Thanks to the efforts of State Senator Kim LaSata, the life of former Benton Township Supervisor and MDOT worker Kevin White will be memorialized along a stretch of highway in his home community.
The Michigan Senate today approved a bill sponsored by Sen. LaSata that would designate the portion of I-94 in Benton Township beginning at the interchange of highway I-94 and highway I-196 extending south to the Napier Avenue exit as the Kevin D. White Memorial Highway.
White, a maintenance worker in the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Coloma garage and also serving as Benton Township Supervisor, died last October from injuries sustained when a tire from a passing truck struck him while he was clearing debris from the shoulder of I-94 in Berrien County.
LaSata says, “Despite the inherent risks that came with his job, Kevin White dedicated nine years of his life as an MDOT maintenance worker helping improve Southwest Michigan communities,” and adds, “He worked to improve our safety while sacrificing his own. His tragic loss is a sobering reminder of the dangers of his profession — and of our responsibilities as drivers. We as drivers must do better to focus while behind the wheel and limit distracted driving, especially in work zones.” The Bainbridge Township Senator concludes, “I thank my colleagues for approving this bill to honor Kevin’s memory and I am hopeful it will soon become law.”
White, who was 48 at the time of his death, was a nine-year MDOT employee and the Benton Township Supervisor. He left behind a wife, daughter and many family, friends and colleagues who loved him.
Senate Bill 1119 now advances to the State House for their consideration.
