Police Officer Killed When Struck by Motorist While Directing Traffic at Roadway Work Zone

On September 21, 2000, a 38-year-old male police officer (the victim) was fatally injured when a motorist intruded into a roadway work zone striking him. The victim was standing at a four-way intersection directing traffic through a detour. The main flow of traffic followed the detour making a right-hand turn at the four-way intersection. The motorist that struck the victim failed to turn right at the construction site detour, and her pickup truck skidded sideways through the detour, striking the victim, then striking the victim’s parked truck and finally coming to a stop partially on top of a stone wall and against a tree. A call was placed for emergency assistance and the victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, employers/highway construction contractors should:

• ensure that the work zone is setup, at a minimum, in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), Part 6 developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
• consider portable rumble strips to alert motorists to the changed roadway conditions
• consider area objects and the work site background when choosing colors for worker apparel

In addition, local and state government agencies should:

• consider work zone safety training and certification for all municipal officers who perform traffic details on roadway construction sites

Also, state government agencies should:

• consider developing state laws that impose increased fines for motorists speeding within roadway work zones