Fishtown man hit by wall of snow from passing plow

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood says he was struck by a wall of snow slung from a passing plow truck Monday morning while he was clearing parking spaces for coworkers.

The incident was captured on video, and he believes it may not have been accidental.

Jeff Heart said the storm had just ended when he went to the front of his office to shovel a few parking spots along York Road. He said he was careful to stay out of traffic as he worked.

"I just heard a very quick noise behind me, which wasn't the plow going down. It was just the snow. I didn't hear the plow go down, but I just got nailed with a wall of snow," Heart said.

Video from about half a block away shows the plow truck approaching with its blade up. Heart said he is fairly certain the driver saw him as the truck came down the stretch of York Road, and that the blade appears to have been lowered as it reached him.

"It kind of jarred me, threw me into the car that was next to me, which is behind us. If that wasn't there, I probably would've fallen down," Heart said.

Similar incidents have been reported in the past.

During the winter of 2022, a man lost his job after a plow truck blasted two men with snow as they walked along County Line Road near the Lakewood/Jackson border in New Jersey.

Heart said he chose not to file a police report. Instead, he said he hopes the person responsible thinks twice before ever doing it again.

"He hit me with ice and slush. So, I felt that hit the back of my hood. Filled up my pockets. I was wearing work pants, and my pockets are wide. So, all those big ice chunks got into the pockets," Heart said.

Heart was not injured. He also said the truck had no visible markings, suggesting it may not have been a City of Philadelphia vehicle.

The video was not clear enough to identify a license plate number, either, so the person responsible may never be identified.