Work zone collisions involving roadside workers on the rise in Washington: ‘We all want to go home’

Whether it be a local roadway or a state highway, the work zone can be a dangerous environment for roadside workers. What can make the task even more difficult are people behind the wheel not paying attention or driving above the speed limit.

With National Work Zone Awareness Week underway, now is the time for travelers to be reminded about the potential consequences of their actions.

Roadside workers often find themselves multitasking throughout their day, keeping one eye on the job at hand and the other on drivers traveling through their work zones.

It can be a daunting task, and it only takes seconds for lives to change instantly. Few know that reality better than Bethany Blankenship, who works for the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

During the ice storm in January of last year, she and her crew were called in for emergency pothole repairs. While on the shoulder of Interstate 5 in Vancouver, Blankenship and six other crew members were hit by a drunk driver.

Blankenship encountered some of the scariest moments of her existence in just under two minutes.

“January 21st of 2024 changed my life like every aspect, " Blankenship told KATU. “There was a lot of screaming and a lot of yelling. I decided to walk away, but didn’t get very far, but it makes your mind just spin.”

Thankfully, they all survived, but what started as an ordinary night of road work ended in the hospital, leaving Blankenship with permanent back damage and inescapable trauma.

WSDOT officials saw a 36% increase in serious injury collisions involving roadside workers in 2024. Clark County itself ranked 4th in Washington in work zone collisions on state highways during that same time.

READ MORE: https://katu.com/news/local/we-all-want-to-go-home-work-zone-collisions-on-the-rise-in-washington-work-zone-awareness-week-bethany-blankenship-wsdot-awareness
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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: April 22, 2025, 3:00 am.

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