Paul Bass Photos
Souman Douti planned to interview for a better job Monday. A city public works driver had other ideas.
Douti (at left in photo) headed downtown in his Toyota Avalon around 11:30 a.m. when he stopped for the light at Edgewood and Orchard.
A public works truck was parked right behind him in the left-most lane.
Before the light turned green, the truck’s driver pulled out and smashed into the Toyota.
“I was scared,” Douti said at the scene. “I was stopped at the traffic light. I’m not moving! He turned and hit the car. He was stopped behind me!”
“I hit him,” the driver (in yellow shirt) acknowledged when asked by a reporter what happened. Then a colleague pulled him aside. In between puffs of a cigar, the colleague told him not to talk to reporters. The driver complied.
Meanwhile, Officer Michelle Dobson informed Douti that the truck driver had admitted wrong. She counseled Douti on how to follow up with the insurance company.
Douti, who is 34 and came to New Haven in November 2013 from the West African nation of Togo (and has quickly mastered English), was distressed. He had been on his way to withdraw money from his bank downtown to pay a credit card bill, then to West Haven to apply for a machinist job. He found some work stocking shelves since moving here, but he’s looking for better opportunities.
He waited for a tow truck to cart away his debilitated wheels. He knew of no one who could drive him to the job interview.
He said he doubts the employer would give him a second chance.
“When you’re looking for a job, you must be on time. If you miss the appointment, that’s one of the issues. They’re going to give the job to another” applicant, he reasoned.
And now let's see how long it takes the city to pony up the repair money for this man's car!!! City Hall ought to be interviewing this man for the job that needs to be vacated by the man who was driving the truck that hit his car!! Only took him 2 years to master English!! There are people living here for decades who refuse to learn it!
I hope he contacts the people who he had the interview with, seeing this article might help him get his foot in the door! Good Luck sir, you do Togo Proud! We are lucky to have you here in the U.S.!