Two Missouri Department of Transportation workers were injured Wednesday after a tractor-trailer struck the rear of their protective vehicle on Interstate 44 in Phelps County.
The crash happened at about 3:34 p.m. September 2 on westbound I-44 near the 179-mile marker, according to the Doolittle Rural Fire Protection District.
Emergency crews arrived to find the heavily damaged tractor-trailer blocking the roadway. The MoDOT vehicle had been pushed into the median after being hit from behind.
Two MoDOT workers were injured when a tractor-trailer struck their protective highway vehicle on westbound I-44 near Doolittle, Missouri. The truck-mounted attenuator absorbed much of the impact, underscoring the life-saving role these crash cushions play for road crews.
The MoDOT truck was equipped with a truck-mounted attenuator, a large crash-cushion device mounted to the rear of highway work vehicles. The attenuator was heavily damaged in the collision, but fire officials said it absorbed a substantial amount of the force before it reached the truck’s cab.
Both MoDOT workers remained inside the vehicle after the crash and reported multiple injuries. Phelps Health EMS transported them to Phelps Health for treatment. Officials did not release their conditions.
The tractor-trailer driver reported minor injuries but declined medical treatment at the scene.
After patient care was completed, firefighters worked to address an oil spill and other roadway hazards caused by the crash.
The incident is another reminder that highway workers often depend on protective vehicles and attenuators as their last line of defense from traffic moving at interstate speeds. The crash cushion did what it was designed to do, but the workers inside were still injured.
Drivers approaching work crews, emergency responders, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles should slow down, move over when it is safe, and give those working along the roadway room to survive the job.
