FISHERS, Ind. -- Police are sending a warning to people who drive on I-69 near Fishers: Slow down, or you will pay dearly.
A major construction project on I-69 in Fishers is underway, which means the speed limit is now lower, and state police are strictly enforcing that new speed limit.
The Indiana State Police says the new speed limits and construction barrels have done little to convince drivers to slow down on the stretch of I-69.
"It's made no difference. The signs are posted, the barrels are up announcing the zones, and people are still going through at the same speed they always do," Indiana State Police Sgt. Jeff Rader said.
And when they do, Sgt. Rader and his fellow troopers, some you see and others you won't, will be right behind you.
@IndStatePolice patrolling construction zone in Fishers. Why drivers need to slow down and many aren't.@rtv6 pic.twitter.com/9wcpGO52J8
— chris proffitt (@ChrisProffitt) April 14, 2016
I-69 in Hamilton County is one of Indiana's busiest highways. Add in construction causing lane shifts and you have the potential for deadly accidents at high speeds. Coty DeMoss was killed, along with a fellow construction worker in 2014 in a construction zone on I-69 near Castleton.
"That stretch of road is very busy and people are in a hurry to get home or to work and it's just a fast pace," his father Dennis DeMoss said.
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Last year, 17 drivers were killed in Indiana construction zones. However, no workers were killed -- but many see the dangers almost daily.
"Close enough where semis come in, put on the brakes, me taking guys and throwing them over the barricade, hitting other cars. It's crazy out there," Christian Gustin said.
For that reason, police say the construction zone on I-69 will be heavily patrolled through the summer. The project is expected to wrap up in November.
"Not only are they endangering themselves, but they're endangering the workers when they ignore the speed limits they're enforcing," Indiana State Police Captain Rich Myers said.
Troopers will show no leniency to drivers who ignore the speed limit, as they hope these fines will save lives.
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