Matthew LeBaron never saw it coming.

The Peoria police officer was busy helping out at an accident scene when he was hit by a truck in January.

The driver of the pickup was merely scoping out the accident at 75^th and Northern avenues. He admitted that he was “rubbernecking” and said he never saw LeBaron before hitting him.

Less than a month later, a state highway patrolman was hospitalized after his vehicle was sideswiped on the Loop 101 near 91^st Avenue. He had been setting up a lane closure for road construction when hit by a vehicle entering the freeway. The driver that hit him was hospitalized as well.

It seems so obvious, but motorists must be careful and especially attentive when they encounter accident scenes or work zones. LeBaron, who still hasn’t been able to return to work, says drivers must heed warning lights and signs.

“I understand that people are curious by nature and want to know what is happening at accident scenes,” he says. “Pay attention to the road and surrounding area. Someone is probably on foot in the area working on the accident.”

The same goes for work zones, says Paul Amarillas, a senior equipment operator in the Public Works Streets Division who has been with the city for seven years. Last year, he took a four-day certification class for setting up barricades. Despite the experience he brings to the task, he’s seen people drive right through marked work zones -- with others following. “Sometimes they don’t even listen to flag men,” he says.

Amarillas has seen impatient drivers do some crazy things. One guy was in such a hurry to get around a city truck that he clipped the truck’s rear apron, ripping a gash along the top of his car. But it’s not just the tight clearances that worry Amarillas.

“I’m mostly concerned about the speed limit,” he says, “because people don’t slow down” – even if there are signs require them to do so.

Amarillas has a wife and three children. Like LeBaron, he has a message for drivers: “Be careful. We have guys in the street working. Obey the signs. I want these guys to go home to their families.”