A Department of Transportation employee was killed on Interstate 95 south in Fairfield Friday after he was struck by a vehicle, Gov. Ned Lamont and DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto announced.

Elvin Hernandez was doing road maintenance work when he was killed.

State police say a multi-vehicle crash happened around 10:35 a.m. near Exit 20. The highway was shut down for hours while police investigated. Drivers were asked to divert off the highway at Exit 21. Police have not provided additional details on the incident.

Hernandez had worked for the DOT since 2010 and was based out of the agency's Stratford garage.

Lamont has ordered flags lowered to half-staff in coordination with the date of Hernandez’s funeral services, which have not yet been determined.

Eucalitto says the crash was a senseless tragedy.

"Today’s tragedy is the nightmare scenario that every CTDOT employee and highway worker fears. Elvin was killed while simply doing their job and their life was cut short because of a driver’s actions. The complete disregard that some motorists continue to show our employees, first responders, and those working on the roadside is disgraceful. As we grieve Elvin, I am demanding that every driver in the state do their part to prevent another tragedy. Slow down, move over, put the phone away, and pay attention. Our workers deserve to go home safely at the end of their shift, and the public must do its part to ensure that happens," he said.

This is the second time a DOT maintenance worker has been killed on the job in the past two years. Andrew DiDomenico was killed on Interstate 91 in Wallingford by a drunk driver in 2024.