Construction worker, dad of 2 ‘fighting to survive’ after losing part of leg in Massachusetts hit-and-run on I-95

A father and construction worker lost part of his leg after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver along a Massachusetts highway early Monday morning — and authorities are still searching for the reckless motorist responsible.

David Wachinski, a dad of two from Pennsylvania, was working on a construction project on Interstate 95 in Foxboro, Mass. when a driver slammed into him around 2:15 a.m. Monday, Massachusetts State Police said.

Wachinski was trying to set up a sign when the driver plowed into him with enough force to knock their vehicle’s side-view mirror clean off.

He was rushed to the Boston Medical Center and treated for severe injuries. He lost part of his leg, but it’s unclear if it was removed during surgery or partially severed during the initial hit-and-run.

Wachinski’s wife, sister-and-law, and other family members made the trek from Pennsylvania to stay by his side while he continues to receive extensive treatment for his injuries.

“It was scary. You don’t know too much, you don’t know what’s going to happen next. He fought and is still fighting to survive,” his sister-in-law, Mina Thompson, told CBS News.

“A lot of people love him. A lot of people appreciate him. He could have just been gone. Someone knows something. Whether it’s them who did hit him and they’re scared or they’re having second guesses or they told a family member, you know,” Thompson continued.

Massachusetts State troopers are trying to trace a passenger-side mirror found at the scene back to the vehicle involved in the crash.

“The Massachusetts State Police offers the victim and his family our deepest sympathy in the aftermath of this senseless crash. Although he is expected to live, the impact of his injuries illustrates the danger of failing to drive with care in and around work zones,” police said in a statement. 

Thompson implored the person responsible to turn themselves in and give their family the “closure” that they need to move forward.

“It’s never too late to turn around and be like, ‘Hey I messed up and I want to come forward and that’s what we’re hoping for, just so we can get that closure. What gets done in darkness will come out to light, so it will come out,” she told CBS News.

Friends praised Wachinski in a GoFundMe organized to help the family cope with the mounting medical and travel expenses, on top of the breadwinner’s lost income.

“David is a devoted husband and the proud father of two amazing boys. Anyone who knows him knows how hard he works to provide for his family and how quick he is to lend a hand to others,” the organizer wrote.