The Grand Forks Herald reported Benjamin Enterman was working for Stantec Inc. taking measurements to verify erosion control at a recently completed construction zone on Highway 23 on Oct. 27 when he was killed.
The majority of the 12-mile highway project had been completed, so speed limits were no longer lowered when the semi struck Entermann at 65 mph.
However, a subcontractor who was also working on the project said those speed limits should have still been lower since the workers still had to complete a “punch list.” Storm Water owner Pat Bibeau said that he even requested for the lower speed limits to continue.
“They (Stantec) knew, everybody knew, there was a punch list that still had to be done. Stantec chose to drop traffic control when we were still out and when their own guys were still out there. Here we had these high speeds, people flying by when there’s still a punch list and a young man gets run over,” Bibeau said.
Enterman, who was a South Dakota School of Mines student, was reportedly wearing a safety vest and had the caution lights on his pickup truck turned on a short distance down the road. But there were no signs warning drivers or other safety devices being used.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the accident, and specifically if safety devices should have been still in place. The North Dakota Department of Transportation and Stantec will also be conducting investigations into what happened to Enterman.
