Two Michigan Department of Transportation crew members were killed yesterday when an SUV veered into a work zone on northbound U.S. 127 near Holt Road in Mason, striking the workers and turning a routine roadside job into a fatal crash scene. A third MDOT worker was evaluated and released at the scene. Northbound lanes were shut down for hours while emergency crews and crash investigators worked the highway, and the SUV’s driver was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
The Ingham County Sheriff’s Office told the Lansing State Journal that a 24-year-old man from DeWitt lost control of the SUV shortly before 1:30 p.m. and hit the MDOT crew working along the northbound side of the roadway. Investigators are looking at speed as a possible factor in the crash. The victims were identified as a 49-year-old man and a 51-year-old man from Mason, though their names were being withheld until families could be notified.
Union calls for immediate safety reforms
Jacob VanSickle, president of the Michigan State Employees Association, called the deaths devastating and pressed the state to move quickly on stronger signage, stricter procedures and better protections for roadside crews, saying “no one should go to work and not come home,” according to FOX 47 News. The union said the crash highlights long-standing concerns about work-zone safety and demanded a prompt review of current protocols.
Work-zone dangers in Michigan
Work zones across Michigan continue to be dangerous places. MDOT reports that in 2024 the state recorded 16 work-zone fatalities, more than 1,000 injuries, and thousands of crashes, a tally that safety advocates say reflects the risks for crews working within feet of live traffic, per MDOT. Unions and safety groups have been pushing for tougher enforcement and clearer signage in recent years to cut down on vehicles entering work areas.
Investigation ongoing
Delhi Township and Mason fire departments responded to the crash, along with MMR Ambulance, and the Ingham Regional Crash Investigation Team was called in to reconstruct what happened. Northbound U.S. 127 reopened at about 6:30 p.m., the Lansing State Journal reported. Anyone with information is asked to contact Deputy Martin at (517) 676-8444 ext. 1957. Video from the scene was shared by local outlets and aired by CBS News Detroit.
