MDOT warns motorists to pump the brakes, be cautious on interstate
•
After two wrecks in less than a week that resulted in victims having to be airlifted, and two fatalities in recent weeks, the Mississippi Highway Patrol and Mississippi Department of Transportation officials are warning motorists to pump the brakes and pay attention in a work zone on Interstate 59 near Moselle.
“We have seen an increase in crashes related to construction,” said Taylor Shows, spokesman for Hattiesburg-based Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop J. “We ask drivers to slow down, stay off the phone and pay closer attention to the roadway ahead because it’s constantly changing.”
Last Friday just after noon, a box-style truck that was traveling south crashed into the woods near Exit 80. Volunteers from Southwest and South Jones responded and had to use heavy equipment to extricate the seriously-injured victim, whose identity was not available from MHP.
The interstate was shut down for a short time as Rescue 7 landed on the roadway and airlifted the patient, who had reportedly been a passenger in the truck, which had catastrophic damage to the front and cab.
On the previous Saturday, a Colorado man was airlifted after crashing the 18-wheeler he was driving in the construction zone.
Babkir Hashem, 40, of Denver was operating a 2019 Volvo tractor trailer at approximately 5 a.m., headed south on I-59 at mile marker 80, near the Moselle exit, when he crashed. The rig rolled over into the median and was facing north when volunteer firefighters from Moselle, South Jones and Southwest responded.
Hashem had what were described as life-threatening injuries and was airlifted from the scene and an unidentified passenger complained of minor injuries but declined transport. EMServ Ambulance and the Mississippi Highway Patrol also responded along with Mississippi Department of Transportation officials. MHP is investigating the cause of the crash, and no update on the driver’s condition was available. It took four days to receive the report with the name of the driver who was involved in the crash. No update on his condition was available.
The previous week, a Miami man — Guillermo Rodriguez, 65 — was killed when he crashed the dump truck he was driving into a concrete barrier right around the same area of the southbound lane.
Near the end of August, 27-year-old Uvatira Watson — a South Jones graduate who was living in Hattiesburg — died after crashing a Toyota Camry into a concrete barrier while traveling north near mile-marker 76.
All state-maintained work zones have signs and are set up according to federal guidelines and are inspected daily by certified traffic-control inspectors, MDOT spokeswoman Anna Ehrgott said.
“We remind the public as much as possible how important it is to slow down, never drive distracted, pay attention to posted signage and staged equipment, and drive safely in our work zones,” she said. “Tragic accidents like these are another reminder of why it is so important to drive safe in work zones.”
The I-59 project began in October 2021 and stretches 14 miles, from the Lamar County line to just south of Moselle. This $66.7 million project was awarded to Dunn Roadbuilders of Laurel and is expected to wrap up in summer 2024. The project includes pavement restoration and improved drainage.
The project will take place in two phases. The first will include the section of I-59 stretching from the Moselle exit to the Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport exit. The first phase should be completed in 2023. The second phase will encompass the section of I-59 stretching from the airport exit to the Lamar line.
For tips on how to navigate a work zone, see GoMDOT.com/drivesmartms.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbHAnZyrZZOWua16wqikaKaVrMBwstGenJimlazAcK%2FOp6qtqqWYwaq7zWaxqKaVYrCprc6sZpqqpJ6wrbG%2BbJlrnZKbhHN5lJxunWVhZrKleZdpbG5lYJeFcrCTcGdpnWlue6nAzKU%3D