ACHD, police: ‘Aggressive and unlawful’ drivers endanger Ada County road crews
Orange barrels and flags across the Treasure Valley have had a lot of motorists seeing red the past couple of years.
It’s difficult to go anywhere in Ada County without encountering road construction, and summer is the infamous chip-sealing season, when drivers’ tempers seem to rise with the temperatures.
This year, that’s been a big problem.
The Ada County Highway District said in a news release that in addition to profanities and inappropriate gestures, road-work crews have been subject to more dangerous driving behavior, including aggressive actions that have led to more police response — and even to criminal charges.
“The men and women working in construction zones are your neighbors, friends, and family members,” ACHD Director Ryan Head said in the release. “… We urge drivers to slow down, follow directions, and treat crews with respect.”
Apparently, that kind of courtesy has been lacking. Since Memorial Day, which is when the agency begins its chip-seal repairs, law enforcement has been called to construction zones seven times over “aggressive and unlawful actions” by motorists.
In one of the worst cases, lead traffic control flagger Kayla Carlson was struck by a vehicle when the driver intentionally went through a closed lane, according to officials.
On July 16, Carlson stopped the vehicle and tried to inform the driver of the closure at the intersection of West Floating Feather Road and Park Lane in Eagle, where fresh oil had just been applied to the roadway. That driver proceeded through anyway, striking Carlson, according to the Eagle Police Department.
Police said the motorist did not stop after hitting Carlson. Ada County sheriff’s deputies located and arrested that driver not long after, and the woman faces two felony charges: one for aggravated battery and one for enhanced use of a deadly weapon.
Carlson told the Idaho Statesman in an interview that she has dealt with harassment over the past eight years on the job and feels as if there’s a “lack of feelings and compassion toward flaggers.”
“We all have families to go home to, and if that situation had been different, I might not have made it home to my kids, or might have been seriously injured and not been able to take care of them,” Carlson said.
Eagle Police Chief Travis Ruby said that as people travel through work zones, they need to plan ahead and be patient.
“We understand that road work can be frustrating and may add extra time to your drive,” Ruby said in a statement. “But no amount of frustration excuses dangerous driving that puts road crews, other motorists or pedestrians at risk.”
A flagger’s job is to keep everyone safe, Carlson said, and it isn’t as easy as it might look. Beyond working hours in the grueling heat, snow or rain, workers deal with people “yelling, screaming, throwing things and calling you every name under the sun,” she said.
“I just ask that everyone just be patient, be understanding and just think it through like your life is not going to end because you had to wait two minutes, and no one else’s life should end because you were angry that you had to wait two minutes, either.”
Even when workers are not at the construction zones, drivers need to be cautious, ACHD said in its release. A driver recently went through a closed chip-seal zone on Linder Road, causing enough damage to delay the project and prolong closure, the highway district said.
To see updates on current and upcoming projects and closures, visit ACHD’s Roadwork in the Area map.
This story was originally published September 1, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
