ArDOT employee dies in Hempstead County work zone accident

HOPE – An employee with the Arkansas Department of Transportation, ArDOT, was killed Tuesday morning (11/26) in a work zone accident near Hope. According to the preliminary Arkansas State Police report, the victim was identified as Brandon Lee Jones, 29, of Emmet.

The report said a ArDOT 2017 Ram 3500 pickup was traveling in an established ArDOT work zone on Highway 32 and Jones was standing on the rear bumper of an ArDOT work truck picking up traffic cones when he fell from the moving truck and was struck by the ArDOT work truck.

Arkansas State Trooper Landon Loe was the investigating officer.

ArDOT Director Lorie Tudor released a statement, saying, “Safety is always our number one priority at ARDOT. Our employees put their lives on the line every day working in vulnerable road conditions. Learning that we lost one of our own in a work zone weighs heavy on the entire ARDOT family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Brandon’s loved ones.”