Worker dies in I-79 accident that injures two others
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FAIRMONT - It wasn't immediately known if the Tuesday morning mishap on Interstate 79 that killed one roadworker and injured two others was a result of a traffic accident or equipment failure.
Whatever occurred sent the three spilling from a span crossing White Day Creek Road near the Marion-Monongalia County line.
Multiple work is being done on bridges and lanes on that stretch of roadway.
Several agencies from both counties quickly responded to the scene of the accident, which was reported shortly before 10 a.m., said Jim Smith, who directs MECCA 911, Mon's emergency dispatch network.
"We haven't confirmed if it was an actual traffic accident," Smith said of the incident that remains under investigation by West Virginia State Police, which had yet to release details going into Tuesday evening.
Smith, meanwhile, confirmed the two workers, including the one who was pronounced dead at the scene, had both fallen from the bridge.
A third, who was also injured, was found clinging to the structure, the MECCA director said, citing the original 911 call.
There were no details available on the conditions of those injured.
Tuesday's fatal accident, meanwhile, followed another one this past Friday on I-79 near Elkview, in Kanawha County.
A man died after his vehicle hit a dump truck parked in a construction zone, the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department said.
Both accidents serve as a literal cautionary tale for Smith, he said.
"That's the thing," he said.
"You just have to show caution when you're driving through any work zone," he continued.
"Fifty-five means 55. You need to stay alert, because anything could happen."