On March 22, 2023, two cars traveling at excessive speeds on the I-695 inner loop in Baltimore, Md., struck each other, with the impact sending one vehicle through an opening of a concrete work zone barrier on the center median shoulder. Six workers hit by the out-of-control car were pronounced dead at the scene. Both drivers were charged with multiple counts of manslaughter, and a federal investigation into the incident is ongoing. One of the drivers pleaded guilty Jan. 3 to six counts in a state court; the other faces 28 charges in a trial set to start April 1.
Losing so many lives in a single incident lent new urgency in Maryland, and in other states, to addressing the many risks that highway construction workers face daily. Within weeks, Gov. Wes Moore (D) formed a 27-member work group, including highway engineers, law enforcement officials, labor and industry leaders and state highway agency staff, tasked with examining ways to improve work zone safety for workers and motorists.