Distracted Drivers Pose Safety Hazard To ODOT Workers

Safety is the top concern for any construction project.

From a quiet Midtown neighborhood to a busy highway or bridge, Andrew Long has seen it all.

He's a project manager for Tri-Star Construction, a Catoosa company that does some contract work for ODOT.

"We put up concrete barriers to help protect our guys; sometimes that does not work," said Long.

He says drivers are constantly distracted while driving in work zones.

Either preoccupied with watching the construction workers or looking down at their phones.

Those distractions can be deadly.

"I've actually seen a man get hit by a car and he didn't make it on the roadway," stated Long.

Today, Jarrell Gray, Transportation Superintendent I in Delaware County for ODOT, was killed on State Highway 20.

ODOT Employee Killed In Work Zone Crash

Long says road crews are vulnerable when they're on the job and it's up to the public to protect them.

"We're already at work, and we have a job to do,” explained Long. “We're not really paying attention to the cars coming by. That's their job to make sure to kind of make sure we stay safe as well."

This weekend, ODOT will display a Work Zone Memorial Wall at Woodland Hills Mall.

The structure lists the names of those who died in Oklahoma work zones.