Bill named in memory of construction worker killed in accident

DENVER - With a widow at her side and a lump in her throat, Rep. Liane "Buffie" McFadyen (D-Pueblo) finally had the opportunity to begin to fulfill a campaign promise she made some two years ago.

After the funeral of Colorado Department of Transportation worker Charles Mather, who was killed in August 2006 inside a construction zone on Interstate 25, McFadyen pledged to his then-pregnant widow, Leena, that she would do whatever possible to ensure others did not suffer the same fate.

McFadyen is sponsoring House Bill 1036, otherwise known as the "Charles Mather Highway Safety Act," to more than double the current fines for drivers speeding through construction zones and to allow the Colorado State Patrol to use photo radar to catch those zooming through active construction sites.

"He was a wonderful man who made a difference in this world (through) the people he met, the things he did," said Leena Mather, who now has a 16-month old son named Chuckie, after his dad. "Now, through this safety act, he can continue to make a difference."

Charles Mather, 34, was operating a rotomill machine on I-25 near Colorado City, south of Pueblo, when a semi smashed into his vehicle.

"He was killed by carelessness," Leena Mather said.

Current Colorado law calls for a fine of $100 for going 10 to 19 mph over the speed limit in a construction zone. The proposal calls for an increase of that fine to $270. Photo radar is not currently used by the State Patrol and is by law, required to be used only in 25-mile per hour speed zones.

"(CDOT workers) are charged with working on the highway, in construction zones, in dangerous situations," said Col. Mark Trostel, the head of the Colorado State Patrol. "Yes, they sign on to do that, but we've got to do everything possible to help protect them."

The measure will get its first public hearing on Thursday. It was unanimously recommended to state lawmakers by their Transportation Committee that met over the summer. If passed, it will give McFadyen peace of mind.

"If we increase the fines and we have posted photo radar in a construction zone, I believe it will slow down traffic," she said. "We're going to get this bill passed in the name of Charles Mather. His memory won't be lost… so other kids like Chuckie don't lose their dads."