Oakland County road worker hit while directing traffic; drivers warned to slow down
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The Road Commission of Oakland County (RCOC) is warning drivers to slow down after a worker directing traffic was injured in November.
The incident happened on Sunday, Nov. 19, on West Long Lake Road near Kirkway Road in Bloomfield Township.
An employee of Allied Construction, a paving company, was working on an RCOC project when he was hit by a car, according to a press release from the RCOC.
The worker was directing traffic in a construction zone when he was hit. The Bloomfield Township Police Department is investigating the crash.
"Our number one priority is the safety of both those who use the roads and those who work on the roads," stated RCOC Managing Director Dennis Kolar. "We can't say this enough: Please slow down and use caution in road-construction zones. We want to make sure the men and women working in these zones go home to their families every night."
Kolar is urging people to be cautious in construction zones for the safety of workers, and because failing to do so can be costly for drivers.
Fines are doubled in construction zones, and multiple tickets in work zones can cause a driver to get their license suspended.
In addition, people can receive up to a year in prison for injuring a worker and up to 15 years for killing a worker under Andy's Law (Public Act 103).
"I am very pleased that this Allied employee is now recovering," Kolar said, "but I am saddened that he must now go through the healing process as a result of an incident that was absolutely unnecessary. I hope this is a wake-up call to all drivers that work-zone safety is critical."