WAYNE COUNTY — INDOT employee Joseph Greene nearly lost his life at a construction site on U.S. 35 in Wayne County in May.
“I woke up in the hospital and didn’t remember anything,” Greene said. “I had two vertebrates chipped in my neck. My right rotator cuff was completely tore off the bone.”
Investigators say Greene was struck by a driver while setting up traffic cones on the highway.
“I went to get out of the way, and she swerved and hit me at the last second,” Greene said.
The driver reportedly drove around Greene, his vehicle and two warning signs before continuing northbound for a quarter mile and driving head-on into the path of a state highway truck.
Witnesses at the scene tell police the driver never slowed down. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office says the woman veered around the truck and struck Greene.
“I’m just really shocked I wasn’t worse off than I was,” Greene said. “People need to stay off their phones, especially in work zones. Pay attention to everything. We are not there to be a pain; we are trying to fix the roads.”
INDOT’s numbers show there have been 14 incidents across the state where construction workers have been put at risk this year.
The following numbers reflect either hits or near misses of INDOT employees in work zones from 2022-2023:
- 2020: 1
- 2021: 3
- 2022: 3
- 2023: 14
“There is only so much we can do so our workers can be safe. We set up zones for them,” Kyleigh Cramer, with INDOT, said. “Our workers will tell you that the numbers are alarming.”
INDOT believes the increase in numbers could be tied to distracted driving or road rage.
Drivers will need to make sure they are paying attention more often with construction seemingly happening all around the Hoosier state at all times.
“Everybody’s trying to make it home, just like you are,” Greene said.
