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Jason Vasquez, 25, was working on West Charlotte Street at Municipal Drive when a car struck him about 10:30 p.m., police said.
Millersville Borough police Chief John D. Rochat said the man was knocked to the ground and was laying in the middle of the street when first-responders arrived.
Vasquez was conscious, but had sustained "significant injuries," according to the police chief.
He was rushed to Lancaster General Hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries for injuries, including a fractured skull, a broken leg and broken nose, officials said. His condition stabilized after the surgeries, but he is still at LGH.
The car, a light-colored Ford Focus, continued east on West Charlotte Street after striking the man, Rochat said.
Vasquez is a plumber and was opening a manhole after receiving a call from a resident on the block who was having trouble with the sewage system, officials said. He was in the middle of the road when he was struck.
"It appears from evidence at the scene that the vehicle may have also run him over," Rochat said.
Police are interviewing residents who saw the car flee and heard the collision.
"One gentleman said he thought the car had run into a house (because) the impact was so loud," Rochat said.
The chief said the driver likely realized he had struck something more than a small animal or piece of debris. Vasquez weighs close to 300 pounds, Rochat said.
"He's a rather large man, and I think that helped in his injuries, and prevented them from being (more) serious," Rochat said.
The chief speculated the driver may have panicked after hitting the worker.
"That's what I presume," he said Wednesday evening.
Vasquez, a Roto-Rooter employee, was working within 50 feet of a streetlight, checking a sewer line under the road, officials said.
Anyone with information about the wreck or the light-colored Ford Focus should contact Millersville Borough police at 872-4657. Sgt. Howard Bauman is leading the investigation.
E-mail: bhambright@lnpnews.com
