Transportation Workers Call for Protection as SUV Driver Speeds Through Staten Island Work Zone

A truck driver crashed through the safety barrels into a work zone on Forest Hill Road in Willowbrook twice last week and forced workers to run for safety. The driver fled the scene after the incidents. Under the current New York state laws, the driver might receive nothing more than a summons. Those extreme incidents highlight the need for more protection for workers and the need for a legislation that would toughen penalties for violators. Last month legislation passed the state Senate that would make intrusion into an active work zone a class B misdemeanor and offenders will receive a $250 to $500 fine and/or a maximum sentence of three months imprisonment. The legislation also calls for stiffer felony charges for work zone accidents that cause injury or death.