Two Michigan Department of Transportation workers were killed after they were struck by an SUV in Ingham County, officials said Tuesday.
Speed is believed to be a factor in the crash, which killed two men, ages 51 and 49, both from the city of Mason, said the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office.
“MDOT workers show up every day to keep our roads safe and our state moving. They do hard, dangerous work, often just feet away from traffic moving at highway speeds,” said Jacob VanSickle, president of the Michigan State Employees Association (MSEA), in a statement. “No one should go to work and not come home.”
Authorities said at 1:18 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a crash on northbound U.S.-127, near West Holt Road, south of Lansing.
The MDOT workers died at the scene, authorities said. The driver of the SUV was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was in critical condition as of Tuesday night, officials said. Investigators believe the driver, a 24-year-old Dewitt man, lost control of his vehicle before striking the workers.
Part of northbound U.S.-127 was shut down while first responders cleared the scene and attempted to save the men. A third MDOT worker was evaluated and released at the scene, according to MSEA. The road was reopened to traffic at 6:30 p.m.
Officials have not identified the victims or the driver by name.
“Today, we are grieving with the family, friends, and coworkers of the MDOT workers who lost their lives while serving the people of Michigan,” Van Sickle said. “We are holding every person impacted by this tragedy close in our hearts.”
MSEA said it has raised concerns about highway work zone safety for years and is again calling on state officials to review the fatal crash and strengthen signage and safety procedures.
“Safety cannot be treated as a talking point after tragedy strikes. It must be built into every work zone, every assignment, and every decision before workers are put in harm’s way,” VanSickle said. “That means stronger signage, clearer procedures, better protections, real enforcement of safety standards, and listening to the frontline workers who know these dangers because they experience them every day.”
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: MDOT workers killed in crash; driver in critical conditional
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
