Friday marks a somber anniversary for Somer Smith, whose husband Jacob was killed April 14, 2016, while helping repair the Tennessee River Bridge on Interstate 65.

Jacob “Jake” Smith, a Muscle Shoals native, was one of two Alabama Department of Transportation Workers hit that morning. Kenneth Hopper, 63, of Hartselle, was also seriously injured in the chain-reaction crash that happened shortly before 5 a.m.

Both men worked out of the ALDOT office in Tanner. Smith had more than five years with ALDOT, while Hopper had eight years of experience. State troopers said the crash occurred when two northbound vehicles collided before striking a parked ALDOT vehicle and then Smith and Hopper, who were both pedestrians.

The pain of Jake’s loss hasn’t subsided for Somer, who spoke Thursday, April 6, at a press conference coinciding with National Work Zone Awareness Week. April is also Work Zone Awareness Month in Alabama.

“I go to bed every night without the man I love, adore and miss every single day because of someone else’s lack of good judgment,” she said. “My grief isn’t solely for myself, but also my children and the father they will only remember through stories and pictures. They will never know the laughter or hold his hand or play on the beach or get tucked in at night.”

Smith was one of 14 people killed in Alabama in work zone crashes in 2016, according to ALDOT. That represents a decrease from 2015 when 31 fatalities occurred in work zone crashes.

The crashes occurred despite speeding fines being double in a work zone and the existence of Alabama’s Move Over Law, first enacted in 2009. The law requires drivers to either move over one lane when they encounter a vehicle on the shoulder with flashing lights. If changing lanes is not possible, a driver is required to slow to 15 mph below the posted speed limit.

Allison Green with ALDOT said the Alabama Legislature will consider a bill during this session that would amend the Move Over Law to include ALDOT vehicles and workers on the road.

Another piece of legislation that should be of interest to drivers is the Marshall James Walton Highway Safety Act, sponsored by State Rep. Chris Pringle, R-Mobile. If signed into law, the act creates the crime of homicide by motor vehicle of vessel.

Staying focused

The theme of the weeklong observance was “Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands.” Officials cite speeding and distracted driving as two primary causes for work zone crashes.

Trooper and Public Information Officer Curtis Summerville implored drivers to pay attention to orange signs and cones because each cone represents a life. He said troopers don’t stay in work zones to simply write tickets to speeding drivers but to serve as a visible reminder to be careful.

Green said drivers need to not only look for workers but also remove any distractions from the process of driving. Those include anything from texting to changing the radio station.

Curtis Vincent, ALDOT’s north region engineer, said drivers need to always be aware that the road is the office of ALDOT’s workers. In speaking on the issue of safety, he recalled the four ALDOT workers — Darnell Spencer, Mickey Collier, Ronald Fletcher and Bobby Smith — who were seriously injured in January 2013 while repairing potholes on I-65 in Athens.

“Tragic events like this are reminders of the dangers faced daily by the men and women who perform highway construction,” Vincent said. “We hope these incidents resonate with the public and remind the public there are human beings and futures that can be taken away in an instant. These things are forgotten by drivers who grow impatient and inattentive when they enter a work zone.”

While road construction projects may equate to an aggravation for drivers, Vincent said it’s never ALDOT’s sole intention to cause delays.

“It is always our desire to finish our work as quickly, efficiently and as safely as possible to get traffic flowing, but we need drivers to do their part to keep our workers and themselves safe,” he said. There is not a meeting, phone call or text that is so important that a driver risks killing themselves or one of these workers.”

Smith said it’s up to all drivers to ensure ALDOT workers stay safe. She explained ALDOT workers risk their lives to improve the state’s roads for all drivers.

“I implore you to please make conscious decisions,” she said. “Slow down for Jake. Get off the phone for Jake. Move over for Jake. Brake for Jake.”