PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Following a crash last week involving a Florida Department of Transportation Road Ranger, that employee’s colleagues are urging drivers to take their safety seriously.

Last Thursday, a road ranger with FDOT was struck by a pickup truck when assisting a crash scene at a work zone on I-275 in Hillsborough County. The road ranger sustained minor injuries.

The crash was another reminder of how dangerous it is to respond to calls on busy highways.

“Everyday, we put on this uniform and jump into these trucks, it could be the last day we see our loved ones,” said Sergio Carrera, who has been working as a road ranger for the last seven years.

Carrera says he’s also been involved in accidents. Most recently, he was rear-ended by a driver who wasn’t paying attention.

“People flying by us at 80 miles an hour is not the safest situation, but we have to be there," he said.

April 11 - 15 is Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, and the FDOT road rangers ask that you think of their safety first when trying to navigate around a crash, particularly near a work zone.