Man Knocked Over Highway Overpass

Christina Cole

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A motorist who knocked a Good Samaritan off an overpass during a 30-car pileup last month, will not be charged. The victim was walking on the road illegally, police said.

After an investigation that spanned over a month, police are still unable to determine how the motorist was injured on January 14, during a chain-reaction collision.

Eggleston, stopped to help the motorists that were involved in the car crash and then fell 70 feet landing on Route 11 below. He mad a "pedestrian error" by getting out of his car and was at fault for the mishap. Slippery roadways also played a considerable role in the accident.

Using information from insurance claims filed in connection with the accident, troopers determined that Eggleston was hit by a van driven by Gebo, 67, of Syracuse, said Carroll. Although he was not charged with hitting Eggleston, Gebo was ticketed for operating a car without a license.

The owner of the van, Hodgson, 71, was a passenger, and was ticketed for allowing Gebo to drive it without a license, said Carroll. Both she and Gebo said they thought they heard a thump, but were not sure if they hit anything.

Eggleston's survival is nothing short of a miracle. He was in fair condition at University Hospital, where he has had surgery on his hips, pelvis and wrist. Six other people were injured in the pileup.