Monday, November 22, 2004

The Weekly Toll

After a month's absence, The Weekly Toll is back, thanks largely to my new helper, Tammy Miser, who laboriously assembled an entire month of workers killed on the job -- a task I probably never could have caught up with.

Like most of you reading this, Tammy's has a passion for workplace safety. Sadly, her passion was acquired through the tragic death of her brother, Shawn Boone:
Thirty-three-year old Shawn Boone died from severe burns over 90 percent of his body when a series of explosions rocked the Hayes Lemmerz International factory in Huntington on Oct. 29, 2003.

The explosion turned Miser into an activist.
Tammy also started her own website, United Support & Memorial For Workplace Fatalities, a memorial website "Dedicated to loved ones lost & those left behind in tragedy."

So, on behalf of all Confined Space readers and workplace health and safety activists, thanks for heeding my call for help. And welcome to the Confined Space team.

Man killed at plant

Greeley, CO -- A Western Sugar employee died Wednesday afternoon when he apparently got caught in a conveyor belt that was unloading sugar beets from a truck.

The name of the victim may not be released for days, according to the coroner's office, because his family must be located in Mexico.

Coroner's investigator Marcia Vincent said the man was working at the conveyor and a piece of his clothing may have been caught in the machinery. He was pulled into the machine and died immediately.

50,000-pound machine falls, crushes driver

A 50,000-pound machine crushed and killed a 36-year-old Kingston man after a crane collapsed at a Batavia company early Tuesday evening.

Police said Brian A. Zuberbier, of 31842 Hillcrest Road, was just finishing his shift when one of two cranes collapsed at 5 p.m. at Diamond Rigging Corp., 680 Kingsland Drive, in Batavia's east-side industrial park.


Hospital Worker Burned In Sanitizer

St. Paul, MN -- A worker at Regions Hospital died Friday after being fatally burned when she became trapped in a sanitizing room used to clean large equipment with hot water. OSHA investigators are looking into how the woman got trapped in the sanitizer while scalding hot water was shooting out of the jets.

A former manager says she urged Regions Hospital years ago to replace the walk-in washer that fatally scalded a technician, but that they resisted her advice because of the cost.

Police ID car fire victim, cite smoke inhalation as cause of death

GARDINER - The man who was found dead in a burned car at Wright's Farm Market was a 40-year-old migrant farm worker who succumbed to smoke inhalation, state police said on Tuesday.Troopers at the Highland barracks identified the man as Jorge Ramirez. Ramirez was found dead after firefighters extinguished a fire in his car early Sunday


Cable worker electrocuted near St. Louis

O'FALLON, Mo. - A 29-year-old St. Louis area cable worker was killed Friday when he came into contact with a power line and was electrocuted. The man's name was not released pending notification of relatives. He was employed by Americon.


GM Worker Dies When Machine Falls On Him

An employee at a General Motors Corp. plant died early Friday after he was crushed by a machine, Local 4 reported. Marcel Chagnon, a 20-year employee at the GM Powertrain plant on Mound Road and Nine Mile, died at about 4:15 a.m. while repairing the machine.


Yankton police officer killed in crash

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - A Yankton police officer died in a two-vehicle traffic accident near Tyndall on Thursday, authorities said. Mark Deffenbaugh, 45, of Yankton, died from injuries at the scene of the accident on state Highway 50. The crash occurred shortly after 1:30 p.m. five miles east of Tyndall. The driver of the other vehicle, Susan Hersman, 64, of Tyndall, and her 9-year-old passenger were hospitalized.

Trench collapse suspected in deaths of two workmen

MARSHALL, Texas Two workmen were found dead today in a ditch along U-S Highway 80, just west of Marshall. The dead are identified as 73-year-old Howard Hopkins and 54-year-old Terry Kelly.


Berea man dies after accident at steel plant

A Berea man died yesterday of injuries sustained in a machinery accident where he works. Lt. Ken Clark of the Berea Police Department could not elaborate on what type of machinery it was that killed Randall Coleman, 47, or exactly what went wrong at Kentucky Steel Center Inc. at 1101 Mayde Road in Berea.


Worker electrocuted during stadium work

A worker was electrocuted Wednesday afternoon while stringing wire at the Aliquippa High School football stadium in Beaver County. Theodore Berg, 28, of Warren, Ohio, died at Aliquippa Hospital about an hour after the accident at Carl Aschman Stadium on the school campus along Harding Road, said Beaver County Deputy Coroner Teri Tatalovich-Cordes.


Man killed at plant

A Western Sugar employee died Wednesday afternoon when he apparently got caught in a conveyor belt that was unloading sugar beets from a truck.


Tree kills Asplundh worker

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - A 42-year-old man died Wednesday while cutting down a tree in Conestoga Township, police said. Gerald R. Hess of Wapwallopen, Luzerne County, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 11:48 a.m. accident

Putnam County Jail Officer Killed in Fatal Crash

Investigators say 24-year old Zachary Vibbert had just turned north onto County Road 0 when he drove into the path of a utility truck. Vibbert was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt.


SFCC employee dies in stabbing attack

Denise White, 35, of 2930 SW 23rd Terrace, Apt. 1402, was stabbed in office No. 241 at the Employment Training Center on the second floor of Building R. Her husband, Samuel White, 36, entered her office in violation of a restraining order filed against him during their separation, said Jim Troiano, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesmen


Worker dies from 30-foot fall at steel mill

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. -- A contract worker who fell 30 feet from a furnace deck onto a dirt floor at the Nucor Steel Corp. mill has died at an Indianapolis hospital. Donald Vanhoose, 27, of Cookville, Texas, died Tuesday, the Marion County Coroner's Office said.

Worker Killed In Highway Construction Accident

A construction worker was killed when a tractor-trailer hit his lift-truck. The accident happened around 12:30 a.m. at the Route 273 overpass. Authorities said the private contractor was getting the bridge ready to be repainted.

Boeing worker is killed by Renton School District bus

RENTON -- A 57-year-old Boeing Co. custodian was struck and killed by a Renton School District bus Tuesday morning as he was crossing Park Avenue North at North Sixth Avenue. Renton police identified the victim as Gary Taylor of Seattle.


Worker Killed In Accident At Manhattan Construction Site

A 60-year-old construction worker was killed in a construction accident in Manhattan Wednesday. The fatal incident happened at a site on West 53rd Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues. The city's Department of Buildings says Glenn Gornert was attempting repair work on a crane when he fell 40 feet to the ground.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Police Department are investigating the incident.


Cause of Deadly Pipeline Explosion That Killed Five Investigated

Now that authorities have recovered the bodies of two welders killed in a ferocious explosion in Walnut Creek earlier this week and accounted for the last of the victims, their focus shifted Friday to determining what caused a tragedy that left five men dead and four others injured.

East Bay Municipal Utility District officials pledged to find out what went wrong and denied that Mountain Cascade, the contractor installing a huge water main where Tuesday's blast occurred, had been pressured to meet deadlines, possibly jeopardizing safety.

The explosion occurred at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday when a backhoe operator ruptured a 10-inch fuel line, releasing a torrent of fuel that was ignited by two welders using a blowtorch inside the five-foot-diameter water main.
The resulting blast damaged several homes and forced the evacuation of two schools.

Killed in the explosion were Tae Chin Im, 47, Javier Ramos, 36, Israel Hernandez, 36, Miguel Reyes, 43, and Victor Rodriguez, 26.

More here.



Five people killed in car-train collision

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. Five textile mill workers were killed Wednesday morning when their car collided with a Norfolk Southern research train about 12 miles from the Georgia-South Carolina state line.

All five victims were in the car, which was dragged about two-tenths of a mile down the track by the train. No one on the train was hurt, officials said.

Guard Run Over, Killed in Warehouse Incident

Debbie Perez, a security guard at the Foster Farms facility in Modesto, Calif., was run over on Nov. 7 by a powered truck in the warehouse. She later died at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.


Business closed after one man died and another was injured in accident

MARLBOROUGH -- State authorities yesterday shut down a local automotive shop where one man died and another was critically injured Saturday night while working on a minivan. Josias Peres, 59, of Marlborough, was killed and 39-year-old Sergio Silva, also of Marlborough, was critically injured after the green Ford Aerostar the men were repairing unexpectedly lunged forward, pinning both men against a wall at Anluser Automotive and Sales Inc., located at 315 Maple St.


Domino's Pizza employee shot, killed

Benton Harbor, MI - Benton Township Police are on the lookout for the man who shot and killed a pizza shop employee during a robbery. Police say 43-year-old Isaac Lee Washington was killed when a masked gunman robbed the Domino's Pizza store on Napier Avenue around 1:30 AM Saturday. The victim was still alive when police arrived, but later died on the way to the hospital. So far, police have made no arrests.


Store Owner Killed After Pushing Employee Away From Gunfire Police Looking For One Man In Shooting

PHILADELPHIA -- The owner of a check-cashing store in Philadelphia was killed during a robbery, but not before he pushed his employee out of the line of fire. Harold Wexler usually met a security guard in front of his business at 8:45 before he opened each morning. However, at about 8:40 a.m. Monday, a robber showed up first. The robber forced Wexler and the janitor inside the store. Police said Wexler pushed the employee out of the way as the robber started shooting.

Highway worker, driver killed in I-44 crash

SARCOXIE, Mo. - A crash on Interstate 44 in southwest Missouri on Monday left a highway worker and a driver dead. The accident happened about 1:20 p.m. as a five-person crew from the Missouri Department of Transportation was installing a mile marker along the shoulder of the eastbound lanes of I-44 near Sarcoxie, authorities said.


Flagler County Employee Killed In Accident

BUNNELL, Fla. -- A Flagler County Public Works employee was killed Friday morning when the dump truck he was driving crashed on County Road 205. Lloyd Derreberry Jr., 37, of Palm Coast, was killed instantly when he was ejected and landed under the dump truck.


Construction worker electrocuted on Long Island

ELMONT, N.Y. (AP) _ A construction worker was killed and his partner was critically hurt Sunday when scaffolding they were adjusting touched live power lines, Nassau County police said. The two workers were preparing to install vinyl siding on a house when the accident occurred at around noon, Nassau County police said in a news release. Santos Garcia, 34, of Hicksville, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His partner, 33-year-old Jose Alvarenga, was in critical condition at the Nassau University Medical Center, said Police Officer Thomas Brussell.


Steel Worker Killed in Accident

Investigators are looking into an industrial accident that killed a man on the Westside Sunday night. Police say some type of heavy debris that may have been from a truck load fell on top of a worker. The accident occurred at Canam Steel located on South Ellis Road. The victim’s identity has not yet been released, but investigators are expected to reveal more about the accident on Monday morning.

TB suspected in Foxwoods worker's death

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. -- After a dishwashing supervisor at Foxwoods Resort Casino apparently died of tuberculosis, several of his co-workers were tested for the infectious disease and the results came back negative, tribal officials said. The man was a Haitian immigrant who lived in Norwich. He did not have direct contact with casino customers and did not wash dishes, the casino said. Casino and public health officials withheld the man's name citing privacy laws.


High Winds Blamed For Postal Worker's Death

MIDLAND PARK, N.J. -- Police blame high winds for a fatal accident in Midland Park, New Jersey. A large tree fell Friday on a postal service truck, killing the driver. The 50-foot maple tree was apparently rotting at the base. The victim is identified as Julio Cruz, a 44-year-old postal worker. Cruz, a father of three who lived in West New York, New Jersey, was employed out of the post office in nearby Ridgewood. Police say a doctor appeared on the scene immediately after the tree fell, but it was too late to save the Cruz.


Roofing Employee Dies After Falling From Cargill Roof

DAYTON, Ohio -- A worker repairing part of a roof at a Dayton plant fell and died on Monday afternoon. The accident happened at the Cargill plant on Needmore Road. A spokesperson at the plant said an employee of Sturgil Roofing was working on the plant roof when he fell. Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the accident. They believe the man fell about 50 feet to the ground.


SU employee dies after being struck by van on highway

A Syracuse University employee was struck by a moving vehicle Tuesday while helping a coworker refill her gas tank, and died later that night in University Hospital. Stephen J. Melcher, 57, a large press operator at SU printing services, went to help Marianne McCarthy when her car ran out of gas at the 3-E Fayetteville exit off of Interstate 481.

Public works employee lived in Collinsville

COLLINSVILLE - An employee of the East St. Louis Public Works Department died when he wrecked his personal vehicle near his Collinsville home Saturday morning. Earl L. Childress, 43, of 103 Roger Drive died of asphyxiation after he was thrown from his 1997 Chevrolet Blazer and trapped under it, said supervisory investigator Roger D. Smith of the Madison County coroner's office.


Worker dies at construction site

HAMILTON, Ohio - A worker trying to load a piece of heavy equipment onto a flatbed trailer was killed when the earth mover rolled over on him, officials said. The Butler County coroner identified the victim as Marc Hudson, 36, of Bethel. Hudson was working alone when the brake on the earth mover apparently failed, Sheriff's Capt. Mike Grimes said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the death Wednesday.


Restaurant employee found dead, Shreveport man charged

When Alonzo Ragster saw Kevin Shields working at Herby K's Restaurant on Tuesday evening, as he always does, he never thought it would be his last time seeing the longtime employee.

Hours before the restaurant in the 1800 block of Pierre Avenue opened for business Wednesday, Shields, 36, was found dead behind the restaurant.

Second MGH worker found dead

A worker at Marin General Hospital has collapsed and died in a hospital bathroom, the second MGH employee to die on the job in less than two weeks. Gregory Bradford, 44, of Richmond was found dead Tuesday afternoon. Assistant Coroner Gary Tindel said Bradford's death was "sudden and unexpected," and the cause was still under investigation. Bradford's death follows the Oct. 22 death of Rhonda Williams, who was found in a restroom in the maternity area. Williams, 45, of Vallejo had worked at the hospital for more than six years.


OSHA begins investigation into accident Two workers continue recovery

The two construction workers who were injured in the fatal construction accident on Thursday continue their recovery as the Federal Occupational Safety an Health Administration (OSHA) investigates the accident. A mechanized scaffold fell over on Thursday afternoon, throwing the four men inside 35 feet onto the paved driveway on the southwest side of Scruggs Hall. Jim Edwards, of Tuscaloosa, was injured, but has been discharged from Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford. Steven Patrick Nance’s condition was upgraded from serious to critical over the weekend. Nance is in the Critical Care Unit at The Med Regional Medical Center in Memphis, where he has been since he was airlifted to that facility following the accident Thursday afternoon. Raymond Holton, 18, and Calvin Hoda, 20, both of Kiln, were killed in the fall. Holton died at the scene, and Hoda died at Baptist Hospital three hours after the accident.


Worker dies in Pittsburg construction accident

PITTSBURG - A 50-year-old construction worker from Brentwood died this week when a crane mounted on a truck tipped over while lifting a section of concrete pipe, pinning him underneath. The Tuesday accident killed Peter Corpuz at 740 Garcia Ave., a commercial construction site, before police arrived, Pittsburg police Lt. Brian Addington said.



Construction worker found dead in West Palm

WEST PALM BEACH — A 32-year-old construction worker was found dead with his head stuck in a cement mixing bowl while working at Bak Middle School Tuesday afternoon, police said. The worker, identified as Jason Nealie, was apparently cleaning the mixing bowl on a cement truck when a co-worker saw his head was stuck and that he was not moving, according to a West Palm Beach police report. Nealie, who was working for Tarmac America, was not wearing his hardhat, according to the report. His death was ruled accidental and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was called to investigate.


OSHA to examine job site fatality

LONDONDERRY — Federal labor officials will probe this past Wednesday's death of a worker on an Akira Way construction site, said a spokesman yesterday for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Walter Robinson, 55, of Allenstown, was working on the new headquarters of Insight Technology when a wooden trash bin being emptied into a Dumpster fell off its forklift and crushed him, according to officials with North Branch Construction. Local police have thus far called the death accidental. An OSHA spokesman declined to comment on the case citing its open status.


Storm-cleanup worker crushed

PUNTA GORDA -- A 50-year-old Fort Myers man was crushed to death Thursday when a small excavator fell on him at a job site, police officials said. Police identified the man as Nelisido Cabrera. Cabrera, a self-employed contractor, was working alone on a demolition project at the Buttonwood Village mobile home park, where Hurricane Charley left a trail of damage, said police Capt. Jason Ciaschini.


Worker killed was from Ecuador

LITTLE EGG HARBOR -- Police have identified the person killed in a construction site accident Wednesday as a 40-year-old man from Ecuador. Eladio Igaguali, who was living in Newark, died Wednesday afternoon while working at the construction site for Four Seasons at Sea Oaks, a residential development. Officials have said 65 sheets of half-inch thick plywood fell on him while workers were transporting the wood on a four-wheel drive vehicle. Uneven ground caused the load's weight to shift and fall on Igaguali, officials have said.


Texas police officer dies after being run over by partner

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A police officer died early Sunday after she got out of her patrol car to chase a suspect on foot and was run over by her partner. Officer Amy Donovan was on patrol late Saturday when she and her partner, Officer Adrian Valdovino, saw someone engaged in "suspicious activity," said Police Chief Stan Knee. Donovan jumped from the car to question the man but he fled on foot. The suspect escaped. Valdovino put the car in reverse to try to stop the man and the car struck Donovan, the chief said.


Department of Justice Officer Dies After Being Shot on the Job

Milwaukee- A special agent with the Department of Justice who was shot on Milwaukee's northside last week has died. John Balchunas was shot by robbery suspects at this gas station on 32nd and Villard as he got a cup of coffee. Today not only is the Department of Justice in mourning but so is the Milwaukee Police Department where Balchunas worked for several years.

Police seek two suspects. The victim leaves behind a wife and four children.

SAN BERNARDINO - An ardent churchgoer with a wife and four children was fatally shot during a robbery early Saturday morning while working at a gas station in eastern San Bernardino, police said. Sami Sayah, 50, was described by his cousin and employer as religious and hardworking. "Really nice guy. Very mellow," said Anil Kumar, owner of the Valero gas station at the corner of Highland and Palm avenues. "He takes time off work to go to church." San Bernardino police are looking for two men suspected of shooting Sayah about 6:30 a.m. Saturday in the 3500 block of East Highland Avenue.



Taxi Driver Shot, Apparent Carjacking

BALDWIN PARK — A cab driver was fatally shot during an apparent carjacking involving at least three suspects in Baldwin Park today, authorities said. The driver, who was employed by La Puente-based Mid-Valley Yellow Cab, was found in the street following the shooting, which was reported at 3:25 a.m. in the 13500 block of Hamburger Lane. The taxi driver, identified as Manuel Navarro, was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, Baldwin Park police Officer Rudy Campos said.


County man, another killed in job site accident

An Eighty Four man and a Lawrence County man were killed Wednesday when a tri-axle dump truck backed over them at a state Department of Transportation construction site in Beaver County. Robert "Curt" George, 33, of 120 Myers Road, Eighty Four, and Dennis Kunz, 55, of Ellwood City were walking north along a closed portion of Route 51 near Aliquippa when a truck operated by Charles Orczeck of Greensburg began backing up behind the two men. The truck's reverse alarm was functioning, but "apparently that's a common noise that you hear all the time and you get used to it," Aliquippa police Chief Ralph Pallante said. Before nearby workers could warn them, the truck backed over the two men. The ambulance attendant first on the scene could not find vital signs on either man, Pallante said. George, an employee of Mosites Construction Co., died of head and neck injuries, and Kunz, an inspector for GAI Consultants, died of chest injuries, said Beaver County chief deputy coroner Renea Esoldo following autopsies performed Thursday.


Gillette man killed on job in explosion

GILLETTE - An employee was killed and two others were injured when a new propane-fueled water boiler exploded at the Viking Explosives & Supply Inc. plant 25 miles south of here. "There was a brand-new boiler, and they were trying light it, get it to work, and they had an explosion. It blew the front and back off the boiler," said Randy Sanders, assistant chief for the Campbell County Fire Department. Mark A. Haratyk, 25, of Gillette, died of massive head injuries Monday, Campbell County Coroner Tom Eekhoff said.


Worker dies after trench collapse in Rogers City

ROGERS CITY, Mich. (AP) -- A worker who was trapped when a trench being dug as part of a sewer line repair project collapsed has died. Anthony W. Darga, 22, of Rogers City, died Friday of injuries he sustained in the Thursday collapse, The Alpena News reported. Darga was buried for several minutes until rescue workers extracted him from the trench, authorities said. He was treated and transported to Alpena General Hospital, but died as a result of his injuries.


Woman working with husband dies in sewer trench collapse

TACOMA — A woman helping her husband dig a sewer line to a new house was crushed to death when wet soil collapsed into the trench and partially buried her. Tamara Kresse, 41, of Spanaway, mother of a teenage daughter, died at the scene Thursday afternoon despite the desperate efforts of her husband Tom and others in the work crew to dig her free.

Two die in trench collapse

A Greenville plumber and his assistant were suffocated and killed Friday when a wall of dirt collapsed onto them in the 12-foot trench where they were laying sewer pipe. Randy Rasler, 45, the owner of Rasler’s Plumbing, and his employee, Vernon Sarver, 26, were working next to the foundation of a new home in the Wheatfield Hills subdivision in Greenville this morning when a wall of dirt fell and buried them.


Two die in I44 accident

SARCOXIE, Mo. — Two people, including a Missouri Department of Transportation worker, were killed in a three-vehicle crash Monday afternoon four miles east of Sarcoxie. MoDOT crews were working shortly after 2 p.m. on the shoulder of the eastbound lanes of Interstate 44 when an eastbound white van veered from the right lane, struck a MoDOT worker and then slammed into the back of an empty MoDOT truck. The impact sent the truck into the driving lanes, where it was hit by a tractor-trailer. The van driver and the MoDOT employee were pronounced dead, said Sgt. Kent Casey, a public information officer for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A passenger in the van was injured and taken to a hospital. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. The victims were identified as Anna Lukosius, 78, of Camdenton, and Bert Vanatta, 44, of Miami, Okla. Lukosius was the driver of the van, and Vanatta was the pedestrian. Both bodies were taken to Housh Funeral Home at Sarcoxie. The passenger in the Lukosius vehicle was identified as Michael Cravatta, 79, of Camdenton. He was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center at Joplin.


Deffenbaugh Worker Killed In Accident On I-435

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A Deffenbaugh worker was killed in an accident Tuesday afternoon at Interstate 435 and Woodend. The man was apparently picking up trash and was trying to cross the road when he was hit by a car. The man died at the scene. Police were talking to the driver. Officers blocked off I-435 at Woodend for hours. The highway was reopened to traffic at 5 p.m.



ROBBERS KILL BRONX BODEGA WORKER

A Bronx bodega employee was killed last night by two masked bandits, police said.
The gun-toting men walked into the Forest Deli at 751 Forest Ave. in the Melrose section at 8:55 p.m. It was not immediately clear why they opened fire on the man (Afraenif Dumet), who was shot once in the back.

Police sources said the gunmen snatched cash and cigarettes, then drove off in their getaway car. A customer and another employee were in the store at the time.

The employee, who neighborhood residents described as a pleasant, hard-working man, was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest as doctors worked frantically to save his life.

He died an hour after the shooting.


64-year-old worker dies in fall from Volusia County billboard

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A man working on a billboard died after he fell 25 feet to the ground Thursday. Carson Gore, 64, of Chuluota, and his son were repairing a billboard near the intersection of Interstate 4 and Interstate 95, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said. Both men were standing on top of the structure when Gore's son heard a noise that made him look over at his father in time to see him fall backward off the billboard.

Worker dies after falling inside of manhole

The state Department of Labor is investigating the death of a man who fell while working alone inside a manhole in Thomasville. Manuel Garcia, 37, of Graham, had worked for Carl Norris Construction Company for about a year and a half. Tom Barton, project manager for Carl Norris Construction, said that he's not sure what caused Garcia to fall. Alida Carolina Santacruz attended Restauracion En Cristo Pentecostal church with Garcia. She said that Garcia was a deacon at the church and "was a good Christian man."


Man died working to help wife

Hong Jae Ho wasn't supposed to die. In fact, he wasn't supposed to be working on Guam this year. On Wednesday afternoon, the 65-year-old husband and father died in what police officials have called an industrial accident. "Last year was supposed to be the last time he was working," said Tommy Chu, manager of K and A Construction company, Hong's employer. "He called me and asked to work one more year. ... His wife has cancer. So they need the money to pay the doctors and the medicine." Chu said officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had visited the construction site, but could not say if they had made any determination on the site's safety. OSHA officials could not be contacted as of press time. Chu added that Hong had been wearing his safety helmet while he was working, adding that employees had always practiced safety.


Second BP worker succumbs to injuries

TEXAS CITY — The second of three BP employees severely burned after a water line ruptured in September has died. Raymundo Gonzalez died Friday at UTMB’s John Sealy hospital. He was 54. According to the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office, Gonzalez died as a result of complications from injuries sustained Sept. 2. He was one of three craftsmen working on a water line in the BP refinery when it ruptured and the scalding water struck the men. Gonzalez suffered third-degree burns to 70 percent of his body. A fellow craftsman, Leonard Moore, died two days later after suffering burns to 90 percent of his body.


Asphalt roller strikes INDOT worker, killing her

Greensburg -- An asphalt roller struck and killed an Indiana Department of Transportation employee Thursday in Decatur County, state officials said. Joyce E. Williams, 43, Edinburgh, was killed in a work zone near Ind. 46 and County Road 750 West. She was standing about 5 feet away from the asphalt roller when it suddenly accelerated forward and crushed her. Two other state transportation employees nearby dodged the roller.

Gunman shoots three, then kills self at St. Petersburg mall

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Investigators are trying to get to the bottom of three deaths at Three a Radio Shack store in a St. Petersburg strip mall. A gunman shot a shopper and an employee before he killed himself. Police say 23-year-old Kenneth Powell, a store shopper, and 19-year-old Joanna Cruz, a clerk, died in surgery last night at Bayfront Medical Center. Another employee, 30-year-old James Dolan, was seriously injured and underwent surgery last night.


Tire store manager slain, worker questioned

An 18-year-old man is being questioned by police this morning in the shooting death of a Park Forest man who managed a tire store in Gary, CLTV reported. Police said they were called about 8 a.m. Thursday to the Firestone Tire and Service Center at 6223 E. Melton Rd. after employees arriving for work found the doors locked and saw through the windows the body of a man lying on the floor. The store's manager, Norbert Abiagom, 37, was found dead of a gunshot to the head, CLTV reported. Investigators found no sign of either forced entry or items taken from the business.


Former St. Albans selectman dies in work accident

ST. ALBANS, Vt. A former Saint Albans (Vermont) town selectman has died in a work accident in New York state. Forty-seven-year-old Tim Trombley was a lineworker for P-A-R Electric Contractors. He was attaching new power lines to a pole in Troy, New York, when a nearby power pole snapped and hit the bucket he was working in.


Construction worker falls 20 feet to death

OCEAN TOWNSHIP -- A Hudson County man died after falling about 20 feet from a scaffold at the Monmouth Processing Plant, police said yesterday. Sergio Bustamente, 57, of Harrison was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, where he died yesterday morning, police Chief Robert Swannack said. The cause of death would not be known until an autopsy is performed, but witnesses told police that when Bustamente fell, he hit his head on the ground.


Napan killed after saw he was using hit his neck

A Napa man died Thursday afternoon when the skill saw he was using cut him in the neck. Gerardo Perez, 37, was taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead, sheriff's Lt. Jean Donaldson said.

Benson officer dies after car collides with deer

RALEIGH, N.C. - A Benson police officer found dead inside of his car at the bottom of a creek hit a deer before running into the water, the state Highway Patrol said. Sgt. Ronnie McLamb, 25, hit the deer on U.S. 301 outside Benson and veered into a stand of trees before landing in the creek Sunday. Family members found his Ford Mustang, with McLamb trapped inside, on Monday.


Murdered woman a seven-year employee

The sales assistant fatally shot in Adelaide's Rundle Mall Myer store had worked for the company for seven years, a spokesman says. Spokesman John Gillman said Carole Schaer, 61, was first employed in 1997. She originally worked in the cosmetics department but later moved to handbags. "People have been saying wonderful, wonderful things about her," Mr Gillman said. "She will be very sadly missed by the team here in the store. It's a big family, the Myer team here, and she was a loved member of the Myer family."

Killed on bike

Cops say messenger was struck by opening truck door as he tried to dart between two vehicles in midtown. A bike messenger was killed yesterday morning when he fell headfirst from his bike in midtown after a deliveryman opened a truck door and knocked him down, police said. But officials from the truck company blamed the accident on a police van they say hit the cyclist and threw him into the truck.At 10:45 a.m., the messenger, Dell Covington, 42, of Woodhaven, was riding north on Eighth Avenue near 49th Street. He tried to negotiate a narrow space between a double-parked delivery truck and a police prisoner transport van while holding a cup of tea in one hand and a large muffin in the other, police sources said.


Truck Rollover Causes Fatality

A 19-year-old Fredericksburg worker died last Wednesday, Nov. 10, in a single-vehicle rollover accident on U.S. Highway 290 East. Larry Lance Scott, who lived in Johnson City and worked as a machinist at Heartland Enterprises in Fredericksburg, was pronounced dead at the scene along U.S. Highway 290 at a point 2.6 miles east of Ranch Road 1376 (near Fredericksburg Trade Days). Law enforcement officials said they believe Scott fell asleep at the wheel and never braked as his vehicle left the roadway.


Beware deer in headlights

More than 2,000 Utah crashes a year involve the animals. In October, three employees of Contemporary Services in Salt Lake City were killed when the vehicle they were riding in tried to swerve to miss a deer in Parleys Canyon. The vehicle rolled several times. The group was returning home at 2:20 a.m. from an assignment in Denver.


Worker killed by chipper at sawmill in Port Gibson

A sawmill worker was killed Tuesday morning after being trapped in a wood chipper at V&B International Inc. in Port Gibson. Andrew Lee Byrd, 46, of Port Gibson died about 6 a.m. Byrd's sister, Reather Byrd, said her brother had worked at the company about two years.


Deffenbaugh Worker Killed In Accident On I-435

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A Deffenbaugh worker was killed in an accident Tuesday afternoon at Interstate 435 and Woodend.The man was apparently picking up trash and was trying to cross the road when he was hit by a car. The man died at the scene. Police were talking to the driver. Officers blocked off I-435 at Woodend for hours. The highway was reopened to traffic at 5 p.m.

Employee fatally shot at convenience store

A 55-year-old convenience store employee died Monday night after being shot at his business in the 1000 block of South Zang Boulevard earlier in the day. Keshav Lal Shrestha was found injured in the back office of the Zang Food Store about 1:20 p.m. with gunshot wounds to his face and stomach. A witness told police that Mr. Shrestha was at the front of the store during the shooting and called home before stumbling into the back office. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died about 7:30 p.m. No suspects or motive have been identified,


Ormond Beach officer killed while investigating accident

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - A police officer died after he was struck by a car while investigating a minor traffic accident. Officer Robert F. Grim, 60, was killed instantly after he was hit by a car driven by 21-year-old Mishanna Coates late Friday night, Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kim Miller said.

No clues in car-shop shooting

QUARTZ HILL -- An auto shop employee was shot to death execution-style Friday while working inside an SUV, detectives said. Detectives said they didn't know the reason for the slaying of Neil Hacker, 24, of Lancaster, who was shot in the back of the head and left with his feet hanging out the SUV's rear doors in an auto-detailing bay.


UT police officer killed in crash on I-40

KNOXVILLE, KY -- A UT police officer was killed Thursday night when his pickup truck was hit by a tractor trailer on I-40. Officer Benjamin Bohanan, 28, was on his way home from work when the crash occurred near I-40 and the James White Parkway exit.


Flagler County Employee Killed In Accident

BUNNELL, Fla. -- A Flagler County Public Works employee was killed Friday morning when the dump truck he was driving crashed on County Road 205. Lloyd Derreberry Jr., 37, of Palm Coast, was killed instantly when he was ejected and landed under the dump truck. Derreberrry was hauling dirt to a storage area at the Flagler County Fairgrounds


Worker killed was from Ecuador

LITTLE EGG HARBOR -- Police have identified the person killed in a construction site accident Wednesday as a 40-year-old man from Ecuador. Eladio Igaguali, who was living in Newark, died Wednesday afternoon while working at the construction site for Four Seasons at Sea Oaks, a residential development. Officials have said 65 sheets of half-inch thick plywood fell on him while workers were transporting the wood on a four-wheel drive vehicle. Uneven ground caused the load's weight to shift and fall on Igaguali, officials have said.


OSHA to examine job site fatality

LONDONDERRY — Federal labor officials will probe this past Wednesday's death of a worker on an Akira Way construction site, said a spokesman yesterday for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Walter Robinson, 55, of Allenstown, was working on the new headquarters of Insight Technology when a wooden trash bin being emptied into a Dumpster fell off its forklift and crushed him, according to officials with North Branch Construction.


Man killed in accident on western New York farm

WEST BLOOMFIELD, N.Y. A 53-year-old worker died after an accident yesterday on a western New York farm. State police say Thomas Powers was working in a grain storage bin at Bonnaterra Farms in West Bloomfield, 15 miles south of Rochester, when the accident occurred yesterday. Troopers say Powers was pushing grain to the middle of the bin when his pant leg got caught in a floor augur, pulling him into the machinery. Other workers found Powers unconscious and called for help. Powers was taken to the hospital in nearby Canandaigua, then airlifted to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester where he died from his injuries.


Hotel worker died of natural causes, coroner says

The Westmoreland County Coroner's Office has ruled that a 30-year-old hotel worker died of natural causes. But Chief Deputy Coroner Paul Cycak said Monday that authorities were unable to pinpoint what led to the death of Brian Keith Domke, of Scottdale. "We can't find anything that caused his death," Cycak said yesterday. An autopsy ruled out foul play or injuries, he said. Tests showed no evidence of disease or drugs, either.


Guard killed at Foster Farms Warehouse

Vehicle runs over woman making her rounds at Modesto plant.

A security guard died Sunday following a workplace accident at the Foster Farms plant in Modesto last week. The guard, Debbie Perez of Modesto, was making the rounds Thursday night when she was run over by a warehouse vehicle that was hauling trailers, said Dean Fryer, a spokesman for Cal-OSHA.

Bus driver error likely led to death

BEAVERTON -- An accident that killed a TriMet bus driver Tuesday was probably the result of driver error, a Beaverton police investigator concluded Friday. The accident at the Sunset Transit Center killed Diane Joyce Boothe, 56. It was the first bus accident in TriMet history in which a driver was killed.


CHEESE PLANT DEATH

GOODING, Idaho (AP) -- A worker at a Gooding cheese plant died yesterday while trying to fix a conveyor belt.

51 year-old Merlyn Monson of Wendell apparently triggered a sensor for a hydraulic arm when he leaned over the belt. The arm came down and crushed him.

Gooding County Sheriff Shaun Gough says an autopsy shows Monson died instantly and that Monson was simply in a hurry to fix the belt. Gough says the death was an accident and that it's the first such accident at Glanbia Foods.


Police Retire Star, Shield Of Officer Killed By Drunk Driver

CHICAGO -- In a ceremony serving as "a reminder of how precious life is," Chicago police Thursday retired the star and shield of Officer Michael Gordon, killed when his squad car was struck by the vehicle of a drunk driver.


Man's death closes coal mine

Antelope mine in northern Converse County closed for about 12 hours after an electrician died of an apparent heart attack Tuesday evening, officials said. The Douglas man, whose name was not available this morning, was an employee of the mine owned by Kennecott Energy. The Mine Safety and Health Administration was called in to determine whether the death is chargeable as a mining accident or attributed to be natural causes,said William Denning, MSHA staff assistant in Denver.


Man dies after weekend work injury

A 31-year-old Rock Hill man has died after being struck by a piece of machinery while working at Metromont Materials in Rock Hill this weekend. Tim Freihammer, 818 Patriot Parkway Apt. 304, died Saturday night at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte of massive head injuries, York County Coroner Doug McKown said.


Miner killed in Dismal accident

Virginia’s third mining-related fatality happened last Friday when a Buchanan County mine electrician died of burns from an Oct. 23 accident. Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy spokesman Mike Abbott confirmed Monday that Dennie Leonard, 56, of the Dismal community died around 2 p.m. Oct. 29 at Vanderbilt Burn Center in Nashville, Tenn.


Railroad worker dies after being struck by train near Glasgow

GLASGOW -- A railroad worker died early Monday after he stepped away from an idle train and a westbound train hit him, said a spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. Gus Melonas said the BNSF train struck the man 53 miles west of Glasgow at about 5:20 a.m. MST. Melonas did not identify the BNSF employee, who was based in Havre. The main rail line was blocked while an investigation continued, Melonas said.


APD Officer Killed

She's the first female police officer in Austin to die in the line of duty. Thirty-seven-year-old Amy Donovan was killed while chasing a suspect in Central East Austin.

Two killed at Sherman industrial plant

SHERMAN, Texas – Police were investigating the deaths of two men killed Friday at a manufacturing plant. The men apparently became trapped under a metal-cutting machine as they worked at a Cooper B-Line plant in Sherman, said police Sgt. Charley Smith. He said an employee reported the incident to police shortly after 5 p.m. "There were no witnesses. They were found after the fact," Smith said. "The only reason we're investigating it is as a precaution. The victims were Maurice Vickers, 37, of Sherman and a 44-year-old man from Southmayde who was not identified because his family had not been notified, Smith said.


Cable TV worker electrocuted in O'Fallon, Mo.

A 29-year-old cable worker was killed this morning when he came into contact with a power line in an O’Fallon, Mo., subdivision and was electrocuted.


Investigators look into worker's death at factory

BAD AXE - State investigators are examining the Thursday morning death of a 23-year-old Bad Axe man killed at a factory in this Huron County city when a steel shaft pierced his body. Matthew O. Gaeth, a 1999 graduate of Laker High School, died in the incident at Thumb Tool and Engineering Co. at 354 Liberty St.


State, federal officials investigate Charleston port accident

CHARLESTON, S.C. - State and federal workplace safety officials are investigating the fourth major accident since July at the state's port facilities. Michael Clarkin, a 34-year-old dockworker, was critically injured early Thursday at the State Ports Authority's North Charleston terminal container storage yard when an empty shipping container fell on his vehicle.


Taxi driver dies in robbery attempt in Plantation Plantation

A cab driver, lured to a darkened, dead-end street early Friday morning, was shot in the back of the head and killed as he tried to flee a robbery attempt, police said. The killer ran away empty-handed. Daniel Desir, a driver for Yellow Cab, was dispatched to the Village Square Condominiums in the 7500 block of Northwest 16th Street just before 1 a.m., said Plantation Police Sgt. Al Butler. The caller gave the correct address but a false apartment number. Desir, 36, searched for the unit with the complex security guard before giving up and deciding to leave. Just then, a man walked out from behind a row of shrubs and flagged Desir down, said police. Neighbors heard a loud argument, then a cry for help and two gunshots. When they looked out of their windows, they saw the cab resting against a tree on the side of the road. Desir was dead behind the wheel, according to police.


Death highlights need for OHS training, construction group says

The Northern Territory Construction Association says the death of an 18-year-old road worker on Thursday night highlights the need to have safe working procedures in place. The teenager was killed when he was run over by an industrial street sweeper. The association's Peter Donovan says although no one has been blamed for the incident, it is an unfortunate reminder tragic accidents do occur in the workplace. He says if reports the worker had music playing inside his hearing protective device are true it highlights the need for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) training. He says companies also need to be aware of their responsibilities.


Bar Worker Shot Dead In Brooklyn Co-Worker Arrested For Crime

NEW YORK (AP) A Brooklyn man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a co-worker inside a bar where they both worked. Police say James Pallonetti walked into BR Stars in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn around 2:20 AM. He apparently fired several shots at James Trippett, who was working at the bar. Trippett was hit four times in the torso and later pronounced dead. He was 34 years-old. Charges against 45 year-old Pallonetti are still pending.


Construction accident fatal

An electrical worker was killed Saturday afternoon after being struck by a heavy machine used to lay underground cables, police said. Local and state agencies are looking into the cause of the accident. Donald Lemen Jr., 49, of Mount Pleasant, was killed during a construction accident near the Medical University of South Carolina. He was an employee of Metro Electric Co., officials said.