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Man who pushed safety hit by driver

A road worker is in critical condition after the hit-and-run crash. Police are looking for the suspected driver.

TAMPA - Kwame Atum knew his job surveying city streets was dangerous, but he always felt that when he worked alongside Alton Roberts, he was safe from the speeding cars.

Roberts was protective of his co-workers, someone they counted on. He made sure everyone wore the right safety gear. When Atum forgot his lunch, Roberts bought him a sandwich.

"I call him the godfather," Atum said. "He looks out for everyone."

About 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Atum watched helplessly as a car veered past some construction cones on Tampa Street at East Kay Street and struck his friend, flinging him into the air. As the driver of the car drove off, Roberts crumpled to the ground, his legs and pelvis fractured. Blood poured from his head. Roberts, 51, was taken to Tampa General Hospital. Friday night, he remained in critical condition.

Tampa police say the driver has been identified as Alfredo Johnson, a 40-year-old Valrico man with 22 arrests since 1984 on charges ranging from auto theft and grand larceny to battery and lewd and lascivious conduct on a minor.

Johnson is wanted for leaving the scene of an accident with serious injuries, a felony, police say. Jesse Stuckey, a passenger in the car, jumped out after the Lincoln Town Car hit Roberts.

"He turned out to be a good witness for us," said police spokesman Joe Durkin.

Police say Stuckey told them Johnson was on the phone with his girlfriend and was distracted when he hit Roberts. Stuckey said he told Johnson to stop the car, and jumped out when he refused.

Roberts, Atum and a flag man were measuring a property for Echezabal & Associates, a survey company. Roberts was standing in the middle of the street while Atum measured the length of the road when the car struck him.

"I've been doing this for 25 years, and this is the first time I've seen a serious accident like this involving a road crew," said crew supervisor Lenny Skelton. "The cones, the signs, the flag man, they were all out there. This shouldn't have happened."

News researcher Carolyn Edds contributed to this story.