ODOT bridge inspector killed by semi in I-70 work zone in Zanesville
Photo: PBE News (file photo)An Ohio Department of Transportation bridge inspector was killed Monday morning when a semi-truck struck her inside an active work zone on Interstate 70 in Zanesville.
Jennifer Donley, 45, of Lancaster, died after being struck around 8:09 a.m. on westbound I-70 near mile marker 154, by the Maple Avenue off-ramp, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. She was working on the I-70 reconstruction project at the time.
The truck, a 2027 Freightliner Cascadia, was traveling westbound when it struck Donley, troopers said. The driver, Brian Carter, 54, of Indianapolis, was not injured. No charges have been announced, and the crash remains under investigation by the Zanesville Post of the Highway Patrol.
Donley joined the Ohio Department of Transportation as a bridge inspector in 2022, the agency said. ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn said Donley "loved her job and always had a positive attitude" and asked the public to keep "Jennifer, her family, friends and all those affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers."
Westbound lanes of I-70 from Maple Avenue to the Adamsville Road exit were closed for about four hours after the crash and reopened around 12:30 p.m., according to the Times Recorder.
Sources: Zanesville Times Recorder, "Lancaster woman killed while working on I-70 reconstruction project" (Nov. 9, 2026, full text verified); Zanesville Times Recorder, "ODOT worker dies after being stuck on I-70 near Maple Avenue off-ramp" (Nov. 9, 2026); Ohio Department of Transportation, statement from Director Pamela Boratyn (Nov. 9, 2026). Event date verified: Monday, November 9, 2026.
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