A routine work assignment on Interstate 70 ended in tragedy Sunday morning when Jennifer Donley, a 45-year-old Ohio Department of Transportation bridge inspector, was struck and killed by a commercial truck in Zanesville, Ohio. Donley, who was from Lancaster, was working in an active construction zone when the fatal collision occurred.
The incident was reported at approximately 8:09 a.m. on November 9, 2026, along westbound I-70 near mile marker 154 in Muskingum County. The location was close to the Maple Avenue off-ramp, where Donley had been carrying out her work duties.
Investigators with the Ohio State Highway Patrol said a westbound 2027 Freightliner Cascadia struck Donley while she was in the lanes of travel. The truck was operated by Brian Carter, a 54-year-old man from Indianapolis, Indiana.
Donley suffered fatal injuries in the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene. Carter escaped the crash without injuries. Authorities have not announced any further findings about what led to the truck striking the ODOT worker.
The loss has also affected the Ohio Department of Transportation, where Donley had spent four years working. She was not simply another name on a work schedule. She was part of a team responsible for work on Ohio’s roads and bridges, and her death has left fellow employees facing the loss of someone they knew and worked alongside.
ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn responded to the tragedy with a statement recognizing Donley’s death. She asked the public to keep the employee’s family, friends and everyone affected by the incident in their thoughts and prayers.
For Donley’s loved ones, the circumstances of her death make the loss especially difficult. She had gone out to perform her job, but the morning ended with a fatal crash that no family should have to face. Her family and friends are now left to remember her life and the time they shared with her.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash. Several local agencies and county officials assisted emergency responders at the scene. Further details about the investigation have not been provided.
As investigators work to establish exactly what happened, Donley’s death serves as a painful reminder of the dangers faced by road workers who carry out their duties close to moving traffic. Behind the investigation is a 45-year-old woman whose life ended while she was doing her job, leaving family, friends and colleagues to mourn her loss.
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