State Highway Administration worker killed in Beltway work-zone crash in Prince George's County

A Maryland State Highway Administration worker was killed on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County while setting up traffic-control cones, turning a routine safety job into a fatal work-zone crash.

State police identified the worker as Robert Dempsey, 40, of Ellicott City. Investigators said the crash happened shortly before noon on April 25 near Saint Barnabas Road, when Dempsey was outside his emergency work vehicle and was struck by a Mazda CX-5 traveling on the ramp.

The driver was identified as Joshua Anderson, 41, of Fort Washington. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, and no other injuries were reported. Charges were pending as investigators continued to review the crash.

The scene forced lane closures that lasted nearly five hours while the Maryland State Police Crash Team processed the roadway, with assistance from the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration. On a corridor as heavily used as the Capital Beltway, even a single work-zone collision can ripple through traffic well beyond the immediate crash site.

The death also underscored how exposed highway crews are when they step out to protect other motorists. Dempsey was doing exactly that, preparing traffic-control equipment to warn drivers and shield a work area, when he was hit. The crash did not involve multiple vehicles or a long chain reaction; it involved one worker, one ramp and one deadly impact in a place where drivers are supposed to slow down and stay alert.

For Prince George’s County, the crash was another reminder that beltway work zones are active job sites, not just places where traffic slows. Crews setting cones, moving barriers and standing near emergency vehicles depend on drivers giving them room and time. On April 25, that protection failed, and a highway worker sent out to make the road safer never made it home.