The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) held its annual ceremony on Tuesday to honor workers killed or injured on the job.
WSDOT said 61 employees have been killed in work zones since 1950.
According to new state statistics, the total number of work zone-related crashes was 1,557 in 2025, a slight decrease from 1,607 crashes in 2024, WSDOT said.
WSDOT said the largest increase was in fatal collisions, which rose from seven in 2024 to nine in 2025, a 29% increase.
On Monday night, just hours before the ceremony, a wrong-way driver entered an active work zone on I-405/SR 167 in Renton - crashing into work equipment and setting the car aflame.
No one was hurt, but the driver was arrested for DUI.
Today, at our annual Worker Memorial, we remember our 61 colleagues who never made it home. 🔶🚧
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) April 7, 2026
Last night, a wrong-way driver entered an active work zone where crews were working on I405/SR167.
No one was hurt, but it’s a stark reminder of how quickly things can go wrong. pic.twitter.com/VWdzmcCIeL
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