Police identify man who was run over and killed by Paso Robles city employee
Police have identified the homeless man who was run over and killed by a utility vehicle driven by an on-duty Paso Robles city employee last week.
The man was 27-year-old Joseph Zigler, according to police Commander Caleb Davis.
Zigler was laying on a walkway under the 13th St. bridge near River Road when he was struck by the city-owned vehicle, police Commander Steve Lampe said in a news release. The road is is used both as a walkway and as a utility access road.
The employee, who has not yet been publicly identified, was conducting maintenance in his utility truck. He called police to report the collision around 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 19, Lampe said.
It does not appear that the employee was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, police said.
In a statement issued Friday, the city of Paso Robles said the employee is “going through a very difficult time dealing with this tragedy.”
The employee has worked for the city for more than a decade and “has served the community with dedication throughout this period,” said the statement emailed to The Tribune from deputy city clerk Melissa Martin.
Counseling services are available to the employee, as well as to other several staff who responded to the scene, the statement said.
“The City of Paso Robles is grieving for both of the people involved in this unfortunate tragedy, as well as their families and friends,” it said.
An investigation into the collision is underway. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 805-237-6464.
Tribune reporter Monica Vaughan contributed to this story.
