Road Risk: Managing Work-Related Vehicle Collisions Fatality File

Flagger Fatally Struck by Passing Vehicle During Roadway Operations

On August 27, 2024, at approximately 1:00 p.m., a construction laborer performing one-way traffic flagging for a highway barrier installation project was struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle. OSHA’s investigation determined that the worker had been positioned inside the active travel lane, outside the designated safe flagging zone, when an inattentive driver entered the work area. The impact caused fatal blunt-force trauma as the employee was thrown to the pavement.

This incident highlights the extreme vulnerability of roadside workers and the critical importance of strict traffic-control planning, proper flagger positioning, and driver awareness. Even a brief lapse in work-zone layout or motorist attention can turn a routine flagging operation into a deadly struck-by event.

Source: Osha.gov