In an unfortunate accident on Feb. 27, 2020, three state contract workers were fatally injured after being involved in a car wreck. The three belonged to a repair crew and were assisting with a lane closure in the Statesville area.
The accident occurred on the I-40 westbound around the 157-mile marker in the early hours of the morning. Following the wreck, the interstate was closed off for five hours. Drivers were directed to US 64 until the interstate was reopened later that morning, around 9:15 am.
The state contract workers belonged to a repair crew for DBI Services, and were later identified as Noah Logan Hamilton, 22; Austin Milton, 21; and Dustin Gelinas, 20.
The accident involved 27-year-old Logan Lee Casey, as he was the driver of the box truck. Casey’s injuries were reported as minor. The state has formally charged Casey with three counts of misdemeanor death by vehicle.
According to the Highway Patrol, Casey was not under the influence of alcohol or another controlled substance during the accident.
State troopers reported that the victims belonged to the road crew tasked with repairs to the guard rail along the I-40. The three workers were situated between two adjacent construction vehicles at 3:30 am. At which point, the box truck operated by Casey struck one of the construction vehicles, effectively pinning the workers. The state troopers report that the victims died on impact.
The troopers claim that adequate warning signs had been situated along the interstate. However, Casey had not reduced his speed through the construction area before striking the construction vehicle. The reasoning behind the accident has yet to be made available.
According to the Department of Transportation, North Carolina has experienced 173 fatalities due to work zone vehicle accidents between 2012 and 2018.
