Slow down! 3 flaggers hurt or killed in 4 days, ODOT says

The Oregon Department of Transportation says drivers must pay attention while driving in work zones.

These days, it seems like every motorist is in a rush. But safety always needs to come before speed, officials say.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is putting out a red alert after three roadside construction workers were injured or killed in the last four days.

Tyresa Monaghan — a 49-year-old resident of Kennewick — died Tuesday night, Aug. 14, after a vehicle struck her while she was working as a contracted flagger on a paving project on Highway 11 near Athena, according to a report in the East Oregonian newspaper.

The alleged driver, Leman Louis Bledsoe, 76, faces charges of manslaughter and driving under the influence of intoxicants.

The next day, a flagger working in a nighttime construction zone on westbound Highway 99 near Monmouth was "seriously hurt," according to KATU.

And on Friday, Aug. 17, a third flagger was hit by a car in Camas in Washington State.

"We have a simple message: When you see orange signs, barrels, cones, and barricades, slow down and watch for road construction workers," ODOT said in a news release encouraging drivers to take their foot off the gas.

The state agency has illuminated the Union Street Pedestrian Bridge in Salem with orange lights to remind drivers to pay attention when they see traffic cones of the same hue.

More bridges will be lit orange in the coming days.