The West Virginia Division of Highways wants to establish a statewide fallen worker memorial to honor those who lost their lives while performing their jobs on the state’s roads.
DOH staff have been able to track work zone fatalities through the mid 1970’s and continue to research job related deaths at the state archives. The DOH is now reaching out to the public for any information that could help them honor highways workers who have died on the job.
For inclusion on the memorial, the deceased must have been an active full-time or part-time employee of the Division of Highways, Department of Highways or the State Road Commission. The death must have been from a work-related accident or injury. The names of the honorees will be enshrined on the memorial. This will include employees who died from1921 to the present. The memorial’s design will be selected from entries submitted by DOH employees.
This effort has been spearheaded by the District 3 staff in Parkersburg. After a fellow employee, Randy Bland, was fatally struck while performing his job in a work zone, a committee gathered to look at ways to honor his sacrifice. In doing so, they found that there is nothing, statewide, that honors the many men and women who have died on the job.The memorial will be a placed at the Williamstown I-77 Welcome Center.
Citizens can forward names, with a brief synopsis of the accidental death to the Department of Highways, District 3 in Parkersburg.
The DOH asks the public to forward names, a brief synopsis of their accidental death, and any available family contact information for any workers meeting the criteria. Information can be sent by email to Candice.M.Caviness@wv.gov or by mail:
Candice Caviness
DOH District Three
624 Depot Street
Parkersburg, West Virginia 26101-5127
All other questions concerning the memorial should be directed to Carrie Jones in the WVDOT Communications Office at (304) 558-0103.