KXLG Radio: Castlewood First Graders Get Hands-On Safety Lesson at SDDOT ‘Touch a Truck’ Event

View the article on KXLG here. 

First-grade students at Castlewood School recently got a front-row seat to the world of highway maintenance and safety during a special “Touch a Truck” event hosted by the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT).

Organized by Brian Burke, a Watertown Area Highway Maintenance Worker, the event aimed to provide students and their families with a better understanding of highway safety. The initiative highlighted essential resources such as SD511, the state’s traveler information system used to navigate everything from severe winter storms to peak summer construction projects.

The centerpiece of the event was a snowplow with a special history. Burke operates the plow named “Dale,” a moniker chosen during the SDDOT’s 2021-2022 snowplow naming contest.

The name serves as a moving memorial to Dale Jones, a late tow-truck driver from Watertown who was tragically killed while working on the job. By bringing the plow to schools, the SDDOT hopes to humanize the workers who keep South Dakota's roads clear.

"Dale’s legacy is a tribute to all snowplow operators, tow truck drivers, law enforcement officials, and others who work long hours to keep the traveling public safe throughout our state," said SDDOT Secretary Joel Jundt.

The event offered the young students a unique opportunity to see the massive machinery up close while learning the importance of giving road crews plenty of room to work safely throughout the year.