Driver guilty in work zone incident

MILFORD — A Monroe County man’s appeal of a work zone violation in Pike County was dismissed on Feb. 20, allowing a magistrate’s guilty verdict to stand. The incident took place May 9 on state Route 739, in Delaware. Pike County Judge Greg Chelak dismissed the appeal of Dennis Jeter, of Stroudsburg, at a hearing at the Pike County Courthouse. District Justice Stephen McBride of Dingmans Ferry last August ruled that Jeter failed to stop in a work zone. The violation took place in a maintenance work zone while a road crew was conducting a pipe-crossing operation. The driver ignored a stop sign and entered the work zone. The work zone was properly signed. A report was filed with the Pennsylvania State Police, Blooming Grove Barracks. Investigating and prosecuting officer was Trooper Pascolini. The Pike County District Attorney’s Office handled the appeal. “We want send out a strong message to the public about work zone safety -- we’ll continue to pursue these cases through the court system,” said Richard Cochrane, Acting District Executive of PennDOT’s District 4-0. “We’ll do all we can to protect our workers.” The workers documented the incident using a “Police Arrest Form” developed by PennDOT with the help of the Pennsylvania State Police. The form lists what information highway crews must document in order for police to issue citations for work zone safety violations. PennDOT District 4-0 began developing the Police Arrest Form following the 2001 death of PennDOT employee Richard Bradley of West Hazleton. A young driver failed to heed a flagger’s warning and plowed into a work zone, killing Bradley and injuring three other workers. Since 1970, 78 PennDOT workers, including 10 from District 4-0, have been killed in the line of duty.