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ODOT bridge inspector Jennifer Donley killed in I-70 work-zone crash
Read the full articleODOT District 5 bridge inspector Jennifer Donley, 45, died Monday after being struck by a westbound semi-truck in an I-70 work zone in Zanesville, prompting tributes and renewed scrutiny of highway safety.
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The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
https://www.whiznews.com/odot-bridge-inspector-killed-in-construction-zone-accident/
Supporting evidence (3)
Jennifer Donley, a 45-year-old Ohio Department of Transportation District 5 bridge inspector from Lancaster, died Monday, Nov. 9, after being struck by a semi while working on the Interstate 70 reconstruction project in Zanesville, transportation officials announced.
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The Ohio Department of Transportation District 5 has announced the death of one of their bridge inspectors. On Monday, November 9th, ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn announced through a Facebook post that 45-year-old Jennifer Donley, of Lancaster, was killed while working on the I-70 Reconstruction Project in Zanesville. She was struck by a semi traveling on I-70 Westbound around 8:10AM
Emergency agencies assisting at the scene included troopers from the patrol's Zanesville Post, the Zanesville Police Department, ODOT personnel, coroners from Muskingum and Licking counties, and Twin Peaks Towing and Recovery, according to local reporting.
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Assisting at the scene were the Ohio State Highway Patrol Zanesville Post, the Zanesville Police Department, ODOT, The Muskingum County Corner, the Licking County Corner and Twins Peaks Towing and Recovery.
She was hired as a bridge inspector in 2022 and was described as always having a positive attitude and loving her job, according to department information.
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She was hired as a bridge inspector in 2022 and was described as always having a positive attitude and loved her job.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/odot-worker-dies-being-stuck-175931523.html
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The initial call was for a pedestrian struck by a semi-truck around 8 a.m., according to the Muskingum County EMA.
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The initial call was for a pedestrian struck by a semi-truck around 8 a.m., according to Muskingum County EMA.
Donley died after being struck near the Maple Avenue off-ramp, according to a release from ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn.
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Jennifer Donley died after being struck by a vehicle near the Maple Avenue off-ramp, according to a release from ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn.
The fatal crash on Nov. 9 prompted condolences from the agency, according to state announcements.
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A four-year ODOT worker was killed Nov. 9 while working on the Interstate 70 reconstruction project in Zanesville, prompting condolences from the agency and an investigation into the crash.
"She loved her job and always had a positive attitude," Boratyn noted, adding, "Please keep Jennifer, her family, friends and all those affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers," according to agency statements.
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"She loved her job and always had a positive attitude," Boratyn noted. "Please keep Jennifer, her family, friends and all those affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/odot-worker-fatally-hit-semi-193016757.html
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Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers arrived at the crash site at 8:09 a.m. near mile marker 154, where a westbound Freightliner struck Donley, patrol records confirmed.
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The Ohio State Highway Patrol said troopers arrives at the crash site at 8:09 a.m. at mile marker 154. A Freightliner was traveling west on I-70 and hit Donley, who was a bridge inspector. The driver of the Freightliner was not injured.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash, according to patrol statements.
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The Ohio State Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash.
https://hoodline.com/2026/11/lancaster-bridge-inspector-killed-by-semi-in-zanesville-i-70-work-zone/
Supporting evidence (11)
A preliminary investigation by the highway patrol determined that the westbound Freightliner struck Donley while she was working inside the construction zone, according to patrol findings.
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A preliminary investigation from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, relayed by WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio, said the westbound Freightliner struck Donley while she was working inside the construction zone, according to WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio.
The semi driver, identified as 54-year-old Brian Carter of Indianapolis, was not injured in the crash, according to news reports.
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According to WHIZ - Fox 5, Donley was struck by a semi traveling westbound on I-70 around 8:10 a.m. A separate report from Yahoo News put the time at approximately 8:09 a.m. and identified the driver as Brian Carter, 54, of Indianapolis, noting that he was not injured in the crash.
The crash forced a lengthy closure of one of central Ohio's busiest interstate corridors, according to regional reports.
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The crash forced a lengthy closure of one of central Ohio's busiest interstate corridors.
Westbound I-70 was closed from Maple Avenue to the Adamsville Road exit for approximately four hours, according to traffic accounts.
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Per the same Yahoo News account, westbound I-70 was closed from Maple Avenue to the Adamsville Road exit for approximately four hours, with lanes reopening around 12:30 p.m.
Westbound lanes reopened around 12:30 p.m., according to highway updates.
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Per the same Yahoo News account, westbound I-70 was closed from Maple Avenue to the Adamsville Road exit for approximately four hours, with lanes reopening around 12:30 p.m.
The transportation department confirmed that Donley had worked for ODOT for four years and served as a bridge inspector on the I-70 project, placing her inside the active work zone where the crash occurred, according to state records.
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The agency confirmed she had worked for the Ohio Department of Transportation for four years and served as a bridge inspector on the I-70 project, a role that placed her inside the active work zone where the crash occurred.
No further details on citations, charges, or court proceedings have been released as the investigation continues, according to investigation updates.
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As reported by NBC4 WCMH-TV, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. No further details on citations, charges, or court proceedings have been released as the investigation continues.
For the full 2020 through 2024 period, patrol records list 92 fatal crashes that killed 101 people and injured another 8,165 in work zones, according to an Ohio State Highway Patrol traffic safety bulletin.
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A traffic safety bulletin snippet from the Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that the 2024 work zone fatal-crash figure was 22% above the 2019-2023 average. For the full 2020-2024 period, it lists 92 fatal crashes that killed 101 people and injured another 8,165.
A traffic safety bulletin from the patrol reported that the 2024 work-zone fatal-crash figure was 22 percent above the state's 2019 through 2023 average, according to the safety bulletin.
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A traffic safety bulletin snippet from the Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that the 2024 work zone fatal-crash figure was 22% above the 2019-2023 average.
Nationally, work-zone fatalities decreased by about 6 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to a factsheet from the Federal Highway Administration.
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A separate federal factsheet from the Federal Highway Administration notes that work zone fatalities nationally decreased by about 6% from 2023 to 2024, though the two figures are not directly comparable given the limited context available in each snippet.
Federal officials noted that national and state work-zone fatality figures are not directly comparable given the limited context available in each data snippet, according to the federal factsheet.
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A separate federal factsheet from the Federal Highway Administration notes that work zone fatalities nationally decreased by about 6% from 2023 to 2024, though the two figures are not directly comparable given the limited context available in each snippet.