TOLLAND - A Public Works employee in Tolland was killed when he was hit by a truck Thursday morning.
The employee, who has been identified as David Ridzon, 50, of Willington, was part of a two-man crew operating a truck to fill in potholes. Ridzon was out of the truck patching a ditch when the truck, driven by his colleague, reversed, running over Ridzon.
"The town is grieving with the family of the town employee killed," said Steve Werbner, the Tolland town manager.
Police said the accident happened on Anderson Road around 11:30 a.m. Ridzon was taken by Life Star to Hartford Hospital, but later died.
The State Police Accident Reconstruction team was on the scene for much of the day and closed Anderson Road for the investigation. The road was later re-opened to traffic after the scene cleared.
Thursday night, Ridzon's neighbor, Tara Palicki had a hard time processing his loss.
"It's a shock," she said.
"We hit it off. I said, 'Welcome to neighborhood,'" Palicki remembered The two knew each other for 20 years. "He was very hard working, very family oriented, great father, great husband."
She said Ridzon was an avid outdoorsman and an animal lover. "One time he said he encountered a bobcat in his trap and I said, 'Oh my God, what did you do?' and he said, 'I couldn't let it die, I had to let it go,'" Palicki said.
The thing she said she'll remember most about her friend is his kind nature. "Nice, very nice. I'm going to miss him," Palicki said.
