On March 22, 2023, two cars traveling at excessive speed on the inner loop of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland collided, with the impact sending one vehicle through a barrier opening of concrete work area in the middle central shoulder. Six workers hit by the out-of-control car died at the scene. Both drivers were charged with multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter, and a federal investigation into the incident is ongoing. One of the drivers pleaded guilty Jan. 3 to six charges in state court; the other faces 28 charges in a trial set to begin on April 1.
The loss of so many lives in a single incident gave new urgency to Maryland and other states to address the many risks highway construction workers face every day. Within weeks, Gov. Wes Moore (D) formed a 27-member task force, including highway engineers, law enforcement officials, labor and industry leaders and state highway agency staff, charged with ‘examine ways to improve work zone safety for workers and motorists.
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D), a licensed civil engineer, was the obvious choice to chair the team. In a career that includes 25 years with the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Transportation, he has seen firsthand how standard safety practices only go so far to protect workers from reckless and distracted drivers. “It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” he says, adding that while the horrific crash grabbed national headlines, Maryland recorded a total of 1,100 work zone incidents and seven fatalities in 2023 .Adds Miller: “That’s why all stakeholders felt an urgency to address this immediately.”
The team drew on input from technical experts and the public to develop 15 regulatory and operational recommendations in education, engineering and enforcement that Moore formally accepted in December.
After the high-speed car crash in the highway’s work zone that killed six, Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) led a team that announced new safety recommendations for the state.
Photo courtesy of the Maryland Governor’s Office
Most important to Miller was the inclusion on the panel of Concrete General Inc., employer of five victims — Rolando Ruiz, Carlos Orlando Villatoro Escobar, Jose Armando Escobar, Mahlon Simmons III and Mahlon Simmons II — and KCI Technologies Inc., employer from Sybil. Lee Dimaggio. “We believe that those who are closest to the challenge are closest to the solution,” says Miller. “They are the ones who will tell us what they need and what we can do to make things better.”
Some measures, such as expanded use of automated speed camera enforcement and resolving disparities in work zone speeding penalties, require state legislative action that Miller is confident he will get. Others, especially those aimed at changing motorcycling culture, are in the process. They include investing $500,000 in work zone safety awareness training for both new and experienced drivers. “We also want to continually explore ways to make work zones safer,” he says, citing potential measures such as additional reflective equipment, shared best practices among construction workers and new equipment to prevent intrusions into the work zone.
Moore says the state is fortunate to have Miller leading safety improvements for motorists and construction crews. As with any challenge, the key to making work zones safer is collaboration, he notes. “Each individual, regardless of their background, offers great insight into solutions,” Miller says, adding that the best solutions will come “when you bring as many people as you can to the table.”
