NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A New York state contractor was fatally struck by a car in a chain-reaction crash on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens Wednesday, authorities said.
The victim was working on the eastbound side of the Grand Central Parkway near 34th Avenue in North Corona when a driver heading east sideswiped a car around 10:15 a.m., police said.
The driver of the vehicle struck lost control and swerved into the construction zone, striking the contractor, cops told the Daily News.
Cops said the man hired by the state Department of Transportation was rushed to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been released at this time.
"The State Department of Transportation can confirm that a contractor working on a wall inspection on the Grand Central Parkway was fatally injured this morning by a work zone intrusion," an agency spokesperson said.
"This tragic incident underscores the dangers our highway workers face as they work to improve our infrastructure," the spokesperson added. "As there is an ongoing law enforcement investigation we have no further comment at this time."
The driver who hit the contractor was taken to the same hospital with minor injuries, according to the report.
The drivers involved in the crash were not immediately charged.
The deadly crash happened a week after officials unveiled a pilot program to install new speed violation monitoring systems along New York state highways in active work zones to keep workers safe on the job, WABC-TV reported.
The system consists of cameras installed on 30 vehicles located in various active highway work zones throughout the state.
Advocates point to a total of 225 highway worker fatalities in 2020 and 2021 in New York, according to the report. The fatality rate continued to rise in 2021, with a 14% increase in work zone fatalities involving drivers and passengers.
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