Last Friday, James Alger was working as a flagger in a construction zone on Route 7 in New Haven, when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle. He was rushed to Porter Hospital in Middlebury, and then flown to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington to treat his extensive injuries.
He died that night in the hospital.
On that same day, another flagger, Bruce Devenger, died when his pickup crossed over the median on Interstate 89 in Richmond and collided with oncoming traffic.
Mike Messier, who has been a traffic flagger on and off for 30 years, sat on the steps outside his house in Barre ON Thursday, head in hands, as he talked about the losses.
“James’ daughter has to grow up without a father, because some drugged-out woman decided that she wasn’t going to obey the law,” he said, crying. “And they let her out on her own recognizance the next day. That is not right.”
Jennifer Bergevin, who is accused of hitting Alger was found to have been impaired at the time of the accident. The Middlebury 49-year-old was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and gross negligent operation of a motor vehicle; serious bodily injury resulting after the incident.
In the crash that killed Devenger, police reported alcohol and inattention as contributing factors. But Messier disagrees. He said Devenger had just finished an overnight shift, and probably fell asleep at the wheel, exhausted on his way home from work.
But after that weekend, which left workers from two of the state’s largest traffic flagging companies dead, Messier said the whole profession was pretty shaken. He said the job was starting to feel like a death sentence.
“We have enough problems with our industry alone for accidents without the public running us over like we’re speed bumps,” he said.
On Sept. 21, Messier, along with what he hopes are hundreds of other construction workers across the state, are heading to the steps of the Statehouse to advocate for more enforcement of traffic laws in the state’s work zones. They’re calling the event “Orange Lives Matter.”
Jillian King, who works with Messier at ADA Traffic Control (which isn’t affiliated with the event) said they’re looking to Gov. Phil Scott for support, especially given his background in construction.
“I feel like he could be our greatest ally in this cause,” she said.
Traffic violations in work zones result in doubled fines — the dollar amount of the fine depends on the amount over the speed limit. Messier said the workers would love to see penalties increased, but more than anything, they just want the laws that already exist to be enforced.
“Right now, they have uniformed traffic officers that sit on our big jobs, and have their lights on at the end of the site to warn people that we’re there,” he said. “But they can’t leave that spot to go chase someone down that’s on their cellphone and give them a ticket.”
He said he sees that happen all the time. Despite an officer being on site, they see drivers speed up as soon as they pass the cop car, with no one to chase them down. But the even bigger problem, he said, is distracted drivers — usually using cellphones.
“We’ll see 50 to 100 people every day travel through busy job sites clearly on their phones,” King said.
ADA Traffic Control trains its employees on safety continuously, King said. But she said that can only help so much when drivers aren’t paying attention.
In the last five years, there’s been 104 deaths and injuries of road workers in Vermont, King said. And as long as nothing changes, she said, that number is only going to grow.
“I’m afraid for all these people,” King said. “I know their lives, I know their friends, I know their kids, like I’m afraid for everybody every day.”
She is working with her mother, who writes grants, on a proposal to submit to the Legislature when they reconvene in January — one that she hopes will finally make a difference.
“Why are our lives worth $250 to $500?” she sighed. “Aren’t we worth more than that?”
