Yorktown Highway Worker Dies After Being Hit by Car
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A 28-year-old Yorktown Highway Department employee died Wednesday from injuries suffered when he was hit by a car while working on a drainage project on London Rd.
Jake Arcara, a four-year town employee, was working as a flagger near the intersection of Gomer St. and Quinlan St. about 11:07 a.m. when a car driven by an 88-year-old Yorktown man sideswiped a highway foreman and hit Arcara from behind, sending him flying headfirst into an excavator.
“He didn’t see it coming,” Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater said.
Arcara was transported to New York Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The identity of the driver has not been released by Yorktown Police, but Slater said he is a longtime resident of the Yorktown and Cortlandt area and is a member of the town’s Senior Advisory Committee and Veterans Advisory Committee.
Further investigation is being conducted by the Yorktown Police Department Accident Investigation Unit and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety Accident Investigation Unit.
“The safety and well-being of our employees is always the town’s priority. While the town re-examines its safety protocols and procedures, we also ask motorists to be more attentive of our staff, who are simply doing their jobs. To the best of our knowledge, all of the proper steps were taken by staff at the scene,” Yorktown posted on its Facebook page.
“We know our community appreciates the hardworking men and women who serve our town. We thank you for your understanding during this difficult time for our workforce.”
Arcara is survived by his mother, Kelly, and father, Jack, along with his fiancé, Katie.
Funeral services for Arcara will be held Monday, Sept. 20, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Clark Funeral Home in Yorktown. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Shrub Oak, followed by burial at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Putnam Valley.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
