Westchester town highway worker killed after car strikes him on the job

A Westchester town highway worker who had his “dream job” was killed when a senior citizen behind the wheel of his car crashed into a project site Tuesday, officials said.

The Town of Yorktown is mourning the loss of Jake Arcara, a 28-year-old who was engaged to the love of his life, town Supervisor Matt Slater told The Post.

The accident occurred as highway employees were stationed at a drainage project in the upper Westchester community. The victim was struck by a vehicle and rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.  

Slater said Arcara’s connection to the town ran deep. He graduated from a local high school and started working for the town in 2019.

“He was a longtime member of our community who found his dream job in the Yorktown highway department,” Slater said. “Had his whole life in front of him, engaged to a wonderful person.

“He was incredibly well-liked, he was well-liked in the highway department, incredible work ethic, incredible attitude and had his whole life in front of him. It’s just surreal that we’re going through this.”

Slater, the town’s police chief and highway chief all broke the news to Arcara’s mother about her son’s death. He then contacted a neighboring town’s supervisor to track down his fiancée who is employed there “because she was about to have the worst day of her life,” Slater said solemnly.

Slater noted the senior citizen who allegedly caused the accident is also a longtime community member.

“The reality is this was a genuine tragedy,” Slater said.