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The Oregon Department of Transportation on Thursday used variable message signs on highways to urge drivers to watch out for workers.

ODOT‘s 鈥渟pecial day of messaging鈥� came after one of its employees was critically injured Nov. 10 while working along the shoulder of Interstate 205. Grant Riedel, 38, was with a crew cleaning stormwater drains to keep the highway safe ahead of anticipated rains when he was struck by a black Volkswagen GTI, according to ODOT.

Riedel lost a leg and remains hospitalized, the agency stated.

鈥淲e hope everyone will take a moment to consider the dangers road workers face every day while trying to keep us safe,鈥� stated Rian Windsheimer, ODOT’s Portland area manager.聽 鈥淭he tragedy that happened to my ODOT colleague last week was 100 percent avoidable.鈥�

Between 2015 and 2019, Oregon work zones saw an average of 540 people injured each year and 27 people killed or seriously injured each year, according to ODOT.

鈥淎ll our local agency partners understand the grief our crews experience when one of our own gets hurt,鈥� Windsheimer stated. 鈥淲e’re asking all drivers to please use extra care in work zones to keep themselves safe, and so our workers can all make it home to their families safely.鈥�