Troopers warn drivers on construction zone safety

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is warning drivers about speed and safety in construction zones.

Sergeant Kelley with the patrol says a recent crash in Hocking County left two Ohio Department of Transportation workers hospitalized after a driver crashed into one of their vehicle on Valentine’s Day.

“Accidents that occur in construction zones are never good. We try to slow everybody down by using signs and barricades to sometimes funnel traffic from one lane to two lanes so everybody’s kind of bottle-necking there anyways. This last crash that we just recently had involved a safety zone that was closed. The ODOT workers were attempting to pick the barricades back up when someone decided that they couldn’t get slowed down and they swerved and drove into the ODOT vehicle. “

Kelley says drivers should prepare to slow down significantly when they see orange cones and barrels.

“We want you to go slow through the construction zones — you know? Most of the time when you are in a hurry, you might save a few seconds by driving faster but in the long run if you get stopped by us or an incident does occur you’re going to be there a whole lot longer than what you would’ve saved.”

He says it doesn’t matter what time you’re driving through an area. If it’s a construction zone, workers can be out.

“If there’s a construction zone always assume that there’s someone present.”

Speeding in a construction zone could result in fines, increased insurance rates, loss of driving privileges, job loss or incarceration.