TOWN OF BURKE, Wis. -- Dane County authorities said a pickup truck driver struck and killed a road worker in Dane County Thursday.

Dane County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Elise Schaeffer said the truck was traveling north on Highway 151 around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, when the driver didn't obey the signs alerting cars to move into the right lane.

The incident happened in the area of Highway 151 and Reiner Road in the town of Burke, near Sun Prairie.

Schaeffer said the driver rear-ended a highway truck parked in the left lane that the victim had just exited, then struck the worker. After striking the worker, the truck went on to strike a street sweeper, authorities said.

Authorities said the worker was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials identified the victim as James S. Porter, 61, of Monona.

Porter is the eighth worker since 1998 killed in a work zone.

The driver was taken to University of Wisconsin Hospital, where he was treated for injuries and released.

Schaeffer said the driver appeared not to be paying attention.

The truck involved in the crash is owned by an Oklahoma-based company. Authorities said that alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

The crash created a lot of activity that led people who work in the area to realize that something serious had happened.

"The way they were jumping around back and forth, and there was another county truck down further (and) he was backing up, and there was a guy running, so then we kind of figured it was something more than just an accident," said Duane Nolden, who works across from where the crash occurred.

Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said the he wants to remind everyone that Wisconsin has a "move-over" law that requires drivers on four-lane highways like U.S. 151 to move to the distant lane from any police, fire, EMS, wrecker, or, in this case, highway personnel. On a two-lane road, the law requires motorists to slow down and pass cautiously.

"The construction season is under way. We need all drivers to drive consciously and be aware of their surroundings. This highlights the danger of our law enforcement officers, our firefighters, our EMTs," Mahoney said. "Every day this is one of the main things that causes me to lose sleep at night -- worry about our public safety officials who are out on these major strips of highway."

The crash caused U.S. 151 northbound from Highway C to Main Street to be limited to one lane for hours Thursday.

Authorities said there was a truck at the scene warning drivers to slow down, which was the first thing the driver hit.

The Dane County Sheriff's Department is actively enforcing the "move-over" law, which was enacted eight years ago. The sheriff's department recently wrote 36 tickets in two hours for drivers who did not slow down and move over.

The crash has the Wisconsin Department of Transportation reminding drivers to be extra careful.

"These guys are out there doing their jobs just like you or I are doing our jobs. They just aren't sitting behind a desk. They're out there, on the road, very much unprotected, which is why it's so vitally important for motorists to slow down when they see the signs of a work zone ahead," said Mike Goetzman, of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The penalties for careless driving in work zones are costly -- ticket fines double. If a driver injures someone in a work zone, he or she could face up to three and a half years in prison. If a driver kills someone in a work zone, a vehicular manslaughter charge carries up to 10 years in prison.

A statewide media campaign called "Zero in Wisconsin" is aiming to cut traffic deaths. The campaign features 10 real-life stories highlighting the consequences of not wearing a seat belt or the impact of losing a loved one in a traffic crash.

It includes a warning about slowing down in construction zones. The $300,000 campaign was paid for by federal dollars.

Last year alone, there were more than 1,500 crashes in work zones in Wisconsin and eight fatalities. None of the eight fatalities in 2008 were workers.

There were a total of 785 injuries, with 59 considered incapacitating.