Dust cloud and missing safety signs killed Cheyenne street sweeper

A 33-year-old street sweeper died on College Drive in Cheyenne after a Dodge Durango rear-ended his vehicle in a cloud of cement powder. Damon Shaw was operating the sweeper near Croell Concrete on Oct. 22 when the crash occurred. The impact ejected Shaw from the cab. He was transported to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, where doctors pronounced him dead. The 30-year-old driver of the Durango was also injured and taken to the hospital.

Cheyenne Police Sgt. Matthew Colson stated that reduced visibility caused by the dust contributed to the collision. Investigators determined that a lack of warning signs and safety equipment alerting motorists to the work in the roadway were additional factors. Colson noted that speed was not a factor in the crash. He described the scene as having no presence of advance warning or any type of safety equipment.

Al Gates, a Cheyenne resident, witnessed the events shortly before the impact. He was driving to a doctor's appointment and passed Shaw while the sweeper was cleaning up spilled cement powder near a concrete plant. Gates said there was no visibility at all. He moved into a middle lane and entered a dust cloud. It was only then that he realized the sweeper was in the adjacent lane. Gates noted that traffic on College Drive has increased due to construction on the south side of the city.

Stephanie Martin, a mechanic who works near the site, recalled the poor visibility that morning. She was taking a vehicle for a test drive after repairs and drove close to the shoulder because she could not see well. Martin said she thought somebody was going to get hit. Later that day, she saw a police officer redirecting traffic onto Fox Farm Road due to the accident. She described the visibility as still horrendous.

Sally Kinkade, who knew Shaw, said the cleanup involved a large spill of powdered cement. Her brother owns 5 Star Sweeping and had received a call about the spill but declined the job. Kinkade said the conditions were worsened by wind and the street sweeper itself, which kicked up additional dust while removing the material. She described the situation as one where a street sweeper trying to sweep up the spill would have very low visibility when the wind kicked in.

The spilled material came from a vehicle associated with Morandin Concrete. Colson believed the vehicle was headed toward Croell Concrete when the spill occurred. John Fitzgerald, a safety officer with Croell Concrete, said he saw the spilled material and checked to ensure it did not come from his company's vehicles. Fitzgerald stated that it is generally the responsibility of the company involved in a spill to arrange for cleanup. He did not know what caused the spill or who arranged for Shaw to respond.

Morandin Concrete declined to answer questions about the incident. A representative said the company had no comment. The crash comes as concrete suppliers in the area experience a surge in business driven by data center and power plant construction. Fitzgerald said Croell has seen a significant increase in production. He noted that a lot more concrete is being made for data centers and the power plant.

Cheyenne LEADS, the area's economic development organization, reports that Cheyenne has 10 operational data center locations, five under construction, and nine additional projects in planning stages. The investigation's findings have been submitted to the Laramie County District Attorney's Office for review. No charges had been filed as of the latest report. Traffic on College Drive was shut down for more than an hour following the crash.

Colson stated that police compiled all facts and evidence and sent the case to the district attorney for review and charging. The district attorney will determine whether charges are warranted. Fitzgerald said he believes something could have been done to prevent the tragedy. He stated that every accident is avoidable unless it is absolutely nature. Something happened somewhere in the system that caused this. Kinkade described Shaw as an amazing fellow with a family who loved him dearly.