Surveyor Killed By I-95 Driver Who Tried Passing Slower Traffic
Be safe out there.....
There are no guarantees in this life. Dammit.
Serious bummer, and unfortunately all too common. Condolences to his family.
I often tell my non-surveyor friends that we're three feet from death at any moment out on the highway... this story really turns my stomach.
I don't know any details about the accident. But none of my personnel EVER occupy active clear roadway on an interstate. Poor practice all the way around. If there is a real need to get out there (even if it is just inside a hash area) safety devices, flagmen and even a rolling (vehicle) barricade would be the minimum. Lost a surveyor here a few years ago in a hash area near a ramp on I-35. Joe Battles lost his life to a young lady digging in her purse.
My prayers for the man's family.
Stay out of clear roadway conditions and ALWAYS use as much safety procedure as you can out there. Our work IS NOT WORTH DYING OVER.
Very sad indeed!! Happened less then a mile from my office!!! Unfortunately being surveyors at times puts us in unfavorable areas!!! Worst part about it there were signs up saying stay in your lanes and surveyors ahead!!
paden cash, post: 370827, member: 20 wrote: I don't know any details about the accident. But none of my personnel EVER occupy active clear roadway on an interstate. Poor practice all the way around. If there is a real need to get out there (even if it is just inside a hash area) safety devices, flagmen and even a rolling (vehicle) barricade would be the minimum. Lost a surveyor here a few years ago in a hash area near a ramp on I-35. Joe Battles lost his life to a young lady digging in her purse.
My prayers for the man's family.
Stay out of clear roadway conditions and ALWAYS use as much safety procedure as you can out there. Our work IS NOT WORTH DYING OVER.
I 100% agree with you, but even staying out of the lanes doesn't guarantee safety. I had a crew surveying for a waterline on the back slope of a ditch line. A young lady tops the hill WELL in excess of the speed limit (yes we had signs out), saw the crew and locked up the brakes. She spun at least once and slid into the ditch (on our side of course) and just missed all three as she slid by and they scrambled into the woods. I can guarantee you that we redoubled our safety efforts and that the crews listened (at least for a couple of weeks). One of the fellows on the crew was well into his 70's but the crew chief said the instrument man had boot prints on his back from where Jack ran over him.
Andy
Yes it sucks and it really hits close to home it being a surveyor. Unfortunately these accidents happen way too frequently in heavy civil construction throughout all disciplines.
Andy Bruner, post: 370870, member: 1123 wrote: She spun at least once and slid into the ditch (on our side of course) and just missed all three as she slid by and they scrambled into the woods.
Man! I think an exit, or escape, or some kind of plan like that should be a first consideration.
Just the other day we were on a two-lane bridge; with vehicle-width-shoulders, and bounded by CTBs. The part we were on was roughly a half mile into a tangent with speeds of around 55-60 mph. It's a beautiful day out, good visibility, we have our survey crew ahead signs staged, cones, vests, flashers and strobe working. I looked up from what we were doing and about that time saw a wide load modular building on an eighteen-wheeler in the tangent, taking up the whole travel lane and half the shoulder. In that group of vehicles coming at us I saw the pilot truck about a hundred yards out and made a big friendly arm wave, kinda' hoping he saw what was going on here, you know, and had his head in the game. He saw me wave and jumped into the opposite lanes and romped on the chey 2500 to clear the oncoming traffic. It doesn't seem like much until you're the one standing there with no where to go to.
A good friend works for Caltrans. He said the traffic doesn't bother a lot of the people (dangerous to get too comfortable) but he finds it nerve wracking to be out there all day. The current project involves a shoulder closure on a freeway which he says is inadequate. They have a traffic control contractor but no crash truck. He chewed out a trucking school instructor who was making laps all day long and never moved over. Their excuse is they couldn't because of traffic (yeah but every single time?). It's the law in California.
I would refuse to work in the gore, way too dangerous.
I'm more concerned about the Mountain Lion I heard caterwauling the other day.
Prayers for the family and his co-worker. Stripes don't mean much. I've even had people go through coned areas. Also had a situation like R.J.'s
Be safe out there.
Sad news. Another reminder to think about safety at all times.
signs and cones are no match for 3500#+ vehicle :-$:-(
Condolesnces to the family and friends.
How or why was he even there in the first place? We do not even set foot on the Intersate in our area without extensive traffic control nvolving a traffic control company and a helluva alot of WSDOT or ITD paperwork. We can't even park anywhere in the interstate ROW. The safety rules must be much more relaxed in FL?
I've worked a lot on the interstate lately. You can do everything right and still die at any moment. Over a 5 week span, I got a feel for most of the populace. About 10% will move over/slow down....50% are distracted...40% simply do not care about you and will even hit the gas.
The worst offenders? Truck drivers. No debate. You know, the ones that not only have a civil duty (to not to kill us) but a professional duty as well?
abw, post: 371349, member: 7082 wrote: I've worked a lot on the interstate lately. You can do everything right and still die at any moment. Over a 5 week span, I got a feel for most of the populace. About 10% will move over/slow down....50% are distracted...40% simply do not care about you and will even hit the gas.
The worst offenders? Truck drivers. No debate. You know, the ones that not only have a civil duty (to not to kill us) but a professional duty as well?
When I worked for the Highway Dept. in Oklahoma I came to some sobering conclusions also. To me the worst offender was an 80 years old vet (sporting a ball cap with the name of an aircraft carrier emblazoned on it) in a Crown Vic. It seemed like the road was full of them...all with Texas plates...and all with Handicap stickers...no foolin'...
Very sad. Hate to hear this.
I did highway design surveys for the first part of my career and never really worried too much about traffic. Now, I try to not even be on a shoulder of a road when cars are anywhere in the vicinity. Must be past that hard headed young man phase of thinking I am indestructible.
Steve Boon, post: 370811, member: 416 wrote: Surveyor Killed By I-95 Driver Who Tried Passing Slower Traffic
Be safe out there.....
I lost a man back in 1990 to the same condition. I am still not at peace with it. I wrote an article about it that was published in several Association newsletters. It made an everlasting change to our procedures when working in and around roads.
paden cash, post: 371383, member: 20 wrote: When I worked for the Highway Dept. in Oklahoma I came to some sobering conclusions also. To me the worst offender was an 80 years old vet (sporting a ball cap with the name of an aircraft carrier emblazoned on it) in a Crown Vic. It seemed like the road was full of them...all with Texas plates...and all with Handicap stickers...no foolin'...
If we could just get those injun slots here...
