A vehicle struck and killed a Maryland Transportation Authority employee who was working alongside southbound Interstate 95in White Marsh, police said.
Shortly after 2 p.m., Gregory Anthony Bauer, an MdTA maintenance worker, was collecting debris in the left shoulder lane of the interstate when a gray 2007 Mazda lost control and hit the highway median, officials said.
The car slid along the median and struck Bauer, who later died at the hospital.
Another worker was at the location but was in a vehicle and unharmed. MdTA officials would not say if signs were posted warning drivers of the workers? presence on the highway.
This week happens to be National Work Zone Awareness Week.
“A tragedy like this requires that each one of us stop and think about how we drive,” said MdTA Chairman John Porcari in a written statement.
Bauer, 37, of Abingdon, had worked two years with the MdTA. He was married with an 11-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter.
The Mazda?s driver, Kathryn Eileen Cote, 35, of Salisbury, was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
State police would not say why Cote lost control of her vehicle, but that a crash investigation team would provide a report to the Baltimore County State?s Attorney Office, which would then move forward with any potential charges.
The crash closed all the southbound lanes of the interstate, creating a six-mile backup.
State transportation officials said highway worker deaths have risen significantly in the past decade, with 10 deaths related to work-zone crashes last year and 13 in 2006. Most of the deaths, however, tend to be those in the vehicles, officials said.
The safety of roadside workers has become an important cause as of late. State transportation agencies and utility companies such as Baltimore Gas and Electric have launched campaigns warning drivers to take it slow in work zones.
The General Assembly came close to approving speed cameras in highway work zones during the past session, though it is unclear if speed played a factor in Wednesday?s crash.
