SCDOT honors workers killed on highways at annual ceremony

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — The South Carolina Department of Transportation held its annual “Workers Memorial Ceremony” outside of their headquarters on Park Street in downtown Columbia.

The event honors employees who have been killed while working on the highways as well as those who died on the job from natural causes.

Jodi and Gary Walton say Jodi’s son David got a job with the Department of Transportation when he was 27-years-old.

“He was so proud that he got this job and we were so proud of him. And unfortunately shortly after getting the job, he was filling a pothole with his coworker and a box truck came through, unfortunately killing both of them,” says Jodi.

The Waltons say they attend the annual ceremony to honor David’s life and all of the lives lost.

“What I will tell you is, for 29, David lived. He lived a beautiful life for a young man, and I try to bank on the way he lived his life and not the way he left,” Jodi says.

David’s name appears on the memorial wall on Park Street, now along with 91 other names.

“He would call me up and I’d say I love you David at the end of the call, and he’d say I love you too. I think I miss that the most — hearing his voice — but he was a really good kid. I’m gonna call him a kid, because he was my kid. He was a real good kid. A little snarky, a little goofy, but he filled my heart and he still does,” Jodi says.

Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell says most of these deaths were preventable.

“It’s just so critical and so important that when you’re in a work zone and you come across a crew that is doing some work on the side of the road, that you slow down, pay attention, put down that cell phone, and make sure that you’re watching out for their safety as we go along,” Powell says.

Jodi now hands out hand painted “hope rocks” which include a picture of David — meant to keep his hope and spirit alive.

She says she has hope that another name is never added to the memorial wall.

“Every year I call and I’ll ask, is there is a new name going on the wall? And I want them to tell me no. And this year there was another new name. We don’t want any more new names on this wall. We want our dot workers to be safe while they’re working,” Jodi says.

SCDOT workers maintain over 41,000 miles of road across South Carolina.