Caltrans Honors 195 Fallen Highway Workers at 36th Annual Memorial Ceremony and Highlights Road Safety

West Sacramento, April 23 – Caltrans, the California Transportation Foundation (CTF), the families of fallen workers, dignitaries and employees today honored the 195 Caltrans workers who have lost their lives while in service to the state since 1921. The event also emphasized road safety and reaffirmed the department’s vision of reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries on state highways by 2050.

Hosted in West Sacramento at River Walk Park, the 36th Annual Workers Memorial was dedicated to the memory of Construction Inspector Mahdi Khorram, who was killed on September 18, 2025, in a work zone incident while working in Contra Costa County.     
 
“Every person honored today represents a life lost doing critical work that keeps California moving,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “Under Governor Newsom’s commitment to safer roads, we are taking action to better protect those who serve on the front lines of our transportation systems.” 

“Caltrans remains committed to honoring its fallen heroes and working to instill a culture of safety in everything we do,” said Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy. “Along with his family, friends and colleagues, we mourn the loss of Mahdi Khorram. He will forever be remembered, and his legacy inspires us to meet our road safety goals that will protect all Californians.”

“We were honored to participate today in the poignant tribute to our fallen transportation heroes,” said Laurie Berman, Board Chair of the California Transportation Foundation. “This annual event spreads life-saving awareness about the importance of work zone safety and highlights CTF’s nearly 40-year mission of providing financial support for families who suffer unexpected loss when their loved ones are killed on the job.” 

Last year, Secretary Omishakin and other state leaders unveiled the Secretary’s Policy on Road Safety, committing California to a prevention-first, Safe System Approach to eliminate fatal and serious traffic injuries. Grounded in public health principles, the policy aligns CalSTA decisions and investments to reduce exposure, crash likelihood and injury severity. It sets an interim goal to cut deadly and serious injury crashes by 30% by 2035 and reconvenes a cross-sector task force to develop a prioritized action plan. 

In 2022, Caltrans instituted a new Director’s Policy on Road Safety, committing to a Safe System approach – a  strategy that anticipates human mistakes and prevents them from becoming fatal – into every aspect of transportation policy, design, education and enforcement.

During the ceremony, Caltrans used its signature orange cones to create an aisle down the amphitheater staircase leading to a diamond “caution sign” configuration. Each of the 195 cones in the display bore a black ribbon containing the name of an employee who died on duty. One black cone in the center of the diamond represented all people killed while working on the state’s highways, including California Highway Patrol officers, private contractors, tow truck drivers and other emergency responders. A second black cone represented Mahdi Khorram.

In remembrance of these fallen heroes and to honor their selfless service to California, flags will be lowered to half-staff at the state Capitol, Swing Space, and at Caltrans buildings throughout the state.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, highway construction and maintenance work is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States. In 2021, more than 9,500 work zone collisions occurred on California highways, resulting in an estimated 2,971 injuries and 73 fatalities. Nationally, drivers and passengers account for 85 percent of people who are killed in work zones.

April is also National Distracted Driving Awareness Month – dedicated to educating drivers about behaviors that often divert attention from the roadway and how safer habits behind the wheel can drastically reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roadways. During the month of April, Caltrans has messaging on more than 170 advertising billboards across the state, reminding travelers of the sacrifices made by highway workers.

The memorial commemoration also included the twelve-member Caltrans Honor Guard. Flags flew at half-staff at the State Capitol, and in homage to Caltrans’ pride and traditional color scheme, orange light bathed the Capitol dome the night prior to the ceremony.

Caltrans partners with CTF to develop two funds benefitting the families of workers killed on the job. The Fallen Workers Assistance and Memorial Fund provide crucial support for the immediate needs that surviving families may encounter following the loss of a loved one. Additionally, the Caltrans Fallen Workers Memorial Scholarship offers educational opportunities for the children of fallen employees, helping them move forward and honoring their parents’ legacy.

For more information or to make donations, visit the California Transportation Foundation.

For those who could not attend the event in person, the full 2026 Caltrans Workers Memorial can be watched here: https://youtube.com/live/KbWn8Acf3Ss.

Additional information about the 2026 Caltrans Workers Memorial will be added to a digital media kit no later than 3 p.m. after the ceremony, including b-roll, video clips, photos and more. To access the material, click the following link: https://bit.ly/Memorial_26.