Transportation News, Volume 25, Number 9, May 2000 Page: 7
16 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 41 x 29 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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May 2000 ibansportatlon News 7
Fort Worth District employee Linda Provenclo ties a ribbon to a car antenna in memory of maintenance technician Clyde Pitman
who was died last month in a work zone accident. Provencio, who recently transferred from the El Paso District, is a mainte-
nance office employee.
FTW employees grIeve for co-worker
Maintenance tech Clyde Pitman dies after being hurt in work zone accidentBy Patricia K. Benoit
Public Information Office
Grieving Fort Worth District employ-
ees have worn arm bands and dedi-
cated their blood drive this month to
maintenance technician Clyde Pitman who
died from injuries he suffered in an April 12
traffic accident at his Interstate 20 work site.
Pitman, 50, and two other TxDOT
employees were setting up a pothole opera-
tion on the eastbound shoulder of 1-20 near
the Anglin crossover exit in Fort Worth
when the driver of a Ford Explorer veered
into the work zone and struck him.
Pitman died of his injuries the following
morning.
The Southeast Tarrant County
Maintenance Section had employed Pitman,
who lived in Mingus in Palo Pinto County,
for eight months.
His wife and three children and four adult
stepchildren survive him.
District administrators immediately
responded with what employees said was
"overwhelming support," including visits
from counselors; a memorial fund for
Pitman's family; silent prayers; orange and
black ribbons for display in memory of
Pitman and to promote work zone safety;
led employees in silent prayers for Pitman
and his family; and countless phone calls and
other expressions of support.
"The support from the district during this
tragedy was overwhelming. I do not know
who all helped out and what all was done but
it helped take the edge off of the situation,". } saidd Scott
Jones, assistant
maintenance
supervisor in
the Southeast
Tarrant
County
Maintenance
Section.
l :."I w as at
the hospital
with his wife,
Cynthia, and
several
Pitman employees
when we
received the news that Clyde had passed.
There was deep sadness and disbelief when
they gave us the news. It was hard to believe
that someone you were talking to just hours
before was gone," Jones said.
He described Pitman as "laid back," help-
ful and cheerful at work.
Other co-workers agreed.
"Clyde was the type of person that would
give the shirt off his back to anybody,
whether he knew you or not," said Cissy
Reyna, contract manager. "He liked to joke
around and tell you how to do things. He
only worked in Arlington for eight months,
but he fit in just right with us and everyone
here liked him. Clyde will not be forgotten."
Pitman's death is the first TxDOT work
site fatality since 1999 and comes just a week
after National Work Zone Safety Awareness
Week, a national campaign sponsored by theAmerican Traffic Safety Services Association
(ATSSA) and the Federal Highway
Administration.
"The entire TxDOT family is deeply sad-
dened by this terrible tragedy," said Wes
Heald, TxDOT executive director. "Our
thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Pitman's
wife and children. The safety of our employ-
ees and the traveling public is our top con-
cern.
Two other district employees, Rodney
Bush, 31, a maintenance technician who has
worked for TxDOT for seven years, and
Tommy Smith, 38, a maintenance technician
with two years of service, were injured.
Cards of condolences to the family and
co-workers may be mailed to the Fort Worth
District PIO Office, P.O. Box 6868, Fort
Worth, TX 76115. PIO will forward them.
A memorial fund has been established for
his children. Make checks payable to the
Pitman Memorial Fund and mail them to:
Pitman Memorial Fund
c/o Highway District 2 Credit Union
P.O. Box 330932
Fort Worth, TX 76133-0932
Jodi Hodges of the Fort Worth District con-
tributed to this report.7
May 2000
Transportation News
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Texas. Department of Transportation. Transportation News, Volume 25, Number 9, May 2000, periodical, May 2000; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth576386/m1/7/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.