update with charges when appropriate."
Witnesses had earlier told police that they believed the suspect vehicle was "a silver SUV and vehicle parts left behind identified it as most likely (but not for sure) a Honda."
Anybody with information is asked to call the Westlake Police Department at 440-871-3311.
“This is another reminder of why it is so important to slow down and move over for all roadside workers,” Bruning said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured employee.”
A GoFundMe page to help support Szymkowski has been set up here.
