A 24-year-old Eaton County Road Commission employee working on a road crew was killed in a work zone crash Tuesday afternoon, state police say.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A 24-year-old Eaton County Road Commission employee working on a road crew was killed in a work zone crash Tuesday afternoon, state police say.
The Michigan State Police said the crash occurred on Lansing Road in Benton Township at 2:30 p.m., shutting the road down between Royston Road and Windsor Highway for several hours.
Investigators say flag workers were directing traffic and three additional road commission trucks were parked at the scene. A 33-year-old man from Charlotte, driving a pickup truck, stopped on Lansing Road at the direction of a flag worker. Police say a 42-year-old man from Owosso, driving a Kenworth sanitation truck, approached the stopped pickup truck but was unable to stop and crashed into the rear of the pickup truck.
MSP said the road commission employee, the 24-year-old, attempted to avoid the vehicles but was hit by both the pickup and sanitation truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Yesterday’s tragic crash in Eaton County is a sobering reminder of the dangers our road crews face every day. We urge every driver approaching a work zone to slow down, stay focused, and give workers the space they need to do their jobs safely. A few extra seconds of caution can save a life,” MSP First District Public Information Officer Lt Rene Gonzalez said in a Wednesday social media post.
MSP said the driver of the pickup and a 40-year-old passenger were taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Passengers from the sanitation truck were not injured in the crash.
Troopers are investigating the crash and they don’t believe alcohol or drugs were a factor.