Tragic Paris Accident: Dump Truck Driver Cited for Failing to Yield

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PARIS, Ill. (WCIA) — New information has emerged about a tragic accident that took the life of a Paris resident last week. The incident involved a county dump truck driver who has since been issued a citation.

According to a report from the Paris Police Department, obtained by WCIA through a FOIA request on Wednesday, the accident was reported at around 2:34 p.m. on November 17. It occurred at the junction of Wood Street and Central Avenue, located just northwest of the Edgar County Courthouse, involving a pedestrian and a vehicle.

Upon arrival, officers discovered 67-year-old Teresa A. Bradley lying on the street beneath the front of an Edgar County Highway Department dump truck. She was unresponsive and was quickly placed in a Horizon Health ambulance for transport to a medical facility.

According to Champaign County Coroner Laurie Bauer, Bradley was subsequently transferred to Carle Hospital in Urbana, where she was declared deceased at 2:24 a.m. on Tuesday, November 18.

An officer at the scene spoke with the driver of the dump truck, Dawson T. Watson, who said he stopped his vehicle after a witness began running towards him. The witness told police he called Edgar County 911 to report the crash after hearing a noise and observing Bradley lying on the ground.

The report said that during a frame-by-frame review of security cameras, it was seen that Bradley had the white walk signal as she entered the intersection. Once she was approximately halfway into the first lane, the walk light changed to the flashing orange stop hand.

Bradley was walking westbound across Central Avenue when Dawson, driving the dump truck westbound with a green light, began turning southbound onto Central Avenue. The dump truck then struck Bradley, causing her to fall and hit her head on the pavement.

Based on the findings from the security camera footage, Dawson was issued a ticket for failing to yield the right of way to a pedestrian. Dawson’s first traffic court appearance for this incident is set for Dec. 18 at 9 a.m. in the Edgar County Courthouse.