Caltrans held its annual Workers Memorial Ceremony on Wednesday in Fresno to remember highway workers and other employees who have lost their lives while on the job.

Since 1921, 191 Caltrans workers have died in the line of duty.

Watch: CAL Trans Holds 32nd Annual Memorial For Fallen Workers

In August 2022, Caltrans District 6 suffered the loss of construction engineer Ali Shabazz when he was involved in a fatal traffic collision while en route to a job site.

Shabazz, a Fresno State graduate, was a well-known member of the Fresno community and especially proud of his large family.

“He was a community leader, a great husband, a great son, a great father,” said his wife, Nia Shabazz, fighting back tears. “There are so many things that he did for the community. … I see the love here (today) and know that he left a legacy.”

Caltrans says that impaired, reckless, and distracted drivers cause the majority of work zone deaths. Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol remind drivers to stay attentive in construction and maintenance areas.

California Transportation Commissioner LeeAnn Eager. of Fresno, speaks amid the 191 cones, each with the name of a Caltrans worker who has died in the line of duty since 1921, on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. (GV Wire/Jahz Tello)

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