Safety at Work.
Prince William County, VA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Virginia safety patrol worker was killed when another car struck him as he was assisting another motorist.
Officials said the member of the Virginia Safety Service Patrol was helping a driver on I-95 who had broken down on the road. Police said the crash happened in Prince William County near Dumfries. The safety worker was helping the motorist who had pulled to the side of the road near the 151-mile marker.
Another car lost control on the same stretch of road and eventually hit and killed the patrol worker, Virginia State Police said. The driver of the broken-down car was also injured but survived the crash. The worker, an employee of AECOM, which contracted workers out to the Virginia Department of Transportation, was not identified.
“We have all been deeply impacted and are mourning this tragic loss of a teammate,” VDOT said in a statement. “In his honor, it is imperative to remind and emphasize the need for all motorists to drive with caution and care on our roadways.”
The crash comes just two years after Virginia updated laws to require that drivers change lanes and give emergency workers or disabled vehicles as much extra space as possible. The Move Over law was expanded after an incident in 2022. In that accident, Angela Hurley, 49, was waiting in her broken-down car for mechanical help when another car along I-95 struck her car and killed her.