The death this week of Benton Township Supervisor Kevin White in a freak accident along the side of I-94 serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by road workers. White was the first MDOT employee to be killed in a work zone since 2008, but his death came less than a month after an employee of an MDOT contractor was killed along I-96 near Portland. MDOT spokesperson Jeff Cranson tells WSJM News drivers should take a moment to think about those workers.
“We just thought it was important to remind people that even though both investigations are still ongoing, that these people are taking on risks to do important public work along the roadsides where vehicles are whizzing by at high speeds,” Cranson said.
Cranson says there are stiff penalties for those who injure road workers.
“You know, we’re all in a hurry, and we come upon a work zone, and we’re frustrated. We hadn’t factored it into our time to get somewhere, and you’ve got to think two things. One, these are real people. They could be my neighbor or relative that’s working and I should be careful.”
The other thing is that the construction will make the road safer. In the case of Kevin White, a tire came off a semi and struck him. The 48-year-old White was a nine-year MDOT employee, and leaves behind a wife and daughter. Everyone can learn a bit about safe driving at Michigan.gov/WorkZoneSafety.
