By Representative John Blanton
92nd District.
Kentucky lawmakers have long recognized that roads are more than just asphalt and concrete, they are the backbone of our economy and the pathways that connect families, communities, and opportunities. Through historic investments in highway construction and maintenance, the General Assembly has worked to make roads safer for everyone. However, with this focus on road improvements comes the need to make sure that the men and women working on our road crews can do their jobs safely.
Every day, motorists in Kentucky pass through work zones and behind every cone and barrier are men and women working just feet away from fast-moving traffic—risking their lives to improve our roads. Their safety must be our priority.
That’s why, in the 2025 legislative session, I worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass House Bill 664, the Jared Lee Helton Act. This law gives the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet the ability to use automated speed detection in work zones—a proven way to slow traffic and prevent crashes. With more than 1,300 work zone accidents in Kentucky last year alone, we can no longer accept the status quo.
This issue is deeply personal. Jared Lee Helton, a 22-year-old from Magoffin County and my neighbor, was killed in a Tennessee work zone crash in 2019, along with his co-worker, 30-year-old Justin Stafford of Johnson County. Two young men. Two families forever changed.
After Jared’s death, his mother, Lonja, refused to let her son’s story end in tragedy alone. She became a relentless advocate for safer roads, and she pushed me and other legislators to act. Thanks to her courage and determination, after years of effort, this bill is now law. Because of Lonja, countless road workers across Kentucky will have a better chance of making it home to their families at the end of the day.
Let me be clear: this law is not about writing tickets. It’s about saving lives. It’s about making sure that the people fixing our roads, and the drivers traveling on them, both get home safely.
I can’t begin to imagine the heartbreak of parents like Lonja who have lost a child to a work zone crash. But I do know this—together, we can prevent more families from experiencing that same pain. So, the next time you drive through a work zone, slow down. Be aware. Remember Jared. Your choice behind the wheel could be the difference between life and death.
