More than $137 million in construction work is about to get underway in Trumbull and Mahoning counties. Along with that work comes the potential for crashes, and state troopers have recorded hundreds of work zone accidents in recent years.

From 2021 through 2025, the two counties saw a combined 769 work zone crashes, including four fatalities and 240 injuries, according to data provided by the Ohio State Highway Patrol this week.

Lt. Benjamin Dennison, commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Canfield Post, said many of those crashes could have been prevented.

“Speeding and following too closely remain the leading contributors to the work zone crashes,” Dennison said.

The breakdown shows similar patterns in each county. Mahoning County recorded 452 work-zone crashes, with two fatalities and 152 injuries, while Trumbull County had 317 crashes, also with two fatalities, and 88 injuries over the five-year period.

Troopers also issued hundreds of citations. In 2025, troopers issued 282 construction zone citations across the two counties, including more than half — 153 to be exact — for drivers traveling 20 mph or more over the speed limit. Dennison said those numbers are not abstract.

“Each of these numbers represents a life changed, a family impacted, and a reminder of why this message matters,” he said.

Statewide, the issue mirrors what is happening locally. Ohio recorded thousands of work -zone crashes in recent years, with hundreds of injuries annually, according to patrol data shared at the event.

Officials said the risk extends beyond drivers to the crews working in those zones. Already this year, an ODOT construction worker was killed in a work-zone accident near Columbus, officials said.

“The work we do is essential, but it also carries real risks both for our crews … and for the traveling public,” said Gery Noirot, deputy director for ODOT District 4.

Dennison said enforcement alone will not solve the problem. Drivers must pay attention, he said, as they encounter changing traffic patterns, lane shifts and work crews throughout the construction season.

“Every driver who enters a work zone has the power to prevent the next crash, the next injury, or the next fatality,” he said. “Our message today is simple and direct. Slow down, buckle up and eliminate all distractions.”