CDOT Remembers Fallen Colleagues

CDOT employees gathered in Durango and Alamosa to remember coworker David D. Morris with candlelight ceremonies and traditional moment of silence. Mr. Morris of Poncha Springs, died in the line of duty on May 15, 2015, when a semi-truck collided with his CDOT plow truck in a work zone on US 50 Monarch Pass.

Region 5, Section 3 (headquartered in Durango) Maintenance Superintendent Greg Stacy, who led the Durango ceremony said, “I’ve known several coworkers whose lives have been taken while on duty. This reminds us that our public service comes at a high price at times.”

Morris’ name was placed on memorial signs at 16 CDOT office locations across the state including Durango and Alamosa. Additionally, Mr. Morris’ widow, Denise Morris, and a delegation of family members, friends, and coworkers attended a memorial event at CDOT Headquarters in Denver, where they assisted with the undraping of a monument where Mr. Morris' name was engraved (along with 58 others).

Fellow CDOT worker Gene Hapl (Poncha Springs) was among some 20 Region 5 employees who traveled to the Denver event. “We really miss Dave,” said Hapl. “And we greatly appreciate the support shown to Dave’s family by his CDOT family.”

Remembrance Day has been celebrated by CDOT for 22 years, honoring 59 statewide employees who have lost their lives while working on Colorado roads from 1929 to 2015. The event coincides with National Work Zone Safety observed across the country every April.

CDOT Region 5, Section 3 employees (l-r) Greg Stacy, Maintenance Superintendent; Myron Olguin, Traffic Unit; and John Palmer, Deputy Maintenance Superintendent get ready to place a ribbon plaque on a memorial sign honoring David D. Morris. Mr. Morris, a CDOT employee, died in the line of duty last spring when a semi-truck collided with his truck in a work zone on US 50 Monarch Pass.