Zoneguard® Case Study: Tragedy Thwarted On Indiana Interstate

On the morning of September 16th, 2015, a construction crew for Indiana-based contractor Pioneer Associates Inc. was working behind Zoneguard® while completing a bridge deck overlay project on County Road 28 over Interstate 69, near Fort Wayne, Indiana. Two workers were on a temporary scaffold that was positioned only a few feet from the barrier and another worker was nearby.

Zoneguard® saved at least two lives and a serious injury today.

Aaron Jones | Pioneer Associates, Inc.

At around 8 a.m., the driver of a fully loaded dump truck (approximately 60,000-70,000 pounds) lost control of his vehicle and came barreling towards the work zone. Startled by the loud sound of a collision, the workers gripped the scaffold and braced for a potential impact. When they looked around to survey the scene, they were amazed to find the dump truck halting to a stop on the road’s shoulder after being safely redirected by the barrier. The Zoneguard® barrier system was mostly unaffected, and more importantly, still safely positioned between them and the nearby travel lanes, keeping the two workers, the surrounding crew, the truck driver and passing drivers out of harms way.

Fortunately, Zoneguard® had been installed in its Minimum Deflection System anchoring configuration, which limited the deflection to mere inches at the point of impact.

Zoneguard® performed as advertised and Pioneer Associates, Inc. was convinced, as Project Manager Aaron Jones shared, “Zoneguard® saved at least two lives and a serious injury today.