Police reported that a 60-year-old road construction superintendent was hit by an SUV and died on Dec. 3. According to reports, the accident occurred on Route 422 just after 11 p.m. in the westbound lanes of the highway in North Coventry Township near the highway’s intersection with Route 100.
The man that died was setting up traffic cones in a construction zone in advance of a $36 million improvement project. He was a superintendent working for JD Eckman, the company contracted to complete the dual bridge replacement for the portion of Route 422 spanning the Schuylkill River.
A 57-year-old Berks County man was driving the SUV. He apparently did not see the worker, striking him. The 60-year-old worker died from his injuries. Law enforcement officers said they do not believe that speed contributed to the cause of the accident. Police are still investigating the accident and have not stated whether the Berks County man will be charged in relation to the crash.
Sadly, many road construction workers are hit and killed by motorists every year. When a person dies as a result of a workplace injury, his or her family is often left with unexpected expenses and financial losses in addition to the grief and pain they may experience as a result. The family of a worker who is killed while working on the job may not be aware that they may be able to request benefits for their loved one’s death by filing a workers’ compensation claim. Through such a claim, a family may be able to receive benefits to cover the cost of any medical care received by their loved one, reasonable funeral and burial costs and monthly benefits payments to replace a portion of the loved one’s lost income.
Source: WFMZ, “Construction worker struck, killed by vehicle on Route 422”, Ryan Hughes, December 04, 2014