A 62-year-old Hesston man died Monday morning after the construction sweeper he was operating in an active I-70 work zone was struck by another vehicle, and police are now investigating the other driver for suspected DUI. Walter Simpson Jr. was pronounced dead at Fulton County Medical Center following the crash near mile marker 159 in Brush Creek Township.
Pennsylvania State Police say the crash happened around 6:50 a.m. eastbound on I-70, southeast of Breezewood, according to WJAC-TV. Simpson was operating a construction sweeper in the left lane of the work zone when it moved into the right lane, where it was struck by another driver, per WTAJ. The report from Tri-State Alert adds that the sweeper had been traveling in the left lane, which was closed for the work zone, while a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica was traveling in the right lane designated for normal traffic before the two vehicles collided, according to the preliminary investigation.
Emergency Response and a Midday Highway Closure
Raystown Ambulance Service transported Simpson to Fulton County Medical Center, where the Fulton County coroner pronounced him dead at 9:14 a.m., the station's report notes. Eastbound I-70 was shut down until around noon as crews worked the scene, according to 511PA data cited by WTAJ.
The driver of the Chrysler, described in the Tri-State Alert account as a woman from Kearneysville, West Virginia, was not injured and refused medical transportation, per that outlet's reporting. She was reportedly wearing a lap and shoulder belt at the time of the crash. WJAC-TV separately reported that a 47-year-old West Virginia woman, identified as the minivan driver, is now under investigation for suspicion of DUI.
Autopsy Scheduled as Investigation Continues
An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday at ForensicDX in Windber, the same report states. As of the Sept. 29 update, the crash investigation remained ongoing, and information released by police has been described as preliminary and subject to change as additional details emerge.
Pennsylvania law requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to an authorized vehicle obviously and actually engaged in highway work within an officially marked construction or maintenance area, according to Pennsylvania General Assembly, Title 75, Section 3326. Under that statute, a violation causing the death of a worker acting in an official capacity carries a fine of not more than $10,000, and a conviction tied to a worker's death can trigger a one-year suspension of the driver's operating privilege.
A Pattern of Deadly Work Zones
Monday's crash echoes other recent Pennsylvania work-zone tragedies. Three construction workers were killed when a box truck entered an active work zone on I-83 in Fairview Township, according to Construction Dive, which reported that the truck collided with a construction vehicle before striking workers who were sealing highway cracks. Pennsylvania recorded nearly 1,400 work-zone crashes and 12 fatalities in 2025, according to state figures.
