Injured road construction flagger Peter Statia said he is still at a loss over why he was charged with simple assault after he said a four-door Porsche hit him while he directed traffic last week in Sandy Springs.
Denis Reggie, however, the driver of that vehicle, said Statia and the company employs him, Blount Construction, are at fault for not having proper markings and signage that might have alerted drivers to roadwork in the area and prevented the Friday the 13th incident.
Reggie, who was charged with hit and run, and Statia, who said he's not been able to work since the incident at the intersection of Long Island and Lake Forrest drives, are scheduled to appear before a judge Sept. 26 to answer their charges.
According to a Sandy Springs police spokesman, Reggie was charged for allegedly leaving the scene of the incident. Capt. Steve Rose said Statia was charged because Reggie felt the construction flagger's actions -- Statia allegedly moved toward the Porsche in a threatening manner -- "put him [Reggie] in reasonable fear of being in danger."
Statia told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday that he was directing traffic when he motioned Reggie to proceed through the intersection, which had four-way stop signs.
"I motioned for him to come, he wasn't paying attention, so then I put my hand up for him to stop, and I was going to have other traffic go," Statia recalled.
Statia said Reggie's Porsche began "rolling toward me" and the driver "shot me the bird ... I took a step forward and motioned for him to stop and that's when he literally turned the wheel toward me — not away — and stepped on the gas." He said the impact spun him around.
"After he hit me, he paused for one second and took off," he said.
Reggie, however, told the AJC he had no idea who Statia was or why he was in the intersection, and he insisted, "I absolutely did not intentionally hit him."
"I honestly was thinking it might be, to be honest, a homeless person or something," said Reggie, who added Statia was dressed in an "old white vest and dirty blue jeans."
"Of course, not knowing who this person was or what his position was or authority, I decided to stop fully at the intersection," Reggie said. "Then he really went ballistic." He said the flagger was "very agitated" in telling him to, "Come on, come on."
It was not until moments later, when Reggie said he saw construction nearby to his right on Long Island, that he realized Statia was directing traffic.
Reggie also said he didn't speed away, but "proceeded at a normal rate" into the intersection when Statia "lunges toward my car" and kicks his front tire. Reggie said the Porche's rearview mirror must have hit the flagger.
Reggie said he drove to a friend's house minutes away. He said he looked in his rearview mirror and Statia didn't appear to be injured. After reaching his friend, he said both men returned to the area, where an ambulance already had arrived and where he was charged with hit and run. Statia said his foreman called 911.
"After I was already at the hospital is when the cops came and gave me the ticket because they said they didn't know who to believe."
Statia said he's worked for Blount for about a month and a half but hasn't been able to return since the incident.
"I'm still having to go see workmen's comp doctors," he said. "They think I may have torn something in my elbow because the swelling is not going down. I have limited mobility in my right arm and it's put me in a bind."
Statia said he's retained a lawyer to try to get the charge against him dropped. He is also hoping that anyone who witnessed the accident will come forward to provide police with their account of the incident.
Reggie said proper roadwork markings and signage were in the area Wednesday.
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