26-04-2025
Honoring the fallen PennDOT workers of PA.
DUNMORE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— PennDOT held a solemn ceremony earlier to honor the workers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
It comes as part of National Work Zone Awareness Week, a reminder for all of us to slow down and stay alert.
The spring season is the beginning of construction season, and with more crews out on the road, PennDOT says the risks go up.
Friday's memorial served as a stark reminder that real lives on the line in active work zones.
Rows of hard hats and orange vests laid out in solemn silence. Each one representing a name, a face, and a life lost while working to keep Pennsylvania's roadways safe.
'Every time you come to workers memorial day you think of two things, mourn the dead and fight for the living,' stated Bill Cockerill, Scranton Central Labor Union.
The annual PennDOT workers memorial service brings together families, unions, and transportation officials to honor the workers who never made it home.
'Since 1970, 91 PennDOT employees have died in the line of duty, there are 91 families that expected their loved one to come home at the end of their work day,' voiced Jonathan Eboli, Chief Executive for Highway Admin., PennDOT.
This year's memorial falls during National Work Zone Awareness Week, a campaign with a message that's as urgent as ever.
'In 2024, there were 1,250 crashes in pennsylvania work zones resulting in 22 fatalities and over 500 injuries,' noted Eboli.
'I always tell people just imagine putting your desk right on a middle of a highway and have your head on a swivel all day. And this is what the concerns that our members have,' explained Eric Schubert, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union.
As construction season ramps up, the message is clear; slow down, stay alert, and respect the zone.
'Please travel through every work zone as if one of your family members is working there, because they all have family and friends to go home to,' voiced Eboli.
Officials say even one distracted driver can change a family forever, that's why they're asking drivers to respect the zone, so every worker makes it home.
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