On Feb. 22, 2000, Washington state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) flagger Sam Williams Jr., of Morton, was struck and killed by a vehicle while assisting with roadwork on U.S. Highway 12 near Mayfield Lake between Mossyrock and Silver Creek.
Sam, who was 41 at the time, left behind his wife, Belle Williams, and their four children, Nichole, Sam III and twin daughters Kelsey and Krystal.
On average, between 800 and 900 people die annually in construction zone crashes across the U.S. — including road workers, drivers and their passengers — according to the National Safety Council.
Because of this, and in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of his death, Sam’s family is renewing calls for drivers to slow down and pay attention, especially in construction zones. They hope the message will reach new younger Lewis County drivers who are unaware of Sam’s death and the circumstances surrounding it.
The Chronicle spoke with Belle on Thursday, Feb. 20, just ahead of the 25th anniversary of Sam’s death on Saturday, Feb. 22.
“The main message from Sam's death is that we want everyone to make it home at night,” Belle said.
She recalled the day started with joy and hugs from Sam to all his children, as that day was also his twin daughters’ ninth birthday, and he had even already purchased a pair of cakes for them to celebrate with later.
Sam was working as a flagger, standing on the side of the highway as part of a construction crew installing new posts for road signs along a curve of U.S. Highway 12 near Mayfield Lake.
“The job site was fined for not having cones … but in reality, they even brought it up in court, there isn’t anything in the manual for flaggers to not be in the lane, because sometimes they have to be,” Belle said.
While the worksite lacked the proper amount of cones, the construction zone was still properly marked with signs cautioning drivers to slow down — something that the driver, Olera Workman, of Randle, failed to do.
Workman, who was 73 at the time, was traveling eastbound on U.S. Highway 12 and was being followed by another driver.
The other driver noted to investigators that when she observed the three caution signs and slowed down, Workman’s brake lights did not come on and her vehicle continued at a high rate of speed into the construction zone.
While construction crew flaggers do sometimes have to stand in the road, they must always have an escape route.
“When Sam saw Olera coming too fast, he did try to execute his escape route,” Belle said, recalling what investigators said during Workman’s trial. “One of the witnesses said it, her car was coming into the curve and it was a super, so her car started to drift and her wheels went over the fog line. It looked like she was literally chasing him down. He was off the roadway and still got hit.”
Ultimately, it was determined that Workman was not only speeding in the construction zone, but was not paying attention either.
Washington State Patrol (WSP) investigators noted that immediately after the accident, Workman had visible crumbs on her clothes and food and a drink in her vehicle, along with her mail on the passenger seat.
“I don’t believe Olera, when she left that morning, intended to run somebody down. But, it was due to her inattention. She even said she didn’t see Sam,” Belle said. “... But he was wearing bright white, brand new rain gear he just put on that morning, brand new reflective gear, and he was 6-foot-4 and a 210-pound man. He was pretty visible.”
It’s for this reason that Sam’s family is still publicly pleading with drivers on the road to slow down and pay attention, especially in construction zones.
This plea comes as construction zone crashes appear to be on an increase within the state, according to WSDOT assistant public information officer Tina Werner.
“We continue to see an increase in speeding and erratic driving in work zones, putting everyone at risk,” Werner said in an email. “Notably, nearly 95% of those injured in work zone crashes are drivers, passengers or nearby pedestrians, not just road workers.”
From 2020 to Oct. 31, 2024, Washington state averaged 1,340 construction zone crashes annually on state highways. Complete crash data for 2024 is not available yet due to ongoing WSP investigations.
WSDOT lists three main causes for these construction zone accidents, including vehicles following too closely, along with the two main factors in Sam’s death — excessive speed and inattentive driving.
Since 1950, 61 WSDOT workers have been killed in construction zone incidents, including five who have been killed since Sam.
They are Wayne “Jake” Baardson in 2002, Myron “Neal” Richards in 2009, Billy “Bud” Rhynalds in 2011, Bruce H. Cowing in 2016 and Rodney C. Wheeler in 2023.
While construction workers are always at risk on the job, Belle still called on drivers to slow down and pay attention not only for the safety of workers, but for their own safety, with WSDOT noting 95% of injuries are to drivers, their passengers and pedestrians.
“A lot of people think work zones are only for the workers, but it's really for the traveling public. When you get behind the wheel of a car, you not only have the privilege to drive, but you also have a responsibility to be safe. You’re responsible for everybody in your car, and everybody around you on the highway,” Belle said. “That’s a lot of responsibility, so we’re just asking drivers to be as responsible and careful as they possibly can so everybody can make it home at night.”
As for Sam’s family, they continue to carry his memory. Belle just retired last year after a 39-year career working for Lewis County, and though she did not remarry, she does have a significant other.
Additionally, all four of his children were able to graduate from college. His son now works for WSDOT in East Lewis County, working out of the same location where a memorial stands in honor of his father.
