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Caltrans worker killed on freeway ramp is third to die in So Cal since May. Save Lives ... Slow for the Cone Zone News Release - California Department of Transportation Caltrans announced that Richard Gonzalez, a 52-year-old Caltrans maintenance worker, died shortly before 9 a.m. June 20 after being struck by a vehicle while he was picking up litter along the northbound Interstate 15 connector ramp to eastbound State Route 94 in San Diego. He is the third Caltrans worker to die on the job in 48 days - the most ever in such a short period of time. On May 4, Stephen Palmer, Sr. was struck by a trolley and killed in National City near San Diego. On June 7, Jaime Obeso was killed by an errant vehicle while working on Interstate 8 in Imperial County. Caltrans has called a statewide safety stand down to emphasize safety procedures. All routine or regularly-scheduled highway maintenance activities are being temporarily halted to revisit and reinforce all aspects of field safety and to ask the public for help. Caltrans will post notices on its statewide network of more than 700 electronic highway message signs reminding motorists to watch out for Caltrans employees. Flags will be at half staff on Caltrans buildings across the state in remembrance of Caltrans workers who have needlessly lost their lives this year. "Every day, highway workers put their lives in danger just by going to work," said Acting Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. "These three tragic incidents are sobering reminders that we all must do everything we can to keep our highways safe. Motorists must slow down, watch out for highway workers and safely move over a lane when passing work crews." Highway construction and maintenance work is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. The risk of death is seven times greater for highway workers than for the average worker. Since the 1920s, 178 Caltrans employees have died while on the job. News Release California Department of Transportation June 20, 2011 District: Headquarters - Sacramento Contact: Tamie McGowen Phone: (916) 657-5060 http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/paffairs/news/pressrel/11pr49.htm ***** CALTRANS HOLDS MEMORIAL HONORING 175 FALLEN WORKERS Sacramento – At its 21st annual Workers Memorial today at the State Capitol, Caltrans honored its 175 employees who were killed on the job, including Gary Smith, a maintenance worker killed last year by a suspected drunk driver on Highway 99 north of Chico. "Every day, highway workers put their lives in danger just by going to work," said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim. "This memorial reminds us that we all must do our part to keep our state's highways safe by slowing down in work zones." Caltrans has partnered with the California Transportation Foundation to develop two new funds to benefit the families of Caltrans workers killed on the job. The new Fallen Workers Assistance Memorial will fund the initial needs a surviving family faces, and next year, the children of lost workers may apply for the Fallen Workers Children's Scholarship. Highway construction and maintenance is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. The risk of death is seven times greater for highway workers than for the average worker. However, California has made significant strides in highway work zone safety since 1999 when Caltrans launched its Slow for the Cone Zone safety campaign. The most recent fatality data from 2009 shows that since the inception of Slow for the Cone Zone, California's highway work zone fatality rate dropped 13 percent compared to 2.5 percent for rest of the nation. To download video of Caltrans highway workers for broadcast and a Slow for the Cone Zone fact sheet, please visit: http://www.dot.ca.gov/workersmemorial/mediakit News Release California Department of Transportation April 28, 2011 Headquarters Tamie McGowen Phone: (916) 654-5782 http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/paffairs/news/pressrel/11pr44.htm http://nixle.com/alert/4704098/*** Forwarded by: Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau - Newsroom Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (323) 267-4800 SHBNewsroom@lasd.org http://www.lasd.org
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