All work by the Minnesota Department of Transportation was paused Monday to honor two construction contractors killed last week and to focus on improving safety in work zones, authorities said.
Along with honoring the two workers — killed within 24 hours of one another in Twin Cities construction zones — the first-ever statewide safety stand-down day included discussions and sharing of experiences to help workers improve safety.
“I am deeply saddened and concerned by the recent tragic incidents that took the lives of two contractors working to improve Minnesota roads. Today, MnDOT staff took an unprecedented step to pause work and honor the lives of these two men and to recommit and focus on the safety of every person who works for and with our agency,” MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger said in a statement. “Safety is always our number one priority at MnDOT, and we will continue to work closely with our staff and contractors to improve our work zones to help ensure we all get home to our families safely.”
According to the State Patrol, Pierre Raymon Mack, 29, of St. Paul, was killed Wednesday in a construction zone at Interstate 35W and Burnsville Parkway in Burnsville when a construction boom truck backed up and struck him.
The next day, Adam Frederick Smith, 25, of Seymour, Wis., was killed when a dump truck in a construction zone at Minnesota 610 and Maple Grove Parkway in Maple Grove backed up and struck him, according to the State Patrol.
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“Every crash is more than a statistic — it’s a family changed forever. Work zones are places where Minnesotans are on the job, not just cones and signs on the road,” said State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic. “We need every driver to slow down, pay attention and treat those areas with extra care. The safety of our workers and of everyone traveling on our roads depends on it.”
Contact with objects or equipment remains the leading cause of workplace fatalities in Minnesota, said Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, noting that an average of eight workers die this way annually. “These are not just statistics — they are people who didn’t make it home to their loved ones at the end of the workday. Preventing these tragedies starts with proper training and strong safety protocols. Employees exposed to traffic or mobile earth-moving equipment must wear high-visibility garments, and that equipment must be outfitted with functioning backup alarms or guided by trained signal persons. These safeguards are not optional — they are essential to saving lives.”
Officials said that drivers should also do their part to help keep workers safe, such as being prepared when entering work zones by obeying posted speed limits, avoiding distracted driving, giving workers room by moving over, doing the zipper merge, avoiding unnecessary lane changes and never entering a road that is blocked.
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