‘Watch out, slow down’: NYSP urges caution after highway worker killed

The highway worker who was struck by a truck on I-90 Thursday afternoon remains under guard as of Saturday evening. Mark Vara, 58, was working with 62-year-old Vincent Gimmarva in a work zone on I-90 near Exit 47 when, according to police, a truck driver came through the zone and struck both of them. Giammarva was killed at the scene.

Both drugs and alcohol have been ruled out, and the driver – a 64-year-old from the Syracuse area – is cooperating with police. But state troopers say it’s too early to say what exactly caused the crash.

“It’s an ongoing investigation, our accident reconstruction unit is on scene – they were out there (Thursday),” said Officer Lynnea Crane. “Sometimes it takes months to process all the information. So they will try to find out what actually caused the accident.”

Crane, Troop E’s public information officer, said 700 road workers were killed nationwide last year. Department of Transportation data shows 821 people died the year before. Here in New York State, 144 people were injured and three were killed in a work zone in 2023, according to the DOT.

The cause in many of these cases?

“Driving too fast, not paying attention and not giving (drivers) enough time to slow down or pull over,” Crane said.

State police are urging drivers to put their phones away when a work zone is in sight, hit the brakes and even consider turning down the music. Last year, nearly 3,000 tickets were issued for speeding, distracted driving and similar traffic violations.

The new legislation also reflects efforts to improve road safety.

Last summer, the state launched a five-year pilot program to automatically ticket drivers for speeding in work zones. And last March, the expanded Move Over Law came into effect, meaning drivers must now change lanes and slow down if a car or vehicle is stopped on the side of the road.

However, police said this is not enough if drivers are not actively paying attention.

“If you are in a work zone, please slow down. Please be careful,” said Trooper Crane. “If these were your loved ones (…friends, family, anyone working on the side of the road – you want them to be as safe as possible.”