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Police: Drivers arrested for aggression against road workers By Vickie Aldous By Mail Tribune staff Updated: Jul 14, 2022 05:29 PM A A Road workers in Jackson County are seeing a rise in aggressive driving during the summer construction season. Photo courtesy of Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Injuring workers can lead to prison time Two drivers were arrested in separate incidents of aggression against flaggers, reflecting a trend of increasingly aggressive behavior toward road workers, according to Jackson County officials “Nobody is a fan of detours, closures and other impacts from the summer road construction season, but drivers are encouraged to remain patient — and if they lose their patience, we are here to protect our roadway workers,” Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. John Richmond said in a news advisory Thursday. On June 23, a driver drove a vehicle directly toward a flagger in a closed portion of East Vilas Road, which is being rebuilt. The flagger was forced to quickly move out of the way to avoid serious injury, the sheriff’s office said. The driver engaged in other aggressive driving behavior in the area and was arrested for reckless driving and disorderly conduct, the sheriff’s office said. On July 7, while Table Rock Road was temporarily closed for law enforcement activity, a driver aggressively drove toward a flagger, striking the worker who was helping direct traffic. That driver was arrested for reckless endangerment of a flagger, the sheriff’s office said. The sheriff’s office didn’t identify the drivers in the advisory. The Jackson County Roads and Parks Department said it’s seen a recent uptick in aggressive driving behavior toward flaggers and other road workers. Under Oregon law, a person can be charged with third-degree assault for recklessly causing injury to a road worker or flagger. The penalty is up to five years in prison and a fine of $125,000. The penalty can go up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if the driver who hurts a road worker or flagger was driving under the influence of intoxicants at the time. “This isn’t something we take lightly. Our crews are out all times of the day and night helping to keep our roads safe for travelers, and we expect the public to keep them safe in exchange,” Jackson County Roads and Parks Director Steve Lambert said. “Please help them stay safe while they work diligently to improve our transportation system so that they can go home each night to their families.”