Delaware police ID Verizon worker killed on the job

Delaware State Police identified the Verizon employee who was killed in Little Heaven as 41-year-old Heath Janssen of Dover.

Police said Janssen had just finished checking the phone lines and was placing equipment in the back of his work truck, when a car hit and then pinned him, Tuesday afternoon. 

Janssen was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the victim’s truck was stopped on the southbound shoulder with safety cones surrounding it.

Zachary Krytzer, 27, of Milton was driving the other vehicle. His SUV was heading southbound on Bay Road (SR1) just south of Clapham Road when he drifted onto the southbound shoulder, struck a mailbox and road reflector before hitting Janssen. 

Krytzer was wearing his seatbelt at the time; he remains hospitalized at Bayhealth Kent General with non-life-threatening injuries.

DSP said, “charges are forthcoming.” Witnesses reported Krytzer’s Mitsubishi Montero was weaving between both southbound lanes of SR1 just prior to the crash. 

Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Jennifer Cohan issued a statement this morning about Janssen’s death in a DelDOT work zone. 

“Our entire agency is deeply saddened by the loss yesterday of Heath Janssen and our sympathies go out to his family, friends and his fellow employees at Verizon,” Janssen said. “All drivers need to be aware they put themselves and the men and women who work along our roads at grave risk when they fail to slow down and be attentive to traffic control devices in work zones. It is simply unacceptable to lose brave highway workers in needless crashes that could be avoided. Too many drivers are speeding through work zones and are failing to pay attention behind the wheel. Drivers in Delaware can and must do better.”

This is the second time in less than a month when a worker has been killed in a highway work zone. 

Alexander Mitishov was killed on the right shoulder of I-95 three weeks ago. The 36-year-old Wilmington man was wearing a reflective vest as he stepped out of his car to set up a traffic warning sign, when he was hit by a car.