WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, along with the Ohio Laborers’ Union and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, will host a press conference to kick off the 2023 National Work Zone Awareness Week. The event will take place at 10:00 a.m. and will feature several individuals impacted by work zone intrusions, including Bethany Billi, Executive Director of Ohio Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET), Bob McCaskill, Business Manager of Laborers’ Local 423 in Columbus, Dana King, mother of fallen member Alex King, Emily King, sister of fallen member Alex King, and Lt. Shad Caplinger, Circleville Post Commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The purpose of the event is to promote work zone safety and increase awareness about the risks workers face while working on Ohio’s highways. The Ohio State Highway Patrol recently reported an increase in work zone crashes, resulting in 29 fatalities in 2022 alone. Since 2018, there has been 25,688 work zone crashes on Ohio roads, and 35% of these accidents occurred with Ohio workers present.
“These statistics underscore the importance of raising awareness of work zone safety, particularly given the increasing infrastructure funding for road construction,” said Billi. “Our members often work in difficult conditions, building safer roads for motorists. All motorists should reciprocate that and make the roads safe for the workers while driving.”
During the press conference, Pamela Bradek will share her story of being impacted by a work zone intrusion at last year’s event. It is imperative that we come together to prevent work zone intrusions and create safer roadways for all. The event will serve as a reminder of the importance of work zone safety and the need for everyone to play a role in keeping workers safe while on the job.