A 42-year-old Whatcom County Public Works maintenance worker died in a collision Tuesday morning at a work site near East Smith and Noon roads in Whatcom County.
First responders were called to the incident around 9 a.m. Jan. 28, after a construction vehicle hit and killed Brandon Gipson of Ferndale, according to Washington State Patrol.
The vehicle, driven by a 64-year-old man, was backing down the right shoulder of eastbound Smith Road in a construction zone when it struck Gipson, who was walking westbound on the same shoulder.
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Gipson was a senior road maintenance worker with Whatcom County Public Works. Gipson was part of a county road construction crew.
“This loss is devastating for the entire County, and especially so for Brandon’s family, friends and co-workers,” Sidhu said in an email to county employees. “Please know we are committed to fully investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident and our priority is to ensure the safety of every County employee. We are working closely with internal safety teams and other agencies to conduct a thorough investigation.”
The cause of the incident remains under investigation by WSP.
Counseling services are available to employees and the Whatcom County Support Officers have responded to provide support.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
