GRAFTON, Wis. — Friends and family are mourning the death of Kevin Mason, 45, from West Bend.
Wisconsin State Patrol confirms Mason was driving the truck that drifted into a roadside barrier and rolled over in a construction zone on I-43 North, near Grafton in Ozaukee County. It happened Monday around 6 p.m. Mason was the only person in the truck. No other vehicles were involved. The crash is still under investigation.
This is the second crash in that very same area in less than a week. Last Wednesday, just before 2 a.m., a 34-year-old Grafton man was killed when a semi-truck tractor-trailer slammed into the back of his Ford Focus in the southbound lanes of I-43.
"We see incidents in work zones on almost a daily basis," said Michael Pyritz, spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. "We still have months to go before many of these construction projects start wrapping up. The majority of incidents are due to mistakes made behind the wheel. When you're headed into any construction zone, it might not be exactly the way it was the last time you were there, so you really need to be paying attention. Expect narrower lanes, different curves, and different lane markings."
Just three weeks ago, a 28-year-old man drove for miles the wrong way in a construction zone along I-43 in Milwaukee. That driver ultimately got his car stuck, dangling from steel beams. He was arrested for OWI.
"We cannot stress enough, do not be distracted when you're in the work zones," said Pyritz. "Put that phone down, slow your vehicle down, increase your following distance. When work is being done, there are not the normal shoulders that you would have as an out, in case someone has to break or swerve quickly."
Wisconsin sees an average of about 2,000 work zone crashes every year, according to the Wisconsin DOT. The majority of those crashes are due to distracted driving, speeding, and following the car in front of you too closely.
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One person has died following a rollover crash on I-43 in Ozaukee County.
Officials said a F-450 Utility truck was traveling northbound near Grafton around 6 p.m. Tuesday when it drifted into an impact attenuator and rolled over.
The single occupant of the truck died from their injuries. The victim's name, age, and gender were not released.
Following the crash, the right lane on I-43 northbound and the exit ramp to state highway 60 were closed until the attenuator could be replaced.
Assisting agencies included the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Department, Ozaukee County Highway Department, Grafton Police Department, Grafton Fire Department, Mequon Police Department, Mequon Fire Department, and Saukville Fire Department.
