(August 22, 2014) – Following the tragic incident Thursday in which a vehicle struck a highway worker guiding traffic around a work zone on MD 33 in St. Michaels, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) expresses condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of John Shahan of Denton, Md. He was employed by David A. Bramble, Inc. of Chestertown, Md.

“The men and women of SHA are deeply saddened by this tragedy. We offer our condolences to the Shahan family, their community and the employees of Bramble,” said State Highway Administrator Melinda B. Peters.

Peters says it is critical that motorists remember that work zone safety is everyone’s business. Work zones require every driver to stay alert. At any given time there may be hundreds of active work zones around the State. Nationally, more than 700 people are killed each year in work zone crashes – the majority of them drivers or passengers traveling the roadways.

Over the past five years in Maryland, there have been more than 8,350 crashes which injured 4,060. Twenty-eight people were killed. Maryland lost seven highway workers in the last 20 months in work zone crashes. Hundreds of workers, drivers and passengers have been seriously injured. “Each one of us as drivers must slow down and drive attentively to keep our workers, as well as ourselves and other travelers, safe,” added Peters.

In eligible work zones, SHA uses automated speed enforcement through the Maryland SafeZones program as a tool to reduce excessive speeding and encourage attentive driving. Please visit www.safezones.maryland.gov for more information. SHA reminds motorists to stay alert for workers and learn the location of active work zones by consulting www.roads.maryland.gov

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