Landscaping worker pinned by vehicle dies

An employee with a landscaping company contracted by the City of Edmonton was hit by a car and killed Friday while picking up pylons on a road in North Edmonton.

The man was working on a project on the median dividing the north- and southbound portions of 97 Street near 144 Avenue, police said.

The worker was collecting traffic cones from the inside lane while walking on the road behind a support vehicle when he was struck by a car at 10:30 a.m. and pinned against his support vehicle, police said.

"They were picking up traffic pylons that they had erected ...  a vehicle that was travelling northbound on the inside lane failed to observe this vehicle and the pedestrian [and] struck the pedestrian," Sgt. Brad Manz said.

"[It] also struck the support vehicle, which pinned the pedestrian between the two vehicles," he said.

"The driver of the vehicle involved was a female ... the male deceased was somewhere between 20 and 30 years [old] ," Manz said.

The driver of the vehicle was injured and taken to hospital, he said.

Police will work with Occupational Health and Safety investigators since it is a work-related death, he said.

It's too early to say whether charges will be laid, Manz said.

Police closed 97 Street between 137 Avenue and 144 Avenue for several hours while they conducted their investigation.