May 15, 2026

By Lane Kimble

DEFOREST — A construction worker helping guide traffic through a work zone in Dane County is in critical condition after a crash.

Madison-area media report a driver in a box truck hit the worker as the truck was headed south on Lake Road (County CV) in DeForest around 12:30 p.m. Police say the worker was wearing high-visibility PPE when the crash happened.

The driver stayed on scene and cooperated with the police investigation.

The worksite is part of the Village of DeForest’s two-year rehab project on a three-mile stretch of County CV running from the south side of town, through Windsor, ending near Highway 19.

A countywide website that tracks construction projects says Highway CV is closed to through traffic during the project and encourages drivers to slow down and find other ways around the construction, which is scheduled to be finished in July.

This is the second time a construction worker has been hit in Dane County in the past two weeks. A man is accused of driving drunk and fleeing when he hit and killed Forward Traffic operator Carlos Lopez along Highway 51 in Madison on April 30.