In the early morning hours of June 4, Joseph Gove was flagging for a construction project on Montana 35 in Bigfork. It was his second day on the job.  

At about 3 a.m., a 25-year-old allegedly drove into the work zone at high speeds, hitting Gove with his vehicle and then running over him, breaking his neck, back, jaw, collarbone and ribs, and lacerating his kidney and liver. The injuries landed him in the intensive care unit.

Gove has spent the weeks since the collision in the hospital, sedated and intubated, while the driver has yet to be brought up on charges. An investigation is ongoing, county officials say.  

“It’s complete disregard for our lives out here. He mowed him down and they just let him go,” said traffic control supervisor Gem Wysel, who helped Gove get the job. 

In Montana, drivers are required to follow the posted speed limits, pilot cars and construction directions around roadwork. If a traffic violation is committed when a worker is present, the offender faces double fines. 

As population growth has led to more drivers, there is concern that the roads have become more dangerous for workers, Wysel said.  

“We never see double fines,” she said. 

While County Attorney Travis Ahner said that injuries or deaths involving road construction workers are uncommon in the Flathead Valley, Gove’s story is a reminder for motorists to slow down when workers are present.  

Still, hundreds of construction workers are killed each year across the country. On the final day of National Work Zone Awareness Week this April, four people were killed and two others injured when a city dump truck in Eden, North Carolina struck six working men. 

Earlier this month, a man died after being hit while working on a guardrail in Georgia. In 2017, a woman lost her life in Livingston after being struck by a vehicle while working. The same happened in 2020 in Billings.   

The most recent statistics show 891 total work zone deaths in 2022, according to the American Traffic Safety Services Association. In 2022 and 2021, Montana saw two deaths each year. In 2020 the state saw seven work zone fatalities.  

The Federal Highway Administration cites a combination of factors, including speeding, distracted driving, lane changes and following too closely, that can lead to deadly crashes. 

“While it’s pretty rare that we have any sort of injury, it seems like it’s several times a year that we get incidents coming from people driving too fast or ignoring cones and creating a danger for some of the construction workers,” Ahner said.  

In Gove’s case, Ahner said that the County Attorney's Office and Montana Highway Patrol must finish an investigation before potentially prosecuting the alleged driver, who was booked into the Flathead County Detention Center on June 4 on a pending charge negligent vehicular assault. He was released on June 5.  

The suspected driver is no stranger to the justice system, according to Flathead County District Court records. Since 2018, he was convicted of criminal trespass to property, unauthorized use of a motorized vehicle, bail jumping, assault and criminal possession of dangerous drugs.    

“The main goal right now is to keep Joey alive,” said Tammy Gove Munroe, Gove’s aunt. “But this kid, who’s well known to the police, is still out there. That can’t be justice, can it?” 

Ahner said that officers cannot hold someone for more than 48 hours before charging them, and that county officials are working to ensure that the case is solid before bringing the charges forward. In general, he said, driving related incidents that involve law enforcement take time.  

“The morning of the incident I got a phone call from a sergeant at Highway Patrol and we’ve been in regular contact. ... It’s definitely what I would consider an active investigation,” Ahner said.  

Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said in a statement that he doesn’t recall another incident like this but pointed toward the importance of following flagged instructions in work zones. 

“I would appreciate a safety message, these are our neighbors and friends doing this construction please slow and follow signage to keep them safe for their families,” Heino said.  

A fundraiser for Joesph Gove can be found at gofundme.com/f/66yby-help-for-joeys-recovery.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].