Ohio Contractor Offers $100K Reward for Information Following Fatal Work Zone Crash | Columbus Ohio Dump Trucks
Safety
Kokosing Construction's 25-year-old employee was struck and killed in a hit-and-run Feb. 28 while working on I-70 near Columbus
Jordan Thomas was working with a morning crew on Feb. 28 when a car barreled through the closed construction zone, struck him and fled the scene.
Screenshot: WSX-ABC 6/Central Ohio Crime Stoppers
Ohio-based contractor Kokosing Construction has put up a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest after a 25-year-old employee was killed in a hit-and-run crash last month while working on Interstate 70 near Columbus.
Local investigators say Jordan Thomas was working on bridge decks and ramps with a morning crew on Feb. 28 when a car, described as a maroon Toyota sedan, barreled through the closed construction zone, struck him and fled the scene around 2 a.m., reported ABC 6. The highway construction is connected to the city’s Downtown Ramp Up Project, a $1.4 billion upheaval by the Ohio Dept. of Transportation to reconfigure highway traffic flow around downtown Columbus.
Amid an ongoing search for the driver responsible, local investigators say the reward offer has led to increased leads and dump trucks columbus oh community awareness across social media, with many local residents offering information and condolences under a post about the incident by the Central Ohio Crime Stoppers. Kokosing, who has partnered with nonprofit, an affiliate of the national Crime Stoppers USA, to manage the reward money amid the flow of information to investigators.
Local trucking company PFM Fleet Services pledging an additional $10,000 for information.
“Jordan’s loss is deeply felt by everyone who knew him, and our thoughts remain with his family, friends and coworkers during this incredibly difficult time,” said Kokosing in a March 5 statement. “Nothing is more important than the safety and lives of our team members.”
Kokosing added, “Our goal is to deliver justice for Jordan, his family and our team.”
The incident has also raised awareness of the dangerous conditions faced by construction workers.
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In comments provided to ENR, agency press secretary Matt Bruning said a history of crashes between where interstates I-70 and I-71 come together in downtown Columbus was a major factor in the Downtown Ramp Up Project.
“They run simultaneous through the south side of downtown, and then they split again. So you have the east split and the west split of I-70 and I-71. Between the splits is where we have historically have had a lot of crashes,” Bruning explained.
However, he said he does not believe that the layout of the highway played a factor in this accident.
"What we need to change is we need people to pay attention. There is zero reason why anyone should ever enter a columbus oh dump truck work zone in a vehicle. There is no excuse," he said.
The incident echoes similar incidents over the years, including a 2023 crash in Maryland that killed six construction crew members when a passenger car being driven at excessive speed careened into a center median columbus oh dump truck work zone along the I-695 Beltway in Baltimore. The incident generated major workzone safety reforms led by the state Lieutenant Gov. Aruna Miller, a degreed civl engineer,
Anyone with information on the Ohio crash is encouraged to contact the Columbus Division of Police at 614-645-4767 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at 614-461-8477.
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Emell Derra Adolphus has more than a decade of writing and journalism experience. He is senior editor of ENR’s Top Lists and Survey Rankings at ENR magazine and frequently contributes stories on technology, climate resiliency, diversity, equity and inclusion.