Prince George’s County — Robert Dempsey, an Ellicott City highway worker, was killed on the morning of April 25, 2026, in a tragic crash on the Capital Beltway inner loop near Maryland Route 414 and the St. Barnabas Road ramp.
He was out there doing what he always did. Setting cones. Managing traffic. Keeping drivers safe in a fast-moving stretch of road where one small mistake can turn deadly.
According to reports from the scene, Dempsey was outside his emergency vehicle when a Mazda CX-5 passed through the work zone and struck him. Emergency crews arrived quickly, but he did not survive.
The crash brought traffic to a halt for hours as investigators with the Maryland State Police Crash Team worked the scene. Vehicles were rerouted while they tried to piece together exactly how it all unfolded.
For those who knew him, Robert Dempsey was not just another worker on the roadside. He was steady, careful, and committed to a job many people overlook but rely on every single day.
He understood the risk. Roadside work is never safe. Still, he kept showing up, doing his part to protect strangers he would never meet.
The crash also left another driver injured. Officials have not released full details on what led to the impact, and the investigation is still active as they review speed, visibility, and road conditions at the time.
His death has left coworkers and family in shock. A routine shift turned into a permanent loss, and a community is now left reflecting on how fragile those roadside jobs truly are.
