A Howard County auxiliary police officer seriously injured while directing traffic on Route 40 in 2005 was involved in another on-the-job accident June 24 on the same road while helping a motorist whose car had stalled.

Petrus Lucas, 24, of Glenwood, was in the eastbound lane of Route 40 at the Route 29 intersection at 4:55 p.m., June 24 to assist a motorist, county police said. While stopped, a 1995 Ford Aerostar van driven by Scott Anthony Serrano, 17, of Ellicott City, struck Lucas' vehicle in the rear, according to police.

Lucas was not injured in the collision, but a passenger in the van was transported to Howard County General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said. Serrano was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision and negligent driving, police said.

Lucas was struck by a vehicle on Nov. 23, 2005 while directing traffic around a collision on Route 40 and Pebble Beach Drive in Ellicott City.

Doctors amputated Lucas' left leg below the knee as a result of injuries suffered in the accident. Lucas sought workers compensation from the county to help pay his medical bills; county officials, however, initially refused to pay because Lucas was not a paid employee of the county.

In April 2006, Lucas went before the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission, which ordered the county to pay his medical expenses.

Lucas could not be reached for comment.

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