This flagwoman that I met a few times was killed 2 days ago when the breaks on an asphalt truck let loose and knocked her into a ditch. Not a good week for road work.

no joke?

...that is terrible, how do brakes let loose?...

sad to hear it. bless

I myself think the driver forgot to pop the break knob before getting out of the truck. If there was some kind of failure you would think the spring breaks would take hold. I wrecked a big garbage truck 3 years ago because I forgot to set the P.T.O. for whatever reason garbage trucks have a break switch in the shift lever. It sets the break when you throw it in neutral. With the P.T.O. off I ended up getting dragged behind the truck trying to catch the damm thing.

This hit real close to home.

Sorry to hear about your co-worker. I work for the D.O.T. and have lost co-workers that were killed while working on the road. My uncle was also killed working for D.O.T. while operating a pole hole digger. I feel your pain flagman.

...I have gotten out of the truck, then got back in later a few times and the brakes were not set, luckily on the level...not hard to do...

When I wrecked the garbage truck, no one told me that the P.T.O. had to be on for the parking break to work. You also had to shut it (p.t.o.) off in order to start the truck. It was a C.C.C. flat nose rear loader. I have pictures of it after I wrecked it. I just dont know how to post them. As for the woman who got hit, she worked for the Warren County D.P.W. I work for the City of Glens Falls D.P.W. but my foremans brother was her boss at Warren County. Our two departments did on occasion work together for big road projects, I worked with her a few times once flagging and paving. Whats scary is I patch and repair roads by myself. Half the time I dont see any co-workers for weeks. If that happened to me, no one would know.