A road-construction worker was killed earlier this month while working at a construction zone located around 1900 Willow Street in West Lampeter Township. The street was torn up so that new water lines could be installed in the area and she was acting as a flagger for passing traffic. Her employer, Wexcon Inc., had been hired to do the work.

The accident that caused the death occurred at the end of the work day. The 45-year-old woman was in the process of putting something in the bed of a pickup truck when the truck ran her over. The 36-year-old man behind the wheel of the pickup was a coworker. He reportedly did not know that she was standing by the back of the truck.

The woman died at the scene.

Pennsylvania Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was informed of the accident and police immediately interviewed witnesses to the tragic accident. The accident is under investigation. West Lampeter Township police indicated they were not sure whether the man driving the pickup would be criminally charged.

The woman’s sudden death undoubtedly came as a huge shock to her friends and family. Though nothing can be done to bring her back, the legal system does have a mechanism in place to compensate any family members she left behind. In order to recover the compensation, loved ones of the deceased must file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Though wrongful death lawsuits can be difficult both emotionally and legally, when successful, such suits may provide the closure many are seeking.

Source: Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era, “Truck accident kills worker in West Lampeter Township,” Jennifer Todd, Dec. 5, 2011