Mr. Rogers and his girlfriend of three years, Rachel Cunningham
Tennessee Department of Transportation HELP Operator James Rogers has died of complications resulting from injuries sustained when he was struck by a vehicle while assisting a stranded motorist on Dec. 24.
Mr. Rogers was changing a flat tire for a family stranded on I-40 at mile marker 221 in Davidson County. A member of the family was assisting with the tire change, but Mr. Rogers advised him to go inside the car for safety purposes. Mr. Rogers was struck a few minutes later by a vehicle crossing onto the shoulder.
Mr.
Rogers, 30, passed away on Dec. 28. Mr. Rogers had a five-year-old son.
TDOT HELP Operators have routes on Tennessee's most heavily traveled highways in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville. The program began in 1999 for the purpose of reducing traffic congestion, improving safety, and assisting motorists in distress. The Region 3 HELP Operators in Middle Tennessee have responded to approximately 40,000 incidents in 2016.
Mr. Rogers is the third TDOT employee to be killed in the line of duty in 2016 and the 112th since the agency began keeping records in 1948.