State Department of Transportation Honors Fallen Highway Worker on 20th Anniversary of His Line-of-Duty Death on Long Island

State Department of Transportation Honors Fallen Highway Worker on 20th Anniversary of His Line-of-Duty Death on Long Island

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez today joined with members of the NYSDOT family to honor the life and service of highway maintenance worker Patrick "Pat" Mapleson, who was killed in the line-of-duty 20 years ago. Mapleson was killed on March 17, 2006, on Sunrise Highway (State Route 27) in Manorville in a work zone intrusion. He and his co-workers from NYSDOT's Medford Yard were filling potholes, a routine operation, when a distracted driver sped into the work zone. Workers scattered out of the way, but Mapleson was unable to get to safety before being hit and killed by the cement truck. The night before his tragic death, he celebrated his 66^th birthday, surrounded by his family and loved ones.

Members of the Mapleson family assisted Commissioner Dominguez and NYSDOT Region 10 staff in planting a red maple tree in memory of this dedicated public servant who lost his life while working to ensure that New Yorkers can travel safely across Long Island. The tree is part of a memorial plaza being constructed at the Medford Yard where Mapleson worked, which will pay tribute to him and all other fallen NYSDOT highway workers.

"Pat Mapleson was a dedicated employee, colleague, father, and friend who should have been able finish his work and go home to his loved ones on that fateful day 20 years ago," said Commissioner Dominguez. "Instead, he tragically lost his life while working to create a better, safer highway system for all New Yorkers. Today we honor Pat's sacrifice and hope that with this tree planting we begin to create a lasting memorial reminding all New Yorkers of the dangers our highway workers face every day and the need for all of us to pay attention while driving, especially in work zones."

Mapleson is one of 59 members of the NYSDOT family who have died on the job across New York State, dating as far back as 1939. Just last May, Robert Bornt, a beloved member of NYSDOT's Capital Region team, died after being struck by a car during a flagging operation.

Today's event stressed the importance of work zone safety and the responsibility all motorists share in protecting highway workers. Drivers must slow down, stay alert, and follow New York's Move Over Law when approaching work zones and emergency vehicles.

Karen Torres, Mapleson's daughter, founded ALL4UDAD.com after her father's sudden death to bring her story and the message of highway safety across the country to prevent future unnecessary deaths.

"My father's life was taken in a work zone twenty years ago. Today we remember him and every worker who never made it home, and we remind drivers that slowing down and paying attention can save a life." said Torres.

In 2025, there were 33 work zone intrusions, or WZIs, on Long Island state roads that caused five NYSDOT workers to be injured. On September 19, 2025, a construction worker on the Van Wyck Expressway project in Queens was killed by a hit-and-run driver while directing traffic in the vicinity of the eastbound Nassau Expressway. So far in 2026, there have been five WZIs injuring one worker. In February, NYSDOT's Randolph "Randy" Acum was hit by a vehicle while setting up a closure for a police investigation on the Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) in Holtsville. He was only recently released from the hospital.

NYSDOT remains committed to keeping workers safe and improving work zone protections through engineering enhancements, public awareness campaigns, and enforcement efforts--such as the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot program and Operation Hardhat.

About the Department of Transportation

It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable, and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State.

Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers!

For more information, find us on Facebook, follow us on X, the Long Island region on X, or Instagram, or visit our website. For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app.

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VIDEO: VOSOT from today's event posted via Dropbox

1. Marie Therese Dominguez, NYS Department of Transportation Commissioner
2. Karen Torres, Pat Mapleson's daughter & distracted driving awareness advocate

PHOTOS: MapleTreeForMapleson1.jpg: NYS Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez was joined by members of the NYSDOT family, the labor community, and the Mapleson family to plant a maple tree in memory of Patrick Mapleson, a NYSDOT highway worker killed in the line of duty on March 17, 2006.

MapleTreeForMapleson2.jpg: NYS Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez gives remarks honoring the service of Patrick Mapleson and encourages motorists to slow down, move over, and stay alert when driving in work zones.

MapleTreeForMapleson3.jpg: Karen Torres, Patrick Mapleson's daughter and distracted driving awareness advocate, recalls how she learned of her father's tragic death and thanks Commissioner Dominguez and NYSDOT for never forgetting her father's memory.