Mobile operations also require safety to be priority

A crash in a mobile work on the turnpike is shown above.

By Andrew Booth, Safety Coordinator at the Kansas Turnpike Authority

At KTA, many of our daily maintenance tasks utilize a work zone called a mobile operation. These are used for short-duration projects, usually under an hour, such as barrier wall repairs, temporary pothole patching, camera cleaning, striping, and sweeping. Because the work moves with the crew, so does the work zone.

A typical mobile operation includes a minimum of three vehicles:

·       A shoulder shadow truck with an arrow/message board to provide early warning.

·       A lane shadow truck, in the lane where the work is taking place, with an arrow board and crash attenuator (a device designed to absorb impact).

·       The work vehicle with flashing lights which carries the crew and equipment.

So, why use mobile operations? Because they provide two important advantages.

1.     The safety of the workers. Traditional lane closures require several signs, arrow boards, and thousands of feet of cones – often taking longer to setup than the actual work. A mobile operation setup eliminates much of this and reduces the amount of time the men and women on the crews spend in live traffic.

2.     They minimize delays for drivers. Because the closure moves with the operation, lanes can reopen faster. This greatly reduces congestion and helps traffic keep flowing.

But mobile operations still face serious risks. Even with multiple layers of protection, including early warning trucks and signs, crash attenuators, and an abundance of flashing lights, our crews remain vulnerable to the decisions drivers make behind the wheel. In the last few years, several KTA attenuator trucks have been struck, including three during mobile operations.

·       June 17, 2024 - West of Lawrence on I-70

A semi hauling a box truck veered into the closed lane, striking the rear crash attenuator, rolling onto its side before coming to a rest in a field. The driver later admitted he was looking at directions.

·       November 6, 2024 - I-35 near the Oklahoma border

After merging into a lane closure at 55 mph, a car attempted to pass prior to the lane taper and took out several traffic cones before hitting a KTA truck. The driver said they were in a hurry and thought they could make it.

·       July 29, 2025 - South of Topeka on I-335

KTA crews noticed a semi fly by at full speed and radioed a warning to the KTA trucks ahead, but the semi crashed into first truck. Skid marks showed the driver braked only moments before impact.

In each case, our crews were fortunate to walk away with minor injuries. Next time we may not be so lucky.

Whether it’s distracted driving or being in a hurry, the consequences can be life changing. Today, and every day, drivers need to make choices to protect the people behind the cones and trucks. Put the phone down. Slow down. Move over. Stay alert. Our crews depend on it, and so do the people waiting for them at home. 

 

Signs are there for a reason

I’m Heather Jennings, Construction Manager at the Syracuse Area Office. Whether it’s a highway
construction or maintenance project, keeping the workers and the traveling public safe is a priority.

Workers and equipment are always moving, coming or going within a traffic control zone. A while back, I was the lead inspector on a mill and overlay project in Ness County that also included the expansion of the shoulders from 3 feet to 6 feet.

One day, I was running density tests away from the other workers or equipment when I watched three vehicles east of my position pull up to an intersection and stop. This intersection had a “Wait For Pilot Car” sign properly mounted and clearly visible to the motorists approaching it.

Then I looked to the west and watched as the pilot car and vehicle line traveling east through the traffic control zone line passed me and the three vehicles waiting at the intersection.

I wasn’t very happy when I then watched those three vehicles proceed to turn west after the final vehicle in that line had passed them going east. Not only did I have rogue vehicles in an active construction zone with no escort, but now they were coming in my direction.

I put a hand up to stop the first rogue vehicle so I could have a conversation with the driver. I asked him if he had seen the sign advising him to wait for the pilot car. The driver said he had; however, he knew it was safe because the pilot car and traffic had gone the opposite direction of where he wanted to go.

I educated the driver that knowing where the pilot car was didn’t allow drivers to enter an active construction zone. We use traffic control for a reason. There are milling/asphalt trucks coming and going throughout the construction zone, not to mention the multiple construction pickups that are traveling throughout the construction site. Employees are moving from place to place, equipment to equipment, running tests for the project as well as other needed activities.  

This driver said he was headed home from a funeral service. The only thing I could think of in that moment was that - if he had just come from a funeral, how dare he endanger those of us in the road working? We all have someone or something to make it home for - whether it’s a kid, spouse, dog or cat - it doesn’t matter. We have people we love and who love us too.

Long story short, it is not safe to run a Wait For Pilot Car sign. The sign is in place to help protect the traveling public as well as those of us who are actively working on the road. We work to get the job done safely and efficiently. Please follow the signs and show respect to the people out there in the work zones.

                                                            (Photos above show Heather Jennings with her daughter and son.)

Unexpected emergencies can unfold in seconds

Keith Hubler, center, is pictured with his wife, Sheena, and his father, Carl.

In highway maintenance, we prepare for traffic, equipment issues and changing weather. What we can’t always prepare for are the unexpected emergencies that unfold in seconds. 

My name is Keith Hubler, I have worked for KDOT since 2019. I started as an Equipment Operator and currently serve as Highway Maintenance Superintendent in Clay Center.  As a superintendent, I rely heavily on the leadership of my subarea supervisors and the professionalism of our crews. 

Not too long ago, I received a call from a subarea supervisor, a call nobody ever wants to receive. “We’ve had an incident in our work zone on I-70.”  My mind raced. Was the crew OK? Was the public safe? 

According to his account, the crew was working in the driving lane with a standard mobile setup; patch truck in operation, crash attenuator and a trail vehicle pulling a flashing “Road Work Ahead” sign trailer to alert approaching traffic. It was a typical workday: High visibility, proper signage and standard safety protocols in place. 

Then, without warning, a motorist approaching the work zone began to behave erratically. The driver drifted into the median, nearly striking the overpass guardrail. The motorist then overcorrected, crossing back over the roadway and off the right-hand shoulder, narrowly missing the trail vehicle and the flashing sign trailer. 

As the supervisor relayed the details to me, it became clear just how close the situation had been to becoming a catastrophic work zone crash. A matter of feet separated our crew from what could have been a serious collision. 

The supervisor indicated that one of our newly hired crew members quickly went to check on the driver while another crew member called 911. That quick response speaks volumes about the culture of safety and responsibility our supervisors work hard to instill. Even in an active work zone, with traffic continuing to move, the team acted decisively and professionally. 

It was thought that the driver had experienced a medical emergency. Emergency responders arrived promptly. Kansas Highway Patrol officers secured the scene, and an ambulance arrived with staff providing medical assistance and extricating the driver. Following the incident, the crew completed witness statements as requested by law enforcement. 

As I sat by the roadside digesting the phone call I had just received, I found myself reflecting on how unpredictable roadside operations truly are. We focus heavily on traffic control plans, equipment placement, lighting and personal protective equipment—and rightly so.

But this incident was not caused by distraction or reckless driving. It appears to have been a medical emergency, something entirely outside the realm of normal driver behavior and beyond the control of our crew. 

From a leadership standpoint, what stands out most is how the team responded. The subarea supervisor maintained control of the scene. The crew followed protocol, contacted emergency services and continued to prioritize safety for both motorists and workers. There was no panic, only action. 

Incidents like this reinforce why we emphasize training and situational awareness at every level. A work zone on a high-speed corridor such as I-70 leaves little margin for error. When a vehicle enters that space in an unpredictable manner, the consequences can escalate quickly. In this case, preparedness, alertness and a measure of good fortune prevented what could have been a far more serious outcome. 

As a superintendent, I often receive calls about equipment repairs, completed projects and routine maintenance accomplishments. This call was different. It served as a reminder that our crews are exposed to risks that go beyond potholes and pavement conditions. Every vehicle that approaches a work zone carries unknown variables. 

I am proud of how my supervisor and the crew handled this situation. Their professionalism made it possible for the driver to receive prompt medical attention and for safety in the work zone to remain a priority under rapidly changing circumstances. 

Highway maintenance is about more than infrastructure, it’s about people. And on that afternoon near Abilene, the actions of our team demonstrated exactly why strong leadership and well-trained crews matter. 

 

A challenge that could have cost him his life

Technical Trooper Phillip Metzen

I’m Technical Trooper Phillip Metzen with the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Troop I. On Dec. 1, 2025, after serving the state of Kansas for 11 years, I faced a new challenge within my career that almost cost me my life.

I responded to the scene of a non-injury crash on Highway K-96 in Wichita involving three motorists. Light snow was falling at the time, causing slick road conditions. I positioned my patrol car on the inside lane of the highway with my emergency lights activated to provide protection for the disabled vehicles involved in the crash. As I was relaying my location to dispatch, prior to exiting my vehicle, my patrol car was suddenly struck from behind.

I responded to the crash to help others, but within just nine seconds of stopping, I was the one who needed help.

The impact pushed my patrol car nearly 100 feet forward, despite it being in park. During the collision, my head struck the driver’s side visor and a mounted camera. I was then thrown back into the driver’s seat, which broke backwards, causing me to strike the pillar between the driver’s side doors.

The crash investigation revealed that the vehicle which struck my patrol car had failed to slow down and began sliding out of control several hundred feet back. The vehicle crossed three lanes of traffic before colliding with my patrol car.

As a result of the crash, I sustained multiple injuries, including a torn rotator cuff and labrum tear in my shoulder, which will affect me for the rest of my life. I am also still experiencing symptoms from the concussion I suffered and have ongoing medical appointments to aid recovery.

Working in law enforcement is dangerous, and I know the risks I face every day on the job. This was not the first time I’ve been struck by a motorist on the roadway; it was the third time since I began my career in 2015. If this crash had occurred just a few seconds later, I would have been outside of my patrol car, and I might not be here today to tell my story.

That is why I urge every driver to slow down when they see emergency lights ahead. It doesn’t matter if those lights belong to a police vehicle, a KDOT vehicle, an ambulance, a fire truck or a tow truck.

Life moves fast. Slow down so it doesn’t end too soon.

Never forget: Every day is a gift

Andréa Barnes at work (above) and at home (below).

 My name is Andréa Barnes, and I’m the Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Louisburg. I have worked for KDOT since 2001 and have had several close calls. Each one makes me realize how each day is a gift.

I love my job at KDOT and absolutely understand I am putting my life on the line to make improvements to the road. I don’t let my guard down and am continuously looking for an escape route. When I hear an air horn, I am getting out the way because in my world, that means we are about to get hit. In my opinion, the people who work on the roads are heroes, putting their lives on the line for the safety of others.

In March 2011, the Louisburg crew was patching potholes on U.S. 169.  I was in the lead truck with another co-worker. We had a pickup truck hooked to the patch trailer. It was a mobile work zone, so there was a dump truck with an attenuator right behind me and an arrow board about a quarter mile back from the attenuator truck.

I had just flipped my shovel over with cold patch when I heard the air horn. I looked at the operator in the attenuator truck to see which way I should run. He pointed to his left, which was in another lane of traffic.

I started to run when I heard my co-worker fall. I turned, grabbed his shoulders and pulled with all I had. After the full-size truck hit the attenuator, it spun the dump truck around on the passenger’s side. As I pulled my coworker, I saw the truck sliding sideways, missing his legs by only a foot.

The worker in the attenuator had terror in his eyes and said he couldn’t move.  I told him I would direct traffic around us until others arrived. I then saw the employee I dragged out of the way checking on the guy who hit our truck.

We talk frequently about how to warn the workers in front of the truck. In fact, I trained that attenuator truck driver. He was new, but he understood how important his job was. In my opinion, he did everything right and saved my life that day. He had the airbrakes set and turned the drive wheels toward the ditch. He was paying attention and pulled the air horn to alert us as soon as he realized he was going to be hit.

I remember him saying, “I thought I was going to watch you all die.” I told him because he honked the horn quickly, we had time to react and get away.

The guy who hit the truck was shaken up and said he was sorry. At the time, I didn’t want to hear that. I had a connection with these employees, and sorry just wasn’t enough.

On top of this, while directing traffic, a mini van parked on the shoulder. I told the guy he couldn’t stop there. But he screamed at me that his son was in the attenuator truck, and he needed to make sure he was OK.

So, I had him park at the top of the ramp, then helped his son get out of the attenuator truck. His father was in tears. He heard on the police scanner a KDOT truck was hit and knew his son was working there. Nothing was stopping him from checking on his son.  

We found out the driver was checking his Blackberry for emails; he looked up and there was nothing he could do. He hit us at 65 mph, and he never hit the brakes.

This incident affected him too. As I was pulling my co-worker out of the way, I remember seeing his face. He looked completely terrified. He later told people in Missouri at a rally to ban texting and driving that he remembered the look on our faces. He said he would not want to live with the fact if he had killed two highway workers.

It is now 15 years later, and I can still recall what people said, how it felt as the truck slid by us and the absolute fear I had inside of me. I went home that night and kissed and hugged my kids and told them, “You know I love you, right?”

I then fell apart while my partner just held me. We raised five wonderful kids and one of them is special needs, who didn’t understand why I was upset. But he knew I did everything in my power to come home each night to them. I was needed, loved and cared for by my family.

A headline might say, “Highway worker killed,” but it doesn’t include all the people in my life who love and need me. I survived that day, but others haven’t been so lucky. I am grateful things worked out, but highway workers shouldn’t have to pay with our lives. I will be forever changed by a choice someone else made.

While driving, and especially in work zones, remember that phone call, text message or email can wait. Pay attention; it is not worth killing someone. Our jobs are hard enough without having to live in constant fear.

I am now a supervisor myself, and my main goal is that all my employees go home safely every day. We are the hands that fill the potholes, the ones who repair the signs and plow the snow. Follow the signs and be alert. We shouldn’t have to pay for your bad choices.

 

 

Nothing surprises me anymore

KTA employee Kenny Olson

Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) employee Kenny Olson shared his story in 2017 about work zone safety. Kenny retired from KTA after 14 years of service.

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When you’re out on the roadway for a living, you hear, see and sometimes even experience scary moments. 

My name is Kenny Olson and I’m a Roadway Striping Foreman. I’ve been with KTA for 12 years and I have had more close calls on the roadway than many would think. Just last summer, I had vehicle crashes happen at two different times while painting roadway lines.

One of these was in Wichita on the entrance ramp from the K-96 plaza. We were painting the white line on the right side, early in the morning when a driver came down the entry ramp way too fast.

Because of her speed, she wasn’t able to move out the way in time and hit the corner of our attenuator (the crash cushion hooked at the back of a truck) and then bounced and hit the guardrail. She was lucky she didn’t hit the truck again after that but rather carried all the way through the right of way.

The other happened near Lecompton where the road goes from three lanes to two. We were on the right with the striper when, for a reason I still don’t know today, a semi-truck locks up his brakes while in the left lane. His cab cut between the attenuator truck and the truck ahead of it, and jack-knifed.

The trailer whipped so fast that it hit the attenuator sideways and ended up back in the roadway, blocking traffic. The driver just backed up and drove away! Luckily a trooper caught up to him at a service area soon after.

These are just my two most recent experiences, but there’s been so many more. From a motorist not paying attention and actually driving their vehicle between the barrier wall and our striping machine to another driver purposely driving into the grass and back up onto the road to avoid driving through the work zone. Nothing surprises me anymore, and that’s the sad reality.

We can take as many safety precautions as necessary, making changes to safety procedures, but ultimately, drivers need to pay attention. People are in such a hurry, on their phones, or even having a dog on their lap licking their face (yes, that was a real thing I saw once on the road). Leave sooner. Watch the roadway signs. Pay attention.

Too many close calls to even remember

KDOT employee Brian Link with his family.

KDOT employee Brian Link shared his story in 2018 about the need for safety in work zones. He has continued to serve as the Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Johnson County, and he’s been with KDOT nearly 25 years.

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My name is Brian Link. I have worked for KDOT for 17 years and am currently the Area Supervisor for Johnson County. During my time I have seen numerous crashes in and out of work zones. I personally have been struck two times on separate occasions while providing traffic control for maintenance operations.

The first time occurred while I was sitting on the shoulder in a dump truck with an arrow board. I was struck from behind by a car that was involved in a crash with another vehicle. My truck and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My second crash happened while we were patching potholes with a mobile lane closure. I was in the attenuator truck following the patch crew. The car that hit me had passed two other KDOT trucks on the shoulders stationed behind me to give advanced warning of the patching operations.

I was fortunate not to sustain any injuries from these crashes: although the people who hit me did suffer minor ones. These are just two examples of my personal experiences, but I have had too many close calls to even remember them all.  I try not to tell my wife about them all, as I do not want to worry her more about the danger that we face every day at work.

I think the biggest concern for me is even with all our lights, traffic control and advanced warning; our safety is in the hands of the citizens that travel the road every day. We rely on them to drive undistracted, not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, alert and to have their brain engaged and focused on the task of driving.

I sometimes feel the citizens driving do not see us as people with a family. A family we love and want to go home to. Furthermore, we are objects in their way obstructing their busy schedule, a nuisance that causes them to be delayed.

I want people to know that we are there providing a service to maintain the safety of the roadway. We have a job to do serving the citizens of Kansas and visitors to our great state. Give us a brake…pay attention, slow down and give us a lane.

Work Zone Safety - A Mom's Worst Nightmare

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.

Never become complacent

Rick Carson, seated in center, is surrounded by his family.

 

KDOT employee Rick Carson shared his story in 2020 about the need for safety in work zones. He was promoted to Highway Maintenance Supervisor in January, and he has worked at KDOT for 10 years.

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My name is Rick Carson, and I am the Equipment Operator Specialist for the Syracuse Subarea office. I am coming up on my fifth year as a KDOT employee, having served as Specialist since July 2017.

During my short tenure as a KDOT employee, I have seen quite a few different circumstances that could have turned out very bad. I learned from early on that the best thing you can do to keep yourself safe is to keep your head on a constant swivel.

One of the most unforgettable experiences happened to me in the summer of 2019. We were patching holes on K-27 in the south part of Syracuse. The stretch of road
way is a four-lane undivided highway. The crew was working on the inside lane of the northbound lane. We had set up our work zone prior to beginning work with all the proper signs, cones, attenuator and a wedge diverting traffic into the right-hand lane. 

At some point that morning, I was standing along the center line, but still in the lane we were working in. There was some debris that had rolled over the center line, and I was going to step over the center line to sweep it back over into the hole. I was facing the north and looked to make sure no traffic was coming. 

I never looked south because there shouldn’t have been any traffic coming from that way, because we had our wedge set up pushing them right. WRONG! A truck coming from the south had crossed over the double yellow line. It was traveling north in the southbound lane and what was probably over the speed limit.

Luckily, one of my co-workers was looking that way and was able to get my attention, and I was able to step out of the way.

Thinking about it later that day, the one word that came to my mind was COMPLACENT. That day, at that particular time, I had become complacent and overly comfortable with my surroundings.

To my fellow KDOT workers, I would just like to remind you all that no matter what you are doing, always take the extra time to look around and make sure that you are doing it carefully. And always watch out for your co-workers.

To the traveling public, KDOT does what they do, to try and keep your family safe on the highways. So, in your travels, if/when you come up on any workers, anywhere, PLEASE, slow down, move over and obey the signs. Drive like it’s your family out there along the side of the road. Because we ARE somebody’s family.

 

Three seconds and Move Over Law

Lt. Tanner Blakesley's car was struck at full highway speed, which was propelled into
another vehicle that struck Lt. Blakesley and seriously injured him.

Kansas Highway Patrol Lt. Tanner Blakesley wrote his blog in 2022 about a crash that occurred in 2017 when he was a Master Trooper. He has served with the KHP for more than 10 years.

 

Lt. Tanner Blakesley

_____________________________

By Lt. Tanner Blakesley, K28

I was a road trooper in the Topeka area for two years when I woke up in a ditch. The driver of the vehicle we had stopped was standing over me, asking me if I was okay. I realized I had been hit by my patrol car after a passing vehicle struck the rear of my car at full highway speed. Since that day, I have become a strong enforcer of the "Move Over Law."

That January was the first day I was training a new trooper. We had stopped a vehicle on I-470 in Topeka, and it became necessary to have the occupants exit their vehicle. I exited the patrol vehicle to help the new trooper with this task. I approached the driver's side of the vehicle, got the driver out of his car, searched him, and escorted him into the ditch.

During this time, several cars had not moved over. I diverted my attention from traffic and towards the new trooper while he had the passenger exit the vehicle. The next thing I remember is waking up in the ditch. I did not know what had happened. I was able to put the parts of my broken memory together after seeing the video from my patrol car cameras and talking to individuals at the scene. There’s nothing like seeing video of yourself launched off your vehicle's windshield into the air.

Three seconds after walking between the stopped vehicle and my patrol car, another vehicle hit the rear of my patrol car. The impact of my patrol car being hit propelled it into the vehicle I had stopped. Unfortunately, I was hit by the corner of the patrol car and thrown into the ditch. Three seconds later and my life, along with the driver of the stopped vehicle, could have been very different. Most likely, we both would have died that day because of a careless driver not moving over for emergency workers on the side of the road.

After waking up, I didn’t know just how bad I had been hurt. The new trooper checked on me first and told me not to move. I could see the new trooper was taking control of the crash scene. Luckily, he had managed to dive over the guard rail and escape serious injury.

Even though I knew I was hurt, I had adrenaline pumping through my body and got myself up and went up the ditch to help. I quickly realized my injuries were serious; I had to sit down and wait for more help. It would be four months before I returned to work, but I know I was lucky to be alive and lucky to be able to even go back to work.

Vehicles must Move Over or Slow Down for emergency vehicles and work crews not just because it is what the law requires, but because when a vehicle does not, it doesn't allow time for those in the way to react and try to get out of harm’s way. It's easy to become complacent when every day you see many cars not moving over.

Three seconds on one cold January day could have ended differently for several people because of an individual's carelessness and disregard of the Move Over Law. 

 

Note: The Kansas Move Over Law expanded on March 13 when Governor Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 8, or the Move Over bill, into law. Drivers will now be required to move over to the outside lane or slow down and proceed with caution when passing disabled stationary vehicles displaying hazard warning lights.

This will help provide protections to disabled vehicles in addition to law enforcement, utility and road service vehicles. The new law will go into effect on July 1.

 

 

A nutty, but still serious day

Jeff Romine and his family.

KDOT employee Jeff Romine shared his story in 2018 about the need for work zone safety.  He has continued to serve as the Area Five Superintendent in District One, and he has now been with KDOT nearly 42 years.

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My name is Jeff Romine, I am currently the Area Five Superintendent in Wamego. I have worked for the Kansas Department of Transportation for 35 years.  I started out as an Equipment Operator in 1983. 

Safety has been improved for KDOT employees and for the public a great deal since I first started working for KDOT. For example, I can remember having to set up six signs when setting up a work zone, three on each side.  Now, depending on the situation, there may be a combination of 10 signs, cones and rumble strips to alert traffic of a pending work site.

During my tenure at KDOT, I have seen many close calls ranging from cars hitting the flagman’s flagging paddle to the mirrors of cars striking workers in the work zone. I have been lucky enough not to see any deaths as a result of a work zone crash, although there have been some.

One of the crashes that stands out in my mind happened in the summer of 1986 on U.S. 75. We were providing traffic control while Equipment Operators using equipment cleaned bridge decks. All our work signs were up and flagmen in the correct locations. 

I was helping to provide traffic control; it was a clear mid-morning day. I stopped a van to allow traffic to pass through from the other lane. I then moved closer to the center of the roadway and checked for other oncoming traffic.

I noticed a car that seemed to be moving faster than I considered to be safe. I realized he was not slowing so I tried to get his attention by waving the paddle as there was still traffic coming from the other direction.  

I alerted the driver of the van of the oncoming car, and I was forced to jump over the guard rail and into the ditch. The car hit the van from behind, causing the back of the van to bust open. The van was carrying a load of bagged walnuts.  Immediately the highway was covered with walnuts. I ran back out to check on the drivers of both vehicles, thankfully finding them not severely injured. 

As other vehicles continued in the other lane, they were running over the walnuts causing them to shoot through the air, this of course caused another danger as the walnuts pounded workers and other cars.

I can laugh about it now and joke that 32 years later, walnuts still haunt me. But the seriousness of that situation will never be funny. An adult could have been in the back of that van. Or a child. And they could have been injured, or worse.

Please drive safe in work zones and protect everyone – motorists and highway workers.

 

National Work Zone Awareness Week: Safety is a priority all year long

 National Work Zone Awareness Week is coming up April 21 to 25. This important safety campaign educates the public of the importance for safety in work zones for both highway workers and the traveling public.

KDOT, KHP, KTA, FHWA and other transportation safety partners work together raise awareness on work zone safety. As part of Kansas' safety campaign, stories from five highway workers who have shared their experiences in year's past will be highlighted here again. These stories highlight what highway workers potentially face every day - close calls or actually being hit while in work zones. 

In addition, one story from Shirley McDonald will be featured in the series. Shirley's son, KDOT employee Scotty McDonald, was killed in a work zone crash in 2005. She has spent a lot of time the last 20 years writing blogs, speaking at events and talking to the media on why work zone safety is so important. She knows. Even after 20 years, the loss and grief haven't gone away. 

Please remember - these folks have families too, and they want to go home safely every night. Take that extra minute to slow down, ditch all distractions and pay attention. 

The work zone safety blog series will start tomorrow and run all next week. Please share these stories with everyone - think about if someone you cared about was a highway worker.

It's up to you to improve work zone safety

 

We’re wrapping up National Work Zone Awareness Week with a final video.

Highway workers know their family members and friends are concerned about their safety. Workers don’t want their loved ones to worry about whether or not they are coming home tonight. Please take the time to slow down and pay attention.

Click HERE to watch the safety video.  

To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. 

So many close calls in work zones

 

Kansas highway workers tell of the close calls they have experienced in work zones. Sadly, these stories are but a small sampling of the times KDOT workers have had to react to potentially life-threatening situations.

KDOT highway workers and family members included in this video series volunteered to be interviewed by KDOT’s Multimedia Services Division.

The workers want to help the public understand what it’s like to work along the highways, inches from vehicles going 55 mph or more. Their families discuss what it’s like to be in their shoes. What if that was your loved one working along the highway?

Click HERE to watch the safety video.  

To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Family members, friends depend on highway workers

 

Today’s work zone video illustrates that highway workers have family members and friends who depend on them.

These people know the workers’ jobs are important to keep transportation moving in Kansas.

But they also worry. Is today the day my loved one is going to be hurt in a work zone crash…or worse?

Click HERE to watch the safety video.  

To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

The pain of losing a co-worker, friend or family member

Today is the first of a four-part video series that focuses on highway workers and their families. 

KDOT Construction Engineer Kevin Palic, shown above, shares his experience of losing a co-worker in a work zone crash. He was the one who talked to the worker’s parents, to try and explain why their son would not be coming home. 

Numerous photos of highway workers with their families are also included. Motorists may just see the orange cones and the speed limit reductions and not think about the fact there are also highway workers with family members and friends in those work areas – people whose lives would be devastated by a work zone crash. 

Click HERE to watch the safety video.

To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.    

Work zone awareness – A family affair

Secretary Calvin Reed

Kids. Siblings. Parents. Extended family. Friends. All are important to you.

 And you are just as important to them.

 At the Kansas Department of Transportation, we understand the importance of family at home AND at work. Across KDOT, our employees share a common mission to provide a safe, reliable and innovative transportation system that works for all Kansans today and in the future.

Working together to make this happen, we develop close relationships with co-workers and associates across the agency. I often hear mention of “our KDOT family” and know it’s true. Family matters at KDOT because we are family.

 Today marks the start of National Work Zone Awareness Week.  This is an observance we at KDOT – in collaboration with our safety partners in law enforcement and other organizations across the state – are always eager to promote. The annual campaign focuses on improving safety and reducing injuries and fatalities for highway workers and motorists in work zones.

 Kansas had 1,482 crashes in work zones in 2023. That’s an average of four work zone crashes every day of the year. The top contributing circumstance of work zone crashes is inattention. A moment of distraction can change highway workers’ and their families’ lives forever. Yours, too.

 Other leading causes for work zone crashes include following too closely, driving too fast for conditions, improperly changing lanes and violating the right of way.

 Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin a four-part video series featuring KDOT highway workers and family members sharing why work zone safety is so important. Their stories include telling of close calls while on the job and how families worry about loved ones’ safety.

I hope hearing from members of the KDOT family helps motorists understand how critically important it is to slow down and pay attention while driving through work zones. Please stay safe for the sake of your families and ours.

 

 

Safety is always a priority in work zones

National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 15 to 19. This important safety campaign educates the public of the importance for safety in work zones for both highway workers and the traveling public.

New information and videos will be posted on this webpage each day next week. We will have a blog from Secretary Calvin Reed and a four-part video series focusing on highway workers and their families. Make sure and check it out.

Today we’d like everyone to see KDOT’s Public Service Announcement that is airing on TV stations across Kansas in April and May.

Inattention is the top contributing circumstance of work zone crashes. The PSA shows how dangerous distracted driving can be in a work zone.

Click HERE for the work zone safety PSA.

To all of you who work alongside the highways, thank you for everything you do to construct and maintain our roadways. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Something that NO parent should EVER have to bear

By Angie Landon Dunsworth

Miranda Dunsworth

On the night of June 20, 2012, Miranda was spending the afternoon with her boyfriend. Hours went by and it started getting late, and still no sight of Miranda. A rush of emotions went through my body, I started to feel anxious. I began texting her and calling her and no answer.

At first, I tried not to let my gut or mother’s intuition take over, but I could feel something was wrong. I kept trying to get in contact with her. I wanted to wake up my husband and tell him she wasn’t home, but I couldn’t do it. I kept telling myself she was going to walk through that door any second and I shouldn’t overreact. I must have called and texted her about 100 times before the doorbell rang. Who would have thought that the doorbell would have changed our lives forever.

Officer Sam Darroch and Dr. Nathan Strandmark were standing at my door. When I saw both of them, I knew in my gut what their next words would be, but I was in shock. They both looked at me with despair. They said, “Angie, Miranda…” while shaking their heads. They paused for a moment. I replied in denial, “Miranda what?” They proceeded to finish their sentence. “Miranda didn’t make it; she was in a bad accident.”  

Later, we learned how that night came to be. Around 12:35 a.m., June 21, 2012, Miranda was running late from seeing her boyfriend. It was past her curfew. She headed eastbound on Mary Street for home. This road has a very steep ditch on the south side. I can’t say my daughter is perfect, but she was always a BIG stickler on wearing seat belts. As hard as it is for me to say, she took her seat belt off to reach for something she had dropped.

As she tried to reach for whatever it was, she noticed she was headed toward that steep ditch and overcorrected. Her car then flipped, which flung her straight up and caused her to break her neck. She died instantly. She was then thrown from the car. The car landed on her, rolling three more times.

For those who read this, it doesn’t matter if you are only going to be unbuckled for 2 seconds. That’s all it took for Miranda. If you drop something and cannot reach it, LEAVE IT!!!! Nothing is more important than your life. Don’t kill yourself or someone else over things that don’t matter. NEVER take off your seat belt, and NEVER reach for things while you’re driving. Pull over or get it when you stop somewhere.

To the parents who read this, teach your kids how to get out of situations like that so they don’t overcorrect and roll the vehicle. Most importantly, teach them to never reach for things while they drive and always wear their seat belts. One thing I suggest is teaching them to drive on a dirt road. When you start to slide on a dirt road you, a) let off the gas; b) ride with grooves till the vehicle slows down and you regain control; and c) DO NOT SLAM THE BRAKES!!! Something I should’ve practiced more with my daughter.

During Miranda’s funeral, pastor Robert Deleon, her friends, and everyone who attended created the ‘Miranda Rule!’ - to always wear your seat belt while in a vehicle. To this day I hear kids yelling, “remember the Miranda Rule!” It brings a warm smile back to my face that people still remember my daughter.

Friends have also honored Miranda by creating a documentary in tribute to her and by getting a street named after her. These things mean so much to all her family members.

Two years later after Miranda’s passing, her younger sister, Ari, was about to turn 16 years old, and I knew the time would be coming for her to start driving. But I was NOT ready for her to start. It was difficult for me to allow my other children to get behind the wheel. She was able to get her license and is now a 24-year-old army wife. To this day has not crashed, and I pray every day she never crashes.

I remember my daughter, Miranda, as a beautiful 16-year-old girl who loved basketball, kids, friends, boys, school, and cars. She was happy, full of life, and had a beautiful future. She was very involved in sports and had many, many friends who loved her and supported her.

I recall back to when I took Miranda to get her farm permit when she was 14 years old. When she was given her permit, they asked her if she would like to be an organ donor. She looked at me and asked what that was. I told her, it’s when something happens to you and if you would like to give your organs to help others in need. I told her it was her choice and her choice alone if she wanted to be a donor. She said to me, “If I could save at least one life, that would make my life worth living.” She loved that analogy, so she became a donor and thanks to Miranda, she was able to help/save over 100 people! People from Oklahoma all the way to Maine received life-saving organs from Miranda. A person from Oklahoma received her eyes. It is heartwarming to know a little piece of her lives on.

It’s been a little over 10 years since the never-ending nightmare began. To this day, when I hear certain songs, if my children don’t answer my calls, if I hear sirens or come up onto a wreck, it brings me right back to that night. It brings me back to Miranda’s funeral and images in my head of my baby lying on a cold slab, something that NO parent should EVER have to bear. Two seconds is all it took to take her life.

Angie Landon Dunsworth is the mother of Miranda and Ari, and is from Garden City