RIPPON, W.Va. — A Mount Hope woman who was killed while working flag operations last week in Jefferson County will be laid to rest this weekend.
Kathy Ruth, 62, was standing on the shoulder of Rt. 340 in the work zone and had traffic stopped when a vehicle driven by a Harpers Ferry woman swerved off the road and ran over her.
Witnesses tell The Panhandle News Network they moved the car off Ms. Ruth, held her hand and prayed with her while awaiting Emergency Services. She was taken to Jefferson Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
That incident is still under investigation, according to Jefferson County Prosecutor Matt Harvey.
According to Ruth’s obituary at the Melton Mortuary and Cremation Center website, she will be laid to rest Saturday on the family farm.
She leaves behind five children, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Governor Justice called it a “terrible tragedy” during a visit to the Eastern Panhandle to talk about road improvements to Route 9 in Berkeley County:
The incident happened in the work zone in the area of mile marker 1 “just north of the intersection with Lewisville Road,” according to Lt. Ron Sell of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
That work zone had been in place since Monday, March 25th and the sheriff’s department reports road signs were in place ahead of the accident scene warning motorists regarding road work, one lane ahead and flagger signs for traffic going south bound from the Rippon area towards the state line.