It took less than 90 seconds for Bethany Blankenship’s life to change.
She and her crew were patching potholes along the shoulder of northbound Interstate 5 near Ridgefield after a January 2024 ice storm when an alleged drunk driver drove into the back of the work truck.
Blankenship said she learned this was a possibility during her training, but didn’t think it would happen after only six months on the job.
“The force was incredible. It shattered the back window,” said Blankenship, a highway maintenance worker and volunteer firefighter. Her seat belt saved her life, but she still suffers permanent injuries and ongoing trauma.
Clark County ranks fourth in Washington for work zone crashes — with a 17 percent spike from 2023 to 2024.
On Thursday, Clark County Public Works, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Vancouver Public Works and the Portland Bureau of Transportation hosted a media event to promote National Work Zone Awareness Week, which starts Monday. Their message for Clark County drivers: Slow down and stay alert
“We all want to go home at the end of the day,” Blankenship said. “Behind the orange vest is a human.”
Six seconds
After convening at Clark County Public Works’ 78th Street Operations Center, officials led reporters to Northeast Padden Parkway, where Dahntehy Cruz was spending his fourth day on the job picking up trash along the grass-strewn shoulder.
A little farther down the sloped greenway, a road crew mowed the grass in neat rows. Even with vehicles traveling the posted 50 mph speed limit, the rush of air rolled down the hill and rippled the freshly cut blades.
Cruz and other state workers and leaders reminded drivers to stay vigilant.
“They work in an environment where even the smallest distraction can have devastating, far-reaching consequences,” Clark County engineer Jeremy Provenzola said. “You read a text while driving at just 35 mph, even six seconds, you’ll travel the length of a football field without your eyes on the road.”
Provenzola explained that in those six seconds, anything could happen — a sudden stop in traffic, a child running into the road or passing road workers doing their jobs.
“One text isn’t worth the risk of serious injury,” Provenzola said. “When you’re driving, you hold more than just the wheel in your hand. You hold your life and the lives of others.”
Carley Francis, WSDOT regional administrator, pointed out that 95 percent of those involved in roadside crashes are members of the public, not road workers.
She said work zone crashes are preventable and urged drivers to follow “common sense behaviors,” such as staying sober, avoiding phone use, adhering to speed limits and remaining aware of road workers.
Since last year, WSDOT has implemented additional preventive measures for work zones and is exploring new safety equipment to reduce crashes. Francis said drivers may face delays as part of these efforts, which include the introduction of speed cameras on Clark County roads.
“These strategies mean that the public might be additionally inconvenienced to prioritize safety,” Francis said. “Your trip might take more time, but it’s worth it to ensure everyone arrives in one piece.”
Clark County sheriff’s Detective Ryan Durbin, who works in the traffic homicide unit, reported that in 2024 his team investigated 486 crashes that resulted in 300 injuries — a rise from the previous year.
Durbin recalled a traffic stop last year when his patrol car was struck by a distracted driver. He was hit by some of the debris caused by the crash.
Ben Kemp, a Clark County highway maintenance crew chief, said to be cautious not only on busy roads but at controlled traffic sites. Last year, a driver ran over the toes of one of the workers, he said. He advised drivers to not only slow down when driving past traffic control zones but to make eye contact with crew members.
“I like to go home every night. I like all my crew to go home every night,” Kemp said. “I don’t want to be the one to have to make that phone call to somebody’s loved one to say they’re in the hospital or they’re not coming home.”
