New York State DOT remembers fallen highway workers
Officials from the Department of Transportation Region 9 gathered at the memorial located at the Southern Tier Welcome Center rest area along Interstate 81 in Kirkwood Monday morning.
A wreath-laying ceremony honored the eight men who have died in work zone crashes in the region, both DOT employees and workers from contractors doing construction on behalf of DOT.
Assistant Commissioner Jim Rusak says the fallen workers each left their homes fully expecting to return home to their families at the end of their shifts.
Rusak says despite the pleas to slow down and move over, crashes continue.
'Last year, we had 322 intrusions into work zones in New York State. Resulting in two motorist fatalities, and 138 injuries. Throughout the history of DOT, 58 workers have been killed in work zones. Every one of them are real people, deeply loved by their families who continue to feel the pain of their absence,' said Rusak.
This year's ceremony marks the 20th anniversary of a horrific crash on Interstate 81 in the Town of Chenango, near the Castle Creek exit, in which a speeding and inattentive tour bus crashed, causing a chain reaction that claimed the lives of three contractors.
Wayne Bonsell, Jason Pessoni, and Jonathon Randall were all employees of Economy Paving.
Bonsell's sisters were at today's event.
Holley Peterson says her brother was hard working, generous, and had a great sense of humor.
'There's no need for speed. Slow down, watch out for people, it's not worth it, it's not worth it. Take your time. Be patient,' said Peterson.
The Town of Chenango deaths spurred New York's Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, which increased the penalties for construction zone infractions.
Rusak says the state is also rolling out speed cameras in work zones. He says in the areas where the automated enforcement has been implemented, there have been 425,000 fines mailed to drivers, but, so far, no injuries from crashes.
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