A road worker for Van Buren County has been killed on the job. Michigan State Police say it happened at County road 681 and 48th Avenue in Lawrence Township in a construction zone on Friday morning.
The Van Buren County Road Commission worker was holding a traffic control sign on northbound CR 681 when he was struck by a Dodge pickup driven by a 30-year-old Hartford man.
Troopers say the driver failed to follow traffic controls and read-ended a stopped Chevy pickup after trying to pass it. While attempting to pass, the Dodge struck the road worker, who has been identified as a 58-year-old Dowagiac man.
The driver of the Dodge and the driver of the Chevy, a 48-year-old Lawrence man, were both uninjured. Drugs are believed to have been a factor in the crash. State police say the crash remains under investigation.
Van Buren County Road Commission Acting Managing Director Linnea Rader says the agency is in mourning, adding “a family is now devastated, and our community must now deal with a senseless tragedy. To family and friends who are hurting today, we share your pain.” The road commission asks for “time and grace as we deal with this tragic situation.”
