A 24-year-old flagger was killed Tuesday afternoon in Benton Township, Michigan, while directing traffic in a work zone on Lansing Road near Nixon Road. Michigan State Police say a pickup truck had stopped for the flagger when a Kenworth sanitation truck behind it could not stop, rear-ending the pickup and pushing both vehicles into a parked road commission truck. The flagger tried to get out of the way but was struck by both trucks and pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup driver and passenger were hospitalized with injuries, while the sanitation truck driver and passenger were unhurt.
Troopers said alcohol and drugs did not appear to be factors in the crash. Lt. Rene Gonzalez called the wreck a sobering reminder of the dangers road crews face every day and urged drivers approaching work zones to slow down, stay focused, and give workers the space they need. The crash remains under investigation.
That message travels south. Between the construction on U.S. 41, the interstate widening, and the bridge work that seems to shift every season, Suncoast drivers pass through work zones constantly. The workers holding those signs are our neighbors, and the only thing standing between them and a truck that cannot stop is how quickly the driver behind them reacts. Next time you see orange barrels, lift off the gas early. Where is the trickiest work zone you drive through on the Suncoast right now?
