LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The 22-year-old Kentucky road maintenance worker hit and killed in a construction zone in Hodgenville on Tuesday was also a volunteer firefighter with a baby on the way.
Blake Barnes served with the Rolling Fork Volunteer Fire Department in Nelson County.
Tuesday morning, Barnes, a contract worker, was doing traffic control in a construction zone on Kentucky 210, known as Old Elizabethtown Road, in LaRue County, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Police said an elderly driver from Louisville entered a portion of the roadway that was reduced to one lane, and didn't see Barnes, who was in the eastbound lane of the road flagging traffic.
Barnes, an Elizabethtown resident, died at the scene. He leaves behind two young children and a pregnant wife.
Blake Barnes, 22, was killed when he was hit by a car while doing traffic control in a construction zone on Kentucky 210 on Tuesday, April 24, 2024. He leaves behind two young children and a pregnant wife. (Family photo)
"A young life has been taken, a family torn apart. It's rough. It really is," said Capt. David Rust, with the Rolling Fork Volunteer Fire Department.
Visitation is set for Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at Bennet Bertram Funeral Home in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
As construction season ramps up, Barnes' fellow first responders want his passing to serve as a warning for drivers to slow down and be more alert.
According to federal transportation reports, more than 2,200 workers lost their lives at road construction sites between 2003-2020. Data also shows work zone wrecks reached a 17-year high in 2021. The nation saw more than 100,000 crashes and 43,000 injuries.
Related Stories:
- 22-year-old maintenance worker killed in Hodgenville during construction project
- Drivers reminded to slow down and be alert during construction season
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