ATSSA joins the city of Eden, N.C., in grieving four work zone deaths

ATSSA joins the city of Eden, N.C., in grieving four work zone deaths

On this final day of National Work Zone Awareness Week when people across the country are observing a moment of silence in honor of the many people killed in work zones, the city of Eden, N.C., is grieving four deaths.

Four people were killed and two others injured Thursday afternoon when a city dump truck struck six men, killing four of them instantly, according to media reports including WGHP-Fox 8.

“We join the Eden, N.C., community in mourning this devastating loss and join everyone who today is grieving the loss of a loved one or colleague resulting from a work zone incident,” said ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner. “We have spent this week—National Work Zone Awareness Week—endeavoring to raise awareness to encourage safe driving through work zones to prevent such tragedies. This year’s theme is ‘Respect the Zone So We All Get Home,’ which was created by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.”

Work zone deaths are an ongoing issue nationwide. The most recent statistics show there were 821 fatal crashes in work zones resulting in 891 deaths in 2022. In 2022, 94 roadway workers suffered fatal injuries at their work site from all causes, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

WGHP reported that a group of contractors for Duke Energy was working on powerlines on Thursday when a city vehicle failed to stop at an intersection and struck six workers on foot before hitting a bucket truck with a worker inside.

The four people killed were identified as:

• Douglas Garland Sides, 72, of Summerfield
• Madison Carter, 42, of Sandy Ridge
• William Evans, 35, of Randleman
• Matthew Lockwood, 30, of Winston-Salem

The other two struck were hospitalized.

Police are investigating and media outlets report that the truck driver faces charges.