DEFREESTVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Nearly one year after a tragic work zone crash claimed the life of a Rensselaer County Department of Transportation worker, the department is continuing to honor his legacy.
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On Tuesday the department held a memorial for Highway Maintenance Supervisor Robert Bornt. Last year he was fatally struck down while working in a state work zone.
“He was out there where the work happens, making roads safer, keeping communities functioning and making sure everybody around him got home safely. That’s who he was,” said Allysson Bornt, Robert Bornt’s daughter.
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Allysson said Tuesday’s ceremony was also about raising awareness, hoping no other family has to experience the same loss.
“Look for workers, look for signs, put the phone down. Be patient for that few extra minutes because every single person working in those zones has a family waiting for them to come home. My dad deserved to come home that day,” said Allysson.
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Unfortunately, Robert was the 59th person in all of New York State to be fatally killed by a work zone collision since 1939. In 2025 alone, there were 366 crashes in work zones across New York, and two fatalities one of which was Robert…