Drivers Disregarding Construction Zones Cause Number of Work-Related Crashes to Climb

22-year-old Kenneth Long Jr., also known as “Peanut,” was struck and killed two years ago after working as a flagger in a South Carolina work zone for only weeks. Since his death, Peanut’s mother, Elizabeth Ward, has been pushing for stricter penalties for speeding through a work zone. The current law costs you up to $200 dollars and 30 days in jail for speeding in a work zone. This new law would bump that up to between $500-1000 dollars, jail time, or both. The bill just passed through the senate and went to the house. The number of work zone crashes continues to increase since 2010. Local construction crews say we should not wait for the law to pass and we should take action each time we get behind the wheel.