WESTON, Iowa (KMTV) — One transportation worker was killed and another injured Thursday morning in a Pottawattamie County workzone.
According to a report by the Iowa State Patrol, Matthew Dickerson was standing at the back of a DOT maintenance pickup while conducting asphalt work when he was hit by a semi. He was 36 years old.
The crash happened at 9:15 a.m., when an eastbound UPS semi truck driven by a Pennsylvania man tried to pass another vehicle on I-80, entering the left lane. That lane was closed, indicated by two DOT attenuator trucks outfitted with electric signboards. Attenuator trucks are designed to absorb the impact of a crash, but the semi truck drove between the attenuator and other vehicles, instead of into it, striking Dickerson.
Another Iowa DOT worker, 45-year-old Jordan Hargens, was inside the pickup as the semi struck it, and the ISP report indicated that the seatbelt he was wearing saved his life. He was injured but transported via private vehicle to an area hospital.
Both Iowa DOT workers appear to have been on the job for less than a year, based out of Neola. Listings on the Iowa DOT website indicate Hargens became a highway technician associate in October 2023 while Dickerson started the same position in December 2023.
3 News Now observed what looked like burn marks on the road at the scene of the crash. At this time, its unknown whether the semi truck driver will face charges.
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