The tragic death of road maintenance worker Kevarus N. Bowens on Friday morning in a work zone crash on Interstate 40 near U.S. Highway 70 has left the community in mourning. Bowens, a 45-year-old from Lumberton, was struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle while crossing the highway to return to his work vehicle. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol reported that Bowens was part of a team completing work near Exit 306 for U.S. 70, close to Garner and Clayton, before dawn on Friday. He had just removed a sign alerting drivers to a lane closure in the area and was wearing a reflective vest with flashing lights on his work vehicle to signal his presence to drivers.
The fatal crash occurred when Rontavion Hunter, 21, of Garner, hit Bowens, causing him to be knocked into the road where a second vehicle, driven by Esmeralda Saenz, 21, of Smithfield, also struck him. Despite the tragic outcome, neither Hunter nor Saenz were charged with a crime, and authorities do not suspect speeding or impaired driving to be factors in the incident. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol emphasized the dangers of walking in the road with moving vehicles, citing statistics that show 250 pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles statewide in 2023.
Kevarus N. Bowens was an employee of Stay Alert Safety Services, a company that contracts with S.T. Wooten, a private construction company working with the state Department of Transportation. This is not the first time tragedy has struck on I-40, as Bowens is the second worker to lose his life in just over a year. In May 2023, C.J. Bryant, a father of four and S.T. Wooten employee, was killed in a work zone near the Jones Sausage Road exit when Jeyson Alexander Murcia-Guillen, of Smithfield, struck him. Murcia-Guillen attempted to flee the scene and is facing charges of felony death by vehicle and hit-and-run, among others.
The morning commute was heavily impacted by the crash, with delays beginning around 7 a.m. as more drivers headed to work. The three eastbound lanes on I-40 near U.S. Highway 70 were closed, causing traffic congestion until they reopened before 9 a.m. Additionally, two other cars were involved in a minor crash near the main scene, although it was unclear if the incidents were related. Sky 5 footage showed multiple vehicles being towed from the scene, including a silver sedan and a red sedan, with the investigation focused on a blue car in the middle of the roadway.
The tragic loss of Kevarus N. Bowens serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by road maintenance workers and the importance of caution and awareness while driving through work zones. The community mourns the loss of a dedicated employee, and efforts to improve safety for workers on highways and roads must be prioritized to prevent such tragedies from reoccurring.