Matt Howe, shown with his wife Alycia, in this photo from a GoFundMe page to support the family.
OWEGO — CSEA is mourning the loss of Central Region member Dennis “Matt” Howe, 45, who passed away March 18, 2019, from injuries sustained in a worksite incident several days earlier.
Howe, a highway maintenance worker at the state Department of Transportation (DOT) who was based at the agency’s Owego residency, was working to fill potholes on Route 17 in Tioga County on March 13 when a tractor-trailer struck the state truck he was working in.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of Matt Howe, a hardworking DOT employee and CSEA member, who passed away as a result of injuries sustained when a tractor trailer collided with his DOT truck in a work zone,” CSEA President Danny Donohue said. “CSEA’s Occupational Safety and Health Department is actively investigating the incident.”
“This tragic incident highlights the risks so many CSEA members face every day. This serves as a strong and powerful reminder that we all need to do our part and drive carefully through work zones so our hardworking public employees can return safely to their families and loved ones after every shift,” Donohue said.
“DOT employees are some of the most vulnerable workers, and every one of us needs to help ensure their safety. On behalf of all of CSEA, I extend my deepest condolences to Matt’s family and loved ones.”
“Our region is devastated over Matt’s death,” CSEA Central Region President Kenny Greenleaf said. “Matt had every right to come home safely from work to his wife and kids that day, like every other day. If people would just obey the law and be more careful, deaths like his would be avoidable. We will do all we can to make sure that he is not forgotten, and to protect all our transportation workers who put their lives at risk just by doing their jobs.”
Howe, a member of our Southern Tier State Employees Local, had been employed by DOT since 2006. The governor directed flags in all state buildings to be flown at half-staff until after funeral services.
Howe’s obituary noted that he “loved” working for DOT. He also liked spending time at his hunting camp enjoying the outdoors.
He is survived by his wife, Alycia, two children, two brothers, a sister, grandparents and numerous other family members.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was charged with moving from a lane unsafely and failure to exercise due care under New York State’s Move Over Law.
