Labor union AFSCME Maryland Council 3 called the incident "yet another senseless tragedy"
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NEED TO KNOW
- Highway worker Robert Dempsey of Ellicott City, Md. was stuck by a vehicle after responding to a separate incident
- The preliminary investigation revealed that Dempsey was outside of his emergency work vehicle and setting up cones for traffic control when he was struck by a Mazda CX5
- Labor union AFSCME Maryland Council 3 called the incident “yet another senseless tragedy”
A highway worker was stuck and killed while responding to a separate traffic incident.
40-year-old Robert Dempsey of Ellicott City, Md. was stuck by a vehicle on Saturday, April 25, while setting up safety cones on the Beltway ramp from St. Barnabas Road after an earlier collision between two vehicles, according to a news release from the Maryland State Police.
Police said troopers responded to a report of the crash involving two cars around noon. Emergency personnel from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration also responded to the scene to assist with lane closures.
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The preliminary investigation revealed that Dempsey had stepped outside of his emergency work vehicle to set up cones on the ramp for traffic control when he was struck by a Mazda CX5.
The Mazda driver, Joshua Anderson of Fort Washington, was transported to a local hospital. No other injuries have been reported.
Charges are pending the findings of the ongoing investigation.
Police state that lanes were closed for about five hours to investigate the crash.
Labor union AFSCME Maryland Council 3 wrote in an Instagram post on Monday, April 27, “This is yet another senseless tragedy and underscores the urgent need for both safe roads and safe workplaces.”
“Our roads are some of Maryland’s most dangerous workplaces, and it’s clear that more needs to be done to protect the essential workers who maintain these important roadways,” the union wrote, calling for “a thorough Maryland Occupational Safety and Health investigation of this tragedy, better publicity and strengthening of Maryland’s Move Over Law, and having clear road signage to notify drivers of upcoming work zones.”
The State Highway Administration told PEOPLE in a statement that they are "deeply saddened by the loss of another one of our team members, a highway inspector who was working alongside US 13 in Somerset County."
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“The continued disregard for roadway workers is unacceptable, and everyone must do better," the administration continued. "Your actions on our roads have real and life-changing impacts on families, friends and our colleagues."
They added, "We need motorists to slow down, move over and pay attention on our roadways – especially in our work zones. Each and every one of our workers deserves to work and return home safely."
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