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December 7, 2009

Grieving family receives outpouring of support

Anderson city worker dies after being struck by car

By Justin Schneider and Dave Stafford

The Herald Bulletin



ANDERSON, Ind. — An Anderson city worker was killed late Sunday after being struck by a vehicle while on foot near the intersection of Mounds and Scatterfield roads.

City spokeswoman Tammy Bowman said Dale K. Jones was clearing roadway debris about 10 p.m. when the accident occurred. He was transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he was pronounced dead.

Jones, a full-time vehicle highway skilled operator, was hired on Nov. 25, 2002. He is the husband of Anderson Community Schools board member Tobi Jones, and the son of Merle Jones, director of the City of Anderson Transit System.

“He worked hard and he loved his family,” Tobi Jones said Monday. “That was his life. As soon as he was off the clock, every moment was devoted to his family.

“He’s in a better place,” she said. “Not better for me, but better for him.”

Tobi and Dale Jones had two children together — a 15-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter. Dale Jones also had older children before he and Tobi married.

As grieving family and friends made arrangements on Monday, they received an outpouring of support. “There’s been a lot of well-wishers,” Tobi Jones said. “And I’m grateful for it.”

“You couldn’t have a better son, and you couldn’t have a better worker,” Merle Jones said Monday. “He was an awful good dad and a loving son. You couldn’t get a better kid.

“I’m thankful to God I had him for 44 years,” he said.

Anderson Fire Department Assistant Battalion Chief Eric Hutchison said he had been Jones’ friend for more than 20 years. “He was a good man, a good father, and a good husband.

“It’s going to be a tremendous loss to his family and to those of us who called him friend.”

Bowman said further details would be provided upon the completion of an accident report by the Anderson Police Department.

Police investigated for more than two hours before clearing the scene at 12:30 a.m. Monday. Bowman said the motorist attempted to help Jones, saying it was not a hit-and-run accident.

Portions of Mounds and Scatterfield roads were closed to traffic until that time. Traffic was rerouted through the Mounds Mall parking lot during the investigation.

Jones is the first non-emergency Anderson city employee to have died in the line of duty, according to information provided to Bowman by city Human Resources Director Steve Priser.

Monday, Street Commissioner Todd Leever referred calls to Bowman, saying only, “We’re just having a hard time right now.”

Bowman said street crews went about clearing the roads after the season’s first snow on Monday, some of them having been up all night. “They’re pushing through their emotions in order to do their job,” she said.

She said Mayor Kris Ockomon visited workers at affected city departments to talk with people who worked with or knew Jones.

“Somber is the mood right now,” Bowman said Monday afternoon.

“We think a lot about first responders,” she said, “but in a situation like we had (Sunday) night, when there was debris in the road, it was a street department worker who was called out to deal with that. He was at home with his family when he was called out.”

Contact the THB newsroom, 640-4800, newsroom@heraldbulletin.com

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