HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Anita Campbell said always wanted a job that would make a difference. That's why over 20 years ago, she joined a construction team with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
"I love being hands-on. I love having the experience of knowledge and improving things," Campbell said.
She started the job knowing that, sometimes, her team's safety could be at risk.
"Every day, you never know what you're going to face," she said. "And you always have to keep your head on a swivel out here, because anything can change in the blink of a second."
On May 2, 2022, her life did change in a matter of seconds.
While on the job in a work zone in Henrico County, she said a driver sped through a nearby stop sign, hitting her at about 35 mph.
"I've been hit several times, but last year I was physically hit and went over the top of a vehicle on Staples Mill Road. Went over top of the hood of the car, coming back off the driver door, coming back to the asphalt," Campbell said.
Her legs and back were badly injured. It took her about six months to recover.
"It messes with you physically and mentally because I was told that I couldn't do certain things, because I might potentially paralyze myself from the waist down or neck down," she said. "It changed my life — big."
Over the years, Campbell said she knew VDOT workers were often at higher risk of being injured or even killed by drivers while in work zones.
What happened to her, while frightening, didn't come as a surprise.
"Actually, the first day on the job with VDOT, I watched the lady that was flagging traffic for a private contractor get hit by an 18-wheeler. She is no longer here. We have lost several people, throughout the years, that I know personally," Campbell said. "Throughout the district and the Commonwealth of Virginia, we've lost several lives and I'm just one of the fortunate ones who's able to sit here today and talk to you about it."
Her desire to help others by fixing Virginia's roadways, she says, brought her back to work the next day.
"Watching that play out before my eyes, I had to push through. I had to make a judgment call for myself. Was this really something that I wanted to subject myself to? And at the end of the day, it was. Because I knew that I could go out there and make a difference, and I try to be as safe as I can and keep my work zone as safe as I can when we're out in the field working," Campbell said.
The same year Campbell was hit, 22 people died in work-zone related crashes across the Commonwealth.
"When we look at the numbers like that, 22 fatalities is a horrible number, but that is not just the road workers," said Ken Slack, a communications manager for VDOT's Staunton district. "In fact, it might surprise a lot of people to know that a majority, a strong majority, about 80% typically of the fatalities that we see in work zone crashes, are actually the motorists and passengers."
Slat said distracted driving and speeding are leading causes of work zone-related accidents.
As part of National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, VDOT is encouraging drivers to be more cognizant of work zones and understand the consequences of not doing so.
In Virginia, drivers speeding in dedicated work zones when workers are present, and work is in progress, can face a fine of up to $500.
VDOT crews should have signage and amber lights warning drivers of upcoming work zones. Campbell said crews typically have "escape routes" planned in case of emergency, but still, she's urging drivers to be more careful.
"Pay attention, slow down, move over. Because it could be one of your family members. You never know," she said. "We want to return home to our families, just like everyone else."
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