Highway worker in serious condition after being hit by car on Interstate 71 in Cleveland

CLEVELAND - A highway worker cutting grass was hit by a pickup truck on the side of a Cleveland highway on Thursday, police said.

It happened on Interstate 71 north at the West 25th Street/Fulton ramp at about 7:15 p.m.

Cleveland police said the worker, 30-year-old Travis Burch of Lancaster, Ohio, was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center and is listed in critical condition.

The Ohio Department of Transportation said the victim worked for a contractor, Brypan, which handles all interstate mowing.

Cleveland police said Burch was preparing to cut the grass and was walking across the entrance ramp when the pickup truck getting on the highway struck him.

Investigators said the driver of the truck tried to avoid hitting Burch.

The incident is still under investigation and police are turning over the facts of the case to the prosecutor’s office to see if any charges will be filed.