A 24-year-old Eaton County Road Commission worker was killed Tuesday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash inside a work zone on Lansing Road in Benton Township, according to Michigan State Police. The crash forced troopers to shut down Lansing Road between Royston Road and Windsor Highway as investigators worked the scene.
Michigan State Police said the young worker died after the two vehicles collided in the active work zone, as reported by MLive. Troopers are still investigating the crash and say more details are expected later. The road closure between Royston Road and Windsor Highway remained in effect as the investigation continued, cutting off a stretch of a corridor that connects traffic through Benton Township.
A Grim Pattern on Mid-Michigan Roads
Tuesday's death is not an isolated tragedy for road crews working along mid-Michigan highways this year. On May 26, two Michigan Department of Transportation maintenance workers, Bruce Wagner and Steve Spenle, were struck and killed on US-127 in neighboring Ingham County while patching potholes along the shoulder, according to CBS News. The Ingham County Sheriff's Office charged a 24-year-old driver with reckless driving causing death under the state's felony work-zone statute in that case.
Even before Tuesday's crash, state officials had already recorded three road worker fatalities during Michigan's 2026 construction season, including the two MDOT employees in Ingham County and a Branch County Road Commission worker struck while mowing along a state highway, per the Michigan Legal Center. Those early-season deaths prompted MDOT to issue renewed public safety warnings to motorists.
Statewide Numbers Show Rising Danger
The danger extends well beyond mid-Michigan. In 2025, Michigan recorded 5,942 work-zone traffic crashes statewide that resulted in 25 fatalities — 22 motorists and three road workers — along with 1,199 injuries, according to figures released by the State of Michigan. Lane closures remained the most frequent location for those crashes.
The trend has been building for years. Michigan State Police crash data showed a 17 percent jump in work-zone fatalities in 2024, with 28 people killed compared to 24 the year before, amid a statewide total of 288,880 reported motor vehicle crashes, as reported by FOX 2 Detroit. State police attributed the rise primarily to speeding and distracted driving.
Andy's Law and Stalled Camera Enforcement
Michigan law already carries steep penalties for drivers who cause work-zone deaths. Under Public Act 103, known as Andy's Law, a moving violation in a work zone that kills a road worker is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500, per the State of Michigan. The law was enacted in 2001 and strengthened in 2003 after 19-year-old highway worker Andrew Lefko was severely injured on the job.
Drivers caught speeding through active work zones also face doubled civil fines and automatic points on their driving record, ranging from three points for going up to 10 mph over the limit to five points for exceeding it by more than 15 mph, according to state guidelines. Racking up 12 points within two years triggers a mandatory Secretary of State driver reexamination.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bills 4132 and 4133 into law on December 10, 2024, making Michigan the 24th state to authorize automated speed enforcement cameras in active roadway work zones and identifying freeways with speed limits of 45 mph or higher as a priority. But rollout of that camera program has faced operational delays into 2026, with transportation officials citing complex inter-agency coordination as a major hurdle, according to a report carried on WWMT. MDOT has targeted 2027 for full implementation of automated camera citations.
Eaton County's Recent Toll
Eaton County has already seen other severe crashes this year. A head-on collision on Bishop Highway near Creyts Road in June left an 81-year-old driver dead and two others seriously injured, with Michigan State Police leading the crash reconstruction, according to the Michigan Legal Center. Hoodline has previously covered a fatal crash at M-50 and Mulliken Road in the county.
Michigan State Police have not released the name of the worker killed Tuesday or detailed the circumstances of how the two vehicles collided. The agency said its investigation into the Benton Township crash is ongoing and that further details are expected at a later time.
