Caltrans has confirmed that one of their employees was killed Friday morning in a traffic incident in Vacaville.
A Solano County Coroner’s Office official identified the victim as Quanda McGadney, 51, of Fairfield.
Caltrans officials said the woman, a landscape maintenance worker, had served California residents for more than 18 years, and began her service with Caltrans in 2018. She is survived by her 9-year-old daughter, Nairobi, and two sisters, Priscilla Stevenson and Candice McGadney.
“The loss of one of our own public servants in this tragic incident is being felt heavily within the Caltrans family today. Our thoughts and heartfelt support are focused on her family, friends and colleagues at this time,” said Caltrans Acting Director Steven Keck in a press statement.
McGadney is the first Caltrans District 4 (Bay Area) employee to die on the job since 2017. She is the 37th in the history of District 4 and the 190th Caltrans worker to lose their life on the job since 1921.
“This tragedy is particularly painful, coming so close to our workers memorial service just a little over a month ago, and drives home how dangerous our work on California’s roadways can be,”Keck said. “Our focus (is) on safety and the ‘Move Over’ law, and (we are) asking the public to increase their awareness of the people working on the highways on their behalf are part of our continued effort to eliminate these tragic incidents.”
A memorial fund is being established through the California Transportation Foundation.
Just after 10 a.m., the California Highway Patrol responded to a report of a hit-and-run crash on westbound Interstate 80 west of Lagoon Valley Road.
Officers found McGadney on the freeway shoulder. She died at the scene.
Investigators soon determined that the driver of a white Mazda 3 had struck the pedestrian before fleeing the scene. The suspect was soon arrested in Fairfield by a CHP officer with the assistance of a Fairfield police officer, CHP officials said.
Taje Jakkar Holliman, age 31, of San Francisco, was booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of numerous charges including hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter.
The crash remains under investigation by the CHP Solano Area office and Golden Gate Division’sMultidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team.
Anyone with information is asked to call the CHP’s Investigation Tip Line at 917-4491.
Source: www.mercurynews.com