Company Responds to Death of Road Worker on I-93

Tom O'Day died Tuesday morning in a work zone on I-93

The construction company that lost a worker in a suspected drunk driving crash in Medford, Massachusetts, is speaking out about the police detail role.

Tom O'Day died Tuesday morning when he was struck by a suspected drunk driver in a work zone on I-93.

There was no police detail that day, something O'Day expressed concerns about before the crash.

State police say they were unable to provide protection and had asked Woburn Police to handle it, but Woburn officials say they didn't have resources for it.

They alerted the state engineer and the job foreman that it was up to them to ask the Department of Transportation if it was safe enough to work without a police detail.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation says they approved the work because it was in what they call a "low-risk" area with cones and warning signs.

O'Day worked for Hi Way Safety Systems, and when asked whether they could have hired privately for the police detail role, they released a statement saying, "We do not believe HSS is allowed to hire a private contractor or company to provide such a role as that contractor or company would have no authority on state, city or local roadways."

In another statement to necn they added, "We have a contractual agreement with Mass DOT and operated pursuant to the agreement and pursuant to their determination the roadway work was in a low risk area."

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