In 2010, Shirley McDonald shared her story about losing
her son, KDOT employee Scotty McDonald, in a work zone fatality crash that
happened in 2005.
This is just one of several stories that Shirley has
shared during the past 20 years to help raise awareness of why work zone safety
is so important. She has also spoken at events, appeared in public service
announcements and talked with media.
Her efforts to improve work zone safety through the years
are immeasurable. We’ll never know how many lives she saved from being lost in
a work zone crash because her message slowed someone down, got them off the
phone or made them more alert.
Please remember Shirley’s message every time you are in a
highway work zone.
______________________________________
By Shirley McDonald
Promoting work zone safety is a very personal issue for me.
Whenever I pass a work zone, I am immediately reminded of the day my son, Scott
McDonald, was killed while working.
What bizarre circumstances came together at the exact
seconds that the driver left the road and struck him, tossing him into the air
and eventually ending his life a short time later due to a massive head injury?
Did the whole accident last long enough that he was aware and scared for his
life? Was he in horrible pain during the last minutes of his life? Was he aware
that others were with him within seconds struggling to save him? Did he know
that he was not alone? Did he know how much we loved him?
Last weekend I traveled on local, state, and interstate
highways where I became convinced that construction zone work is one of the
most dangerous occupations that exist. I drove through the areas on a hot
summer day with Kansas dust blowing, cars speeding by with little, if any,
awareness of, let alone attention to, work zone speed limits or hazards. I saw
drivers smoking, eating, talking on their cell phones, reading maps,
disciplining children, just to note a few examples of less-than-attentive driving.
Occasionally my van rocked from the speed of drivers passing
by and the force of the wind. The distance separating the work zone and workers
from traffic sometimes looked like only inches, especially when concrete
barrier blocks were set up or the area being constructed was small, like a
two-way road with one lane each way, or an intersection in a high-traffic area.
The workers concentrated on their work and seemed to be looking out for each
other.
I thought about the workers out in those elements and how
the weather must be affecting them and their ability to stay focused. I also
wondered how they deal with the potential dangers without becoming too fearful
to continue to do their jobs.
How can the workers protect themselves from the dangers all
around? How can we who enter the work zones promote their safety? How can we
promote the knowledge that those who work in a work zone are loved and valued
individuals with someone waiting for them to come home?
Shirley McDonald is the mother of KDOT employee Scotty
McDonald, who was killed in a work zone crash in 2005.
Thank you, Shirley, for sharing your deeply personal story and for your unwavering commitment to improving work zone safety. Your strength and advocacy have undoubtedly saved lives and changed the way many of us think about driving through work zones.
ReplyDeleteShirley’s message is a powerful reminder that behind every cone or barrier is a loved one—someone who deserves to return home safely.
Let’s all honor Shirley’s efforts and Scotty’s memory by making a conscious choice to drive responsibly in work zones. Together, we can prevent more families from experiencing such devastating loss.
I remember how awful that day was when Scotty was hit. And it was unimaginable for Shirley and the entire family. Time passes, but those wounds don't heal. We learn how to move on with those wounds.
ReplyDeleteI know your ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the importance of work zone safety have helped make people think about what can happen when driving through a work zone and saved lives. And I hope all drivers slow down and pay attention, so other families don't have to face that loss.
Kim
Shirley McDonald’s story is a deeply moving reminder that every work zone holds more than signs and cones, it holds someone’s loved one. Her courage in turning personal tragedy into a decades-long mission to protect others is nothing short of remarkable. By sharing her son Scotty’s story, Shirley has helped countless drivers understand the real human cost of distracted or careless driving.
ReplyDeleteHer message cuts through the noise with compassion and urgency, reminding us all to slow down, stay alert, and remember that every worker has someone waiting for them to come home.
Being relatively new to working on roadways, I never realized how inattentive or complacent drivers could get. Since starting with KDOT I have had several close calls that gave me pause and forced my blood pressure to escalate. I beg those who are driving in work zones to gather up all of the situational awareness that they can, and to slow down and be attentive to what is going on around them. Everyone deserves to go home at the end of the day.
ReplyDelete