NCDOT worker dies in motor vehicle accident

Often, car accidents may take place when drivers fail to pay attention to changing road conditions or to reduce speed in construction zones. To counter such motor vehicle accidents, North Carolina recently expanded its “Move Over Law,” which requires drivers to either slow down or move over one lane when passing a halted emergency vehicle, to include roadside utility and transportation crews.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the recent Nor’Easter, construction and transportation crews are working around the clock to clean up debris and sand, making it imperative for drivers to be careful while passing a work zone.

However, sometimes drivers who cause accidents are the very ones the law is intended to protect. According to a spokesperson for the North Carolina Highway Patrol, in a recent accident, an NCDOT dump truck driver struck the rear of another NCDOT truck that had broken down. The accident took place in an area where crews were working to clean up the sand left behind by the hurricane.

The driver died as a result of the accident, while the driver of the stalled truck was airlifted to the hospital. The accident is being investigated by both the NCDOT and the highway patrol.

Drivers, whether NCDOT or not, should be extra careful while driving by work zones to protect the lives of those who are working on the roads.

When workers are injured during the course of their employment, they may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim to recover medical expenses and replace lost wages. In addition to this, by raising awareness about construction zone accidents, this may spur employers to better highlight work zones to avoid similar future accidents.

Source: WAVY.com, “NCDOT worker killed in Hwy 12 work zone,” Dominic Ross, Nov. 12, 2012