Caltrans is mourning the death of Mahdi Khorram, a department employee who was killed while working on State Route 4 in Contra Costa County. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 18, Mahdi, 39, died after being struck by an asphalt truck in a construction zone. "Mahdi was more than a colleague. He was a valued member of our Caltrans family," said Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy. "His tragic death is a devastating loss to his family, friends and for all of his colleagues."
Caltrans received top regional awards for operations excellence, technology, and safety at a July event in Missoula, Montana, hosted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The AASHTO event drew submissions from 13 states in the organization’s western region. Of the 11 categories, Caltrans was the only department to have three projects recognized.
At the heart of downtown Los Angeles, in the plaza of the Caltrans District 7 office, stands a striking stainless-steel memorial. It is equal parts quiet, enduring and deeply intentional. For Dave White, a SSMI Public Affairs Manager and the brother of a fallen worker, this monument is not just metal and form; it’s a promise kept. “I didn’t want a plaque,” White said. “I wanted something better. Something that showed we really cared about our lost. Something that families could touch, see and feel.”
Behind every crash test dummy is a specialized team of engineers breaking down every moment of potential impact on California roadways. “It’s nothing like the action-packed crashes in the movies,” said John Jewell, chief of Caltrans’ crash test operation, who has spent more than 30 years analyzing what happens before, during and after high-speed collisions. The goal is to understand every second of what’s happening — from motion to impact.
On April 16, a heartfelt ceremony in Scotia brought together family, friends, colleagues and community leaders to officially dedicate the Annette Brooks Memorial Bridge along U.S. Highway 101 south of Stafford in Humboldt County. Annette Brooks served Caltrans and the state of California for more than 36 years, rising from a toll collector to become a no-nonsense structural steel painter supervisor.
Mike Dugan recently retired as the Clearlake Oaks Maintenance supervisor, a position he held for the last four years. From the maintenance yard, it’s just a short distance from Clear Lake, a popular destination in Lake County for water activities and wildlife viewing. In fact, Clear Lake is known as the Bass Capital of the West. Fishing tournaments are held each year bringing participants from all over California and other states.
Small businesses have a Bay Area lunch buddy, thanks to a creative program that happens monthly outside Caltrans’ District 4 central offices in Oakland. First Tuesday is a quarterly employee engagement initiative hosted by District 4’s Division of External Affairs and the Equity Office. This program uplifts small and BIPOC-owned businesses from across District 4 by inviting them onsite as featured food vendors offering their cuisine to employees during lunch hours.
District 1 staff and members of the Eureka Section of the Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG) earlier this year showed up to support the next generation of scientists in Mendocino and Humboldt counties. PECG collaborated with the Mendocino County Office of Education for the first time this year at the 39th Annual Mendocino County Science and Engineering Fair. Judges evaluated dozens of entries that examined everything from water quality to how playing video games affects reaction time.
Four supervisors were honored when Caltrans earlier this summer announced the 2025 Outstanding Management and Engineering Transportation Awards. “These prestigious honors recognize individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing California’s transportation system. These individuals exemplify the Caltrans mission through their forward-thinking solutions, strategic leadership, and tireless service to the people of California. Their achievements inspire us all and remind us of the impact we can make every day.,” said Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy. The award-winners were John Jewell, Tina Lucas, Dara Wheeler and Eric Olives.
District 12 (Orange County) resumed its annual “Bring Your Child To Work Day” event on July 29 in Santa Ana. Check out 10 photographs from that heartwarming event.
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents on our roadways, claiming over 3,000 lives each year in the United States alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Whether it’s glancing at a text message, checking your social media feeds, or mentally zoning out during a drive, distractions come in many forms, each with the potential to result in life-changing consequences.
Donald Lee Quintrell, 90, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 27 in Eureka. He attended Eureka City Schools and after graduating from Eureka Senior High School went to work for the Division of Highways (Caltrans). In 1957 he was drafted into the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1959. After returning to Eureka in 1959, he returned to work at Caltrans and would go on to have a total of 39 years of service at Caltrans, retiring in 1993.
Retired transportation engineer James Arthur “Jim” Smith passed away peacefully at his home in Mattole Valley on March 15. After his military service, Jim continued what would be a 35-year career with the California Department of Transportation as a transportation engineer. Significant projects he supervised included construction of the Rio Dell-Scotia Bridge, the Lindley Bridge at Mattole, widening of Highway 199 by Patrick’s Creek Resort, and the Del Norte bypass, before retiring in 2000.
Retired Caltrans worker Gerald (Jerry) Spellenberg died March 25 in McKinleyville. He was 91. In 1956, his sister-in-law Norma told him about an opening at Caltrans for a right of way agent position in the Eureka office (District 1). He interviewed and was hired. In 1978, he accepted a position in the Sacramento Headquarters office in Planning and Management. In 1986, he was promoted to supervising right of way agent and moved back to District 1 to manage the Right of Way staff until his retirement in 1992.
Retired Caltrans engineer and administrator Joseph E. Stapley, 92, died on Aug. 3, 2025 in Washington, Utah. After college in Utah, Joe accepted a job with the California State Highway Department and spent his career with Caltrans designing, constructing and managing parts of the California Highway System. At the end of his career, he worked as a designer, a construction administrator, traffic engineer, and finally a manager in the area of Bishop.
Retired equipment operator Ray Truttman died on July 9 to complications from a fall. Ray was born in Arcata, Trinity Hospital, and was proud to have reached his 91st birthday. In September 1956 at the age of 22 he was hired by Caltrans, making him a third-generation Caltrans employee. In fact, the Truttman Sink, a section of Highway 101 near Stone Lagoon was named after Ray’s grandfather, Michael Truttman.
On June 29, retired Caltrans engineer Sergio Venegas, 72, passed away peacefully at home after a year-long battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family. Sergio began his career in the restaurant industry, later transitioning into engineering with roles at Hughes Aircraft and Caltrans, where he managed the Traffic Management Center and played an active role in emergency operations until his retirement in March 2025.
In an annual tradition, Caltrans employees set up a "pop up" spot during July 22's Kids Day at the California State Fair in Sacramento. Fairgoers who stopped by learned more about the department's top priority: safety.
CT News reprises Road Trippin', which rolls along and photographs California's many Caltrans-overseen state highways. This time we sample some of the visual highlights beside SR 132, which range from Central Valley typical to somewhat-gritty-city Modesto to gently sloping hills that lead to the Sierra Nevada. This 75-mile roadway has a dark past: On March 5, 1983, near SR 132's eastern terminus at Coulterville, three Secret Service agents who were providing advance security for British Queen Elizabeth's visit to nearby Yosemite National Park died in a head-one collision just past La Grange.
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