Current Dist. 5 workers stand by the memorial traffic cones of the eight Dist. 5 workers killed on the job since 1931. Submitted photo
Being a highway worker is a dangerous job, and the State transportation agency every year holds a ceremony commemorating the road workers who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty.
Similar to peace officer memorials held annually, Caltrans employees across the state gather to pay homage to their fallen fellow workers.
Caltrans District 5 — which covers the area from Santa Cruz County on the north to Ventura on the south including San Luis Obispo County, last Wednesday held its 36th Annual Workers Memorial Ceremony on the front lawn of the District Office, located at 50 Higuera St. in SLO.
Since being formed in 1921, 195 Caltrans employees have been killed on the job, the District said in a news release. This includes eight Dist. 5 employees.
“Employees,” the District said, “along with dignitaries and families of the local fallen workers honored the lives lost while also emphasizing road safety.”
Dist. 5 Director, Scott Eades, said, “Today we honor and pay tribute to the members of the Caltrans family who have been killed while serving the people of California.
“The Fallen Workers Memorial is also a chance to ask the travelling public to adjust their driving habits so as to continue to see our crews as real people who need to get home to their families.”
In a symbolic gesture, the ceremony included orange traffic cones — a Caltrans safety staple — with black bands around them with the name of one of the local fallen workers.
Also speaking at the ceremony were former Dist. 5 Chief Deputy Director, Tony Harris; Dist. 5 Director, Eades; Highway Patrol Coastal Division Assistant Chief, Kyle Foster, and Dist. 5 Deputy Director of Maintenance and Traffic, Aaron Henkel.
As one can imagine, the biggest threat to road workers is traffic.
“One of the biggest hazards for workers is motorists who do not exercise caution while driving through highway work zones,” Dist. 5 said. “Events like these reaffirm the department’s vision of reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries on state highways by 2050.
Former Chief Deputy Director, Harris said, “It’s unbelievable what our workers go through every day, and safety is something that will always be important and is always something we should remember.
“We should remember those who unfortunately did not get to go home, and remember their family, their friends and always be there to support them.”
The Dist. 5 office has a memorial plaque embedded in a granite boulder out front, with the names of the local workers who have died on the job. The memorial last week included a rose-laying ceremony on that monument.
The names of the Dist. 5 workers who’ve died and were remembered last week are: Michael “Flea” Feliciano, 2004; Manuel Leon, 1998; Thomas Sanders, 1991; Donna Patarak, 1979; Harvey Huss, 1973; Kyle Truesdale, 1952; Albert Castro, 1931; and Norman Hamilton, 1931.
April was National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Caltrans said, a reminder “to recognize risky driving behaviors and build safer habits that can help prevent serious crashes.”
Last month Caltrans posted safety messages on some 189 billboards statewide, sharing safety messages and to honor the sacrifices of highway workers.
Caltrans’ latest catchy safety slogan is, “Be Work Zone Alert.” Estero Bay News reminds readers that speeding in a construction zone, should you be ticketed for it, carries a fine double the normal amount.
