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A construction worker was killed last week after a semi-truck lost control and slammed into a roadside work site. According to Ohio State Highway Patrol, the accident happened when a dump truck attempted to merge onto I-70, causing a collision with the semi. The 43-year-old construction worker and family man, who was on foot at the time of the accident, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators suspect speeding may have played a role in the fatal accident. Ohio State Highway Patrol has said this is the fifth roadside construction accident of 2015. In 2014, there were ten roadside construction accidents.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has released a statement regarding the accident, reminding motorists to slow down when approaching active construction zones. Officials with ODOT will reconstruct the accident to determine its cause. ODOT has spent 500 hours of overtime in the last two months in an attempt to improve roadside worker safety, but accidents continue to happen.
How Can Ohio Reduce Future Fatal Roadside Construction Accidents?
With fifteen fatal roadside construction accidents in the last year and a half, changes could be made to better protect workers.
To help protect roadside workers, employers often require high-visibility apparel, mounted arrow boards and traffic control signs. Increasing the visibility of roadside construction workers is paramount to their safety.
It is also important for motorists to remain observant and cautious when approaching roadside construction zones. Ohio’s Move Over Laws are in place to help protect some road service vehicles, and require motorists to move over one lane and slow down.
Family members who have lost loved ones to roadside construction accidents might have options to receive workers’ compensation in addition to other benefits. By contacting a workers’ comp attorney, family members can discover what options are available.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC – Columbus Workers’ Comp Attorneys