A North Carolina driver lost his temper and physically attacked a construction worker after being stopped from entering a closed work zone.
Caleb Johnson, a traffic flagger, was stationed at a road closure, holding a stop sign to control traffic. When an unidentified driver approached the barrier, he refused to stop despite Johnson’s repeated attempts to signal him.
Following proper protocol, Johnson stepped into the lane and waved his large stop sign up and down, but the driver continued forward. Eventually, the driver stopped his vehicle just past Johnson, jumped out, and confronted the flagger.
Video obtained by WSOC shows the man, dressed in a black shirt, shorts, and a durag, delivering a right hook to Johnson’s face. Though Johnson remained standing, he dropped the stop sign he’d been holding.
Johnson said he was shocked not only by the attack but by how calmly the driver spoke to him beforehand. “It was crazy. The scariest part was that he talked to me in a very non-threatening, non-aggressive way,” Johnson told WSOC. “It’s frightening that despite his control, he was willing to hit someone.”
Other workers quickly blocked the driver from advancing further, but he managed to reverse his vehicle and flee the scene. The crew recorded the license plate and car details and were able to identify the suspect.
Johnson and his employer plan to press charges against the driver for the assault. “I really wonder why he thought this would end well,” Johnson said.
Gary McClelland, owner of Quality Traffic Safety in North Carolina, emphasized the importance of flaggers’ work. “Our flaggers’ main job is to stop vehicles to keep crews safe in work zones,” McClelland said. “Drivers just need to stop and respect that.”
