Editor's Note: This story was updated April 22, 2024, with the victims' names.
Three highway construction workers died early Wednesday morning in a work zone crash on Interstate 83 in Fairview Township, Pennsylvania, Fox 43 reports.
The crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. April 17 when a 24-year-old man driving a box truck hit a construction vehicle in an active construction zone. Reports state that after hitting the vehicle, the truck continued onto the shoulder where it struck the workers. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the incident, all southbound lanes of I-83 between Exit 36: PA 262 - Fishing Creek and Exit 35: PA 177 - Lewisberry were closed until midday.
According to PennDOT spokesperson Dave Thompson, the crew worked for an agency contractor and was sealing cracks at the time of the incident. A news release issued last week by PennDOT said the work was being performed by CriLon Corp. of Somerset.
“Right now, we're just gathering information,” Thompson told news outlets. “We're obviously very shaken by this event.”
The workers were identified as Jesse McKenzie, 24, of Somerset; Robert Hampe, 42, of Meyersdale; and Philson Hinebaugh III, 24, of Johnstown.
The fatalities occurred during National Work Zone Awareness Week, when transportation agencies and safety advocates promote drivers’ awareness of highway construction zones. In 2022, 891 people died in work zones, according to the NHTSA FARS data. A moment of silence will be observed April 19 to remember the men and women whose lives were lost in a work zone incident.
The report from Fox 43 can be viewed below:
