TOLEDO, Ohio — A near-miss involving an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) worker on I-75 has brought attention to the ever-present dangers faced by highway maintenance crews. On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, an ODOT worker narrowly avoided injury when a truck and a car collided near the Hancock-Allen County line. The crash marks the 55th incident involving an ODOT vehicle in just the first few months of the year.
According to Cheri Newton, a public information officer with ODOT District 1, crews were in the process of setting up a message board on the northbound side of I-75 when the accident occurred. The worker was caught between a car and a truck, with both vehicles striking each other’s side-view mirrors. Fortunately, the worker managed to avoid serious harm.
“The driver of the truck saw that there was something coming toward him, and he squished himself up against the vehicle. He felt the mirror brush across his back before it hit the mirror of his own truck,” Newton explained. “He was literally between the two vehicles. How scary is that?”
The close call underscores the inherent risks ODOT workers face while performing their duties in high-traffic areas. Newton emphasized that workers must remain vigilant at all times to avoid accidents. “These guys have to keep their heads on a swivel. They live with this risk every day and have to stay alert. Fortunately, the worker in this case saw the vehicle was not staying in its lane,” she said.
The incident is part of a troubling trend this year, with ODOT reporting a total of 56 accidents involving their vehicles, including another crash in Central Ohio shortly after the I-75 incident. In that case, a piece of paving equipment was clipped by a passing vehicle.
As ODOT continues to grapple with the safety of its workforce, these incidents serve as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those working on the roads. Public awareness and increased caution in work zones remain critical to preventing further accidents and protecting those who maintain Ohio’s highways.