Driver Who Intentionally Hit Flagger Won't Face Charges

Driver Who Intentionally Hit Flagger Won't Face Charges


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Samantha Hayes ReportingAn impatient driver who hit a Davis County highway worker will NOT face serious charges. He hit a flagger, at a construction site and even told police he did it on purpose.

The county attorney told us the case has been turned over to the Layton City court, which means he will be charged with some kind of misdemeanor; no explanation was given for why criminal charges were not pursued. Just imagine how Samuel Allen feels.

Driver Who Intentionally Hit Flagger Won't Face Charges

Samuel Allen does not take sick days. Even though he probably deserves one.

Samuel Allen, Construction Flagger:: "Found out I have a neck contusion and my shoulder, good popping in there, and there's a possibility there could be arthroscopic surgery down the road. We don't know yet."

His aches and pains happened after he was hit by a car about a month ago at the intersection of Gentile and Dawson street in Layton. Allen had stopped traffic to allow school children to cross-when a driver named John Thornley threatened him.

Samuel Allen: "But he said as soon as the last kid was through, he was going to go whether I let him through or not. At the time I looked back at the kids, look at him and here he come."

Thornley hit Allen then drove away. Police tracked him down and booked him on felony aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and leaving the scene.

Samuel Allen: "Been wanting them to keep in contact with me and I've had no reply from them. And every time I called them they keep telling me they are building the case."

Now he finds out those charges have been dropped.

Samuel Allen: "It upset me a little bit. Well it upset me a lot. Something has got to be done. That basically gives any motorist the right to drive into a construction zone, knock down as many construction workers and get a good lawyer and get it reduced to a slap on the wrist."

We interviewed Allen today at a different construction site. He said he moved locations because Thornley has been driving through the same area where he was hit.

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