LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Move over. That is the message the Missouri Department of Transportation wants to send to drivers as road construction season draws near.
In September of 2012, MoDOT worker Clifton Scott died while on the job. MoDOT is using an interview with him from 2001 to send a message to all drivers.
“My brother couldn’t have said it any better than anybody could’ve said it,” Xavier Slestell said. “We need to be more aware of the people out there serving the community.”
Scott’s family and the family members of two other MoDOT workers killed in work zones attended a special ceremony at MoDOT headquarters in Lee’s Summit on Friday to kick off the Move Over for Work Zones Campaign. Scott’s family hopes his death will inspire others to drive safer in work zones.
“Now I know how dangerous it really is. Did he have to give his life to prove this, no he didn’t.”
Scott died while working motorist assist. He stopped on I-70 to help with an accident when prosecutors say David Murdock, who was drunk at the time, barreled through the orange cones and hit Scott. He is the third MoDOT worker in the past 10 years to be killed by a careless driver in the metro.
“We need to show them respect,” said Monique Banks, Scott’s fiancée. “We need to show all of them respect for the people who work out on the highways or out on the side streets. Move over.
He still has a purpose. He still has a purpose just like we do to let everybody know what he stands for and what that law stands over. We need to move over.”
MoDOT officials said during the summer they have around 100 work zones in the metro at any one time, and that doesn’t include Kansas or inner city construction.
So slow down, move over, and protect the lives of these road workers.
“We need to be respectful of those folks when we’re driving,” said Dave Nichols, MoDOT director. “They have a job to do and its very dangerous for them, so try to move over when they are on the edge of the roadway or in a work zone. Slow down, pay attention to the signs.”
This campaign runs next week, but MoDOT obviously hopes the message stays with drivers every time they get behind the wheel.