Second Verizon Picketer Hit By Vehicle This Month

BOYLSTON, MA —For a second time this month, a Verizon worker in a picket line was struck by a vehicle.

A worker was struck on Tuesday morning in Boylston at a facility on Shrewsbury Street by a contractor truck, reports WHDH-TV, Channel 7 News. Anthony Davenport, 48, of Holden, was hit and transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with non-lifte threatening injuries.

According to WHDH, Kevin Goodale, 37, of Vermont was driving a Verizon contracted pole digging truck when he allegedly hit Davenport, and left the scene in a co-worker's car. Goodale was later arrested after returning to the site for leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, operation with a suspended driver's license, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Union leader David Keating told CBS Boston that roughly five protesters were informally picketing outside of the facility, joining workers across the region in strikes that have occurred over the past month.

In a statement issued to WCVB-TV News, Verizon spokesman Rich Young said, "Our initial review shows that picketers were once again too close to the vehicle at issue and it created an unsafe condition. Dangerous picketing activities put our employees and others in harm’s way and must stop immediately."

Last week, police in Westborough responded to a scene where a man allegedly slammed a Verizon picketer with his truck, flipping him up on to the windshield.