Ohio-based contractor Kokosing Construction has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest after a 25-year-old employee was killed in a hit-and-run accident last month while working on Interstate 70 near Columbus.
Local investigators say Jordan Thomas was working on the planks and ramps of the bridges with a morning crew on February 28 when a car, described as a The maroon Toyota sedan, driven through the closed construction zone, struck Thomas and fled the scene around 2 a.m., ABC 6 reported. The freeway construction is connected to the The city’s Downtown Ramp Up Project, a $1.4 billion alteration by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to reconfigure roadway traffic flow around downtown Columbus.
Amid an ongoing search for the driver responsible, local investigators say the reward offer has led to an increase in community outreach and awareness on social media, with many local residents offering information and condolences in a post about the incident on Crime Stoppers of Central Ohio. Kokosing, which has partnered with a nonprofit organization, an affiliate of Crime Stoppers USA, to manage the reward money amid the flow of information to investigators.
Local trucking company PFM Fleet Services is pledging an additional $10,000 for information.
“Jordan’s loss is deeply felt by all who knew him, and our thoughts remain with his family, friends and co-workers during this incredibly difficult time,” Kokosing said in a March 5 statement. “Nothing is more important than the safety and lives of our team members.”
Kokosing added, “Our goal is to get justice for Jordan, his family and our team.”
Following the accident, the incident has also raised awareness of the dangerous conditions faced by construction workers.
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In comments sent to ENR, ODOT press secretary Matt Bruning said a history of crashes between the intersections of I-70 and I-71 in downtown Columbus was a major factor in the Project to raise the center.
“They run concurrently on the south side of downtown and then they split again. So you have the east split and the west split of I-70 and I-71. Between the splits is where we’ve historically had a lot of crashes,” explained Bruning.
However, he said he does not believe the freeway layout played a factor in this accident.
“What we need to change is for people to pay attention. There’s no reason anyone should ever drive into a work zone in a vehicle. There’s no excuse,” he said.
The incident echoes similar incidents over the years, including a 2023 accident in Maryland where construction workers were killed when a passenger car drove into a work zone along the I-695 Beltway in Baltimore.
Anyone with information about the Ohio crash is encouraged to contact the Columbus Division of Police at 614-645-4767 or the Central Ohio Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 614-461-8477.
