Sunday, April 02, 2006

Weekly Toll

A partial list of workplace fatalities over the past two weeks

2 Die In Industrial Accident At Sunport

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Two workers died in a construction accident at Albuquerque International Sunport on Saturday, Action 7 News reported.

State safety crews arrived at the site of the accident to investigate the apparent toppling of a crane in a hangar that was being built for Eclipse Aviation.

The accident happened at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday as subcontracted workers for Jaynes Corporation placed duct work in the rafters.

"Two men from our subcontractor were up on a lift working on something mechanical," said Rick Marquardt, executive vice-president of Jaynes Corporation. "Apparently, (the crane) toppled. We don't really know why ... but it did."

The men fell about 30 feet, Marquardt said.

One man died at the scene and another died en route to a hospital, officials said.


Butler Township - Worker dies

Pittsburgh, PA -- A painter from Beaver Falls died Thursday in a Pittsburgh hospital from injuries he suffered in a fall from a second-floor balcony in Butler Township.

Jeffrey D. Stewart, 46, of 609 37th St. died at 1:21 p.m. Thursday in Allegheny General Hospital, according to a spokesman at the Allegheny County medical examiner's office. Stewart's death was from head and torso injuries.

Butler Township police said Stewart was painting a ceiling on the second floor of a Tudor Drive condominium, near Benbrook Road, Wednesday when he fell about 10 feet and landed on his head.


Concrete-pump accident kills construction worker

Indianapolis, IN -- A 24-year-old construction worker died Friday morning of injuries suffered when a concrete pump sent him flying into a signpost on the Far Northeastside.

Anthony R. Sutton, Whiteland, died in Methodist Hospital of head injuries, the Marion County coroner's office said. He was part of a crew building a home in the 10900 block of Tallow Wood Lane, officials said.

The Midwest Concrete Pumping worker was cleaning the concrete pump about 6:30 p.m. Thursday when the device suddenly released pressure and propelled him into a sign pole, Chief Deputy Coroner Alfie Ballew said.


Construction accident kills Fort Lauderdale man

Fort Lauderdale, FL -- One construction worker was killed and another one was injured Friday afternoon when part of a machine used to pound concrete pilings into the earth fell on them west of Delray Beach, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said.

Benedict Maloney, 67, of Fort Lauderdale, died at the scene shortly after 2 p.m. Joseph Madonia, 48, of Palm Springs, was later released from Delray Medical Center, sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.

The men, employees of Miami-based Condotte America Inc., were rebuilding the Atlantic Avenue interchange of Florida's Turnpike west of Delray Beach with new ramps and a toll plaza.

Construction worker dies after fall at house

MUNDELEIN, IL — A worker from Chicago died Thursday after falling from a ladder at a house under construction in Mundelein.

Pablo Nova, 39, died of head injuries after the fall, according to Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller.

The accident occurred about 8 a.m. when Nova was working about 11 feet high on a ladder at a home on Rye Road, according to Mundelein police. Nova was transported by the Mundelein Rescue Squad to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

Police said Friday the incident had been investigated and no irregularities were found at the construction site, but it had not yet been determined who Nova was working for at the time of the accident.


Employee Dies in Work Accident

Allentown, PA - Police are investigating the tragic death of an ABX Air worker in Lehigh County. Authorities say Fred Klump of Walnutport was killed when he either fell or was thrown from the back of a tractor trailer on Penn Drive in Upper Macungie Township. Klump had been loading cargo onto the big rig at the ABX Air-operated DHL complex early yesterday morning when police say the truck left the terminal with Klump still inside the back of the trailer. Police say he was killed when the truck made a turn.


Goodwill Employee Dies In Auto-Pedestrian Accident

Waco,TX- A Goodwill Industries employee who was struck by a van Tuesday as he worked with a crew picking up trash at the intersection of Highway 84 and Highway 6 near the Kettle Restaurant in Waco later died of his injuries, authorities said. The man was alert and able to talk to emergency workers as he was loaded into an ambulance Tuesday morning, but he died at about 1:15 p.m. at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center. The driver of the van stopped after hitting the man, police said. No charges have been filed.

Backhoe accident claims life of Colonial Heights man

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, VA - A funeral is scheduled for Monday for Morris "Arch" Allen Wilkins who died Thursday afternoon in a work-related accident at the Virginia State Police administrative headquarters in Chesterfield County.

Wilkins, 69, was owner and operator of Wilkins Tree Service in Colonial Heights. He and his crew had been clearing brush and debris from the state police headquarters on Midlothian Turnpike when a backhoe Wilkins was driving overturned on him.

State police said as Wilkins was backing up the backhoe, it began to overturn and partially threw him from the driver's seat. The backhoe fell on top of Wilkins and killed him instantly. He had not been wearing a seat belt.


Wheel flies into cab, kills trucker

ATHENS, Ala. - A Madison truck driver was killed when a loose wheel flew through his windshield as he drove on I-65, officials said. Barry Keith Smitherman, 47, left Huntsville with a load bound for Tennessee shortly before the wreck occurred near Athens at about 11:30 Tuesday night, Limestone County Coroner Mike West said. "A tire from somewhere came through the front window and hit him, and then went out the back of the truck," West said. He said Smitherman was killed by trauma to the head. No other vehicles collided with the wheel or with Smitherman's truck, which ran off the road. State Trooper Curtis Summerville said the wheel came off of a truck that was headed south, opposite of Smitherman.


J.D. Byrider Founder Killed in Plane Crash

Melbourne, FL - Officials say a six-seat plane crashed near an industrial and office park about a mile from an airport runway today, killing three people aboard the aircraft. Among those who died was James DeVoe, the founder of the Carmel, Indiana-based JD Byrider auto dealership chain. Brevard County Sheriff's Office says the twin-engine Cessna plane left Jacksonville earlier this morning and was approaching the Melbourne International Airport when it crashed into a parking lot behind the building. Witnesses have told police the plane's engines apparently shut down. Officials say no one on the ground were injured. Police say an air traffic controller had radioed the pilot, saying he was approaching the airport too fast. DeVoe's son-in-law, Steele Gudal, was also killed in the crash.


Berlin resident fatally injured

Berlin, CT - An average work day at a Fair Haven scrap yard turned deadly Wednesday when a 54-year-old industrial worker’s clothing became entangled in a rotating metal baler, fatally injuring him, police said. Shortly after 4 p.m., emergency workers rushed to Regan Metal Corp., 89 Poplar St., and attempted to revive Richard Larson of Berlin, before bringing him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The medical examiner’s office in Farmington, which did not respond to the scene, confirmed an autopsy would be performed today to determine Larson’s cause of death. Meanwhile, responding officers detailed a grisly set of circumstances that apparently led to Larson’s death. According to Sgt. Vincent Anastasio, Larson was operating a machine, the size of a home furnace, designed to rapidly spin scrap metal together for compact transport.


Louisville Man Killed During Jewelry Store Robbery

Louisville, KY - A Louisville man was fatally shot during an armed robbery at a jewelry store in Owensboro Thursday afternoon. The victim, 57-year old Samuel Garrett, owned the Jewelry Chest at 609 Park Plaza Drive. Witnesses told police that four men came into the store and took a ring from a woman who works there. They then told the woman to go into a back room. She says she heard gunshots, and when she came out, she Garrett had been shot.


DelDOT Employee Killed in Accident

Greenwood, DE -- A one-car accident killed a man near Greenwood this afternoon, state police said. Cpl. Jeffry C. Oldham said Dover resident Vasuki R. Hiraesave, 50, a Delaware Department of Transportation employee who was on his way to a meeting, was pronounced dead at the scene. Hiraesave was traveling south in the right lane of U.S. 13, about a mile north of Greenwood, at 1:07 p.m. when his 2005 Dodge Durango, owned by DelDOT, drifted off the west side of the road, hit several wooden fence posts and stopped in a field. Police said Hiraesave was wearing a seatbelt, and the accident is under investigation.


Employee dies in fall at Winfield Locks & Dam

ELEANOR, W.Va. -- An investigation is under way after a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee died from injuries sustained in a fall at the Winfield Locks & Dam in Putnam County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made the announcement official in a press release Thursday. A Putnam County 911 dispatcher and the Eleanor Volunteer Fire Department also confirmed the news. The dispatcher said his agency received the call for help at 2:03 p.m. Thursday. It was estimated the victim fell 50 feet. Corps spokesman Chuck Minsker confirmed the employee was a man, but the victim's name is being withheld until his family members are notified.


Deputy killed in crash - Bike cop chasing speeder when SUV turns in front of him

LANCASTER, CA - Sheriff's motorcycle Deputy Pierre Bain took it seriously that so many people died in his city from speeding, running red lights and other bad driving. On Thursday, it happened to him: Bain was riding after a speeding van, siren and emergency lights on, when a Honda SUV turned left in front of him and stopped as its 73-year-old driver saw his oncoming motorcycle, authorities said. Bain swerved, but his motorcycle saddlebag hit the sport utility vehicle's front bumper and he went down. Bain was thrown into a tree, and died 30 minutes later at a hospital. "We're devastated." Lancaster sheriff's station commander Capt. Carl Deeley said Friday.


Worker killed at trash station - INSPECTION FINDS SAFETY DEVICE ON LOADER ALTERED

Lexington, KY - A Nicholasville man died yesterday at a Lexington garbage transfer station when the bucket of a small loader he was operating fell on him. An inspection of the loader showed that a safety mechanism had been altered. Justin Avery, 19, was using the Bobcat front-end loader to keep garbage out of the way of trucks as they were being loaded at the Bluegrass Waste Alliance Station on Old Frankfort Pike, between South Forbes Road and New Circle Road. The type of loader Avery was using is entered from the front, not from the side like a car, Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said yesterday. Avery apparently stepped out of the loader while the bucket was raised overhead. When he started to get back into the machine about 1 p.m., the bucket came down on top of him.


Death at track dampens Weldon's win

Miani, FL - IRL rookie Paul Dana died at 30 after a crash in practice Sunday morning, but the race was still run, with Dan Wheldon winning. The race still went on. Indy Racing League rookie driver Paul Dana died after a gruesome crash into Ed Carpenter's car in practice Sunday morning, but league and track officials opted to run the season-opening Toyota Indy 300 as scheduled at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Before KISS bassist Gene Simmons waved the green flag, the estimated 30,000 in attendance observed a moment of silence to honor Dana, who was 30 years old. Although the race featured a frenetic finish with 2005 series champion Dan Wheldon holding off Coral Gables' Helio Castroneves, the mood was somber. The staring lineup featured only 16 drivers, as the field initially shrunk because Carpenter and Dana's Rahal Letterman Racing teammates Danica Patrick and Buddy Rice withdrew. It ended with only 10 cars running because of accidents and engine trouble and many disappointed fans who expected.


Worker dies at home after exposure to chemical at Tyrone plant

Tyrone, PA - Lee Howard Henninger, a 50-year-old supervisor at the Albemarle Corp. plant in Tyrone died Friday evening at his home just hours after being exposed to a chemical earlier in the day at work. However, it remains undetermined if the incident at the plant and Henninger’s death are connected. Plant manager Randy Andrews said he has not had any further contact with the coroner’s office since he spoke with deputy coroner Jeff Guyer on Friday evening. Andrews said to his knowledge, the cause of Henninger’s death remains undetermined. The Herald was unable to reach Guyer this morning for additional details. Andrews said Henninger was performing his routine duties, when the chemical thiophosphoryl chloride contacted his face under his protective equipment. “We followed standard protocol,” said Andrews.


Trench collapse kills worker

RADCLIFF, Ky. (AP) -- A White Mills man died this morning when the trench he was working in at a new homes construction site collapsed around him. Forty-two-year-old Tommy Hensley was standing about eight feet deep in the trench when the walls caved in said Radcliff Police public relations officer Bryce Shumate. According to Shumate, Hensley died before rescue teams arrived at the scene. The cause of death is unknown. An autopsy will be conducted by the Hardin County coroner pending the recovery of the body, which was still trapped in the trench late this afternoon.


Worker at Port Everglades Killed

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (AP) -- Authorities say a worker at Port Everglades died after he was pinned between a steel wall and a freight container. The Broward Sheriff's Office says 33-year-old Luis Clairmont of Lauderhill got stuck Saturday afternoon. The 20-foot container that pinned him was being loaded onto a cargo ship. BSO says it appears the incident was an accident. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been contacted
The Foster Farms feed mill supervisor who was crushed in a silo accident Wednesday died at Emanuel Medical


Merced man crushed in silo dies of injuries

Merced, CA - The Foster Farms feed mill supervisor who was crushed in a silo accident Wednesday died at Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock, the company said Saturday.

Kevin Southerland, 51, reportedly was trying to remove corn that was stuck on the wall of a silo when the grain dislodged and came crashing down on him. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Southerland's family at this time," Ron Foster, corporate executive officer, said in a statement. "Mr. Southerland was well-regarded by all who knew him, and we will miss him." Southerland worked for Foster Farms for 29 years. He was in charge of a Delhi feed mill, said Tim Walsh, the company's vice president for human resources.


Taxi driver, 38, dies after cab is struck

San Diego, CA - A 38-year-old taxi driver was killed early yesterday, the victim of a hit-and-run collision, authorities said. Zeki Tovi, a Kurdish man who lived with his family in Spring Valley, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:49 a.m., the Medical Examiner's Office said. San Diego police said they are looking for three people who were seen leaving the crash site on Haines Street near Thomas Avenue in Pacific Beach. Tovi, who worked for Orange Cab, was driving north on Haines Street when his cab was broadsided by a BMW X5 sport utility vehicle, whose driver ran a stop sign, police said. The cab overturned. An officer came upon the accident and radioed for medics.


Clerk Gunned Down After Handing Over Cash

Carrolton, GA - A suspect who police say shot and killed a Carroll County convenience store clerk turned himself in today. Investigators identified the suspect as Christopher Farmer. They say Farmer walked into the Texaco gas station at 1435 Highway 27 in Carrollton Thursday night and demanded money. The clerk turned over the cash to Farmer, according to police. Officers say that's when Farmer shot the clerk The victim was taken to Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton where he was declared dead. Police used surveillance cameras in the store to identify Farmer as the suspect. Farmer is also the suspect in the robbery of an Amoco station on Thursday afternoon. No one was injured in that hold-up.


Worker dies a week after plant blast

San Antonio, TX - An employee of a local seatbelt manufacturing plant has died from injuries suffered last week in a work-related explosion, officials said. Francisco Sanchez, 33, was pronounced dead at Wilford Hall at 2:50 a.m. Tuesday. Sanchez was switching on a metal-plating machine powered by natural gas when it malfunctioned for unknown reasons and exploded, Takata Vice President Bob Kittle said. The plating section of the plant remained locked down Thursday. Takata is working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in an investigation into the accident, Kittle said.


Worker suffers fatal fall at Schreiber site

Carthage, MO - A worker at the new Schreiber Foods distribution facility was killed Wednesday morning when he suffered head injuries after a 10 to 15-foot fall. Barry Huneman, age 47, of Evansville, Ind., was pronounced dead at Carthage's McCune-Brooks Hospital shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. Quintin Rubald, president of Summit Fire Protection of Lino Lakes, Minn., a subcontractor on the Schreiber project, said Hyneman was installing sprinkler systems for the company when the incident took place.


Worker Falls Off Water Tower, Dies

ARVADA, Colo. -- A Commerce City worker who was dismantling a water tower in Arvada died Thursday after he fell roughly 40 feet. Witnesses said the 45-year-old man was working on the tower when it shifted, causing him to fall at about 11:30 a.m. A company from Commerce City had been working at the site, located near West 53rd AVenue and Ward Road, since Wednesday. Representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were notified about the incident and will investigate. The Arvada Police Department is investigating the fall as an accident


Mourners remember life of deputy killed on the job

MACON, Ga. - Nearly 1,000 people gathered at the City Auditorium in Macon to celebrate the life of a Bibb County sheriff's investigator killed while on duty. The 90-minute service was held Wednesday to remember Joseph Whitehead Jr., 36, who was killed March 23 while trying to serve a warrant. Hundreds of Georgia law enforcement officers joined judges, attorneys, friends and family at the service peppered with exuberant gospel music.


East Texas Man Killed on the Job

Livingston, TX - A Livingston man has been killed on the job in a workplace accident. It happened at the Alabama Point Subdivision in Polk County. Seventy-nine year-old Luther Bernard "Jack" Moseley was operating a piece of heavy equipment Wednesday when he got caught in the machinery. Moseley was the father of Pamela Moseley-Carpenter. She was killed by Johnny Penry back in 1979. That case sparked a nationwide debate about whether mentally retarded people should be executed. Penry was convicted of raping and stabbing the woman to death.


Man Killed On I-95 Ramp While Getting Out Of Tractor-Trailer

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- One man's split decision to get out of his tractor-trailer on Interstate 95 Thursday morning turned out to be a deadly one. Police said the driver got out of his cab along the Ives Dairy Road exit ramp when another vehicle slammed into him. He died at the scene. It was not clear why the driver got out of the tractor-trailer, though police said he might have been giving another driver directions. The ramp was closed for several hours. Police are searching for the driver of a small, gray car they believe struck the man.


Driver Killed When Tractor-Trailer Slams Into Home

OWENSBORO, Ky -- The driver of a tractor-trailer truck was killed early Wednesday after crashing into a house. Raymond L. Arnold Jr., 52, of Drakesboro, was pronounced dead at the scene, Daviess County Coroner Bob Howe said. The house's residents, James and Frankie Clark, were sleeping in a back bedroom on the second floor when the truck hit their house on U.S. 60 East. They were not injured. "It felt like a bomb went off," James Clark said. Smoke and dust filled the living room, but he found the cab of the semi on the east side of his porch and the engine block a few feet away. The truck had plowed over a tree before hitting the porch, preventing it from damaging more of the house, Clark said. "Because of the late hour, we think he might have fallen asleep at the wheel," said Cpl. Barry Smith of the Daviess County Sheriff's Department.


Plane crash kills Cessna employee

Yucaipa, CA - Cessna Aircraft employee was killed in a plane crash in southern California, officials confirmed Wednesday. Steve O'Neill was on board a company-owned Caravan that crashed Tuesday evening in rugged, mountainous terrain near Yucaipa, Calif., 75 miles east of Los Angeles. He was Caravan's regional sales manager for the western U.S. and Canada. Also killed in the accident was Rick Voorhis, president of Pacific Aircraft Sales. The plane, used to market Caravans to customers, reportedly had taken off from Palm Springs, Calif., en route to Ontario, Calif. It left Wichita, where the aircraft is based, on Tuesday. It was unclear who was piloting the plane when it crashed. "Our thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with the families and friends of those lost in this tragic event," Cessna chairman, president and chief executive Jack Pelton said in a statement. "We are assisting these family members in every way we can."


Trench collapse kills local

Fort Morgan, CO - A Fort Morgan man died Tuesday when a bank of a sewer line extension under construction southwest of town collapsed on him. Alfonso Madera-Lamas, 48, was buried when one of the banks of a trench about 15 feet deep collapsed on him, Morgan County Undersheriff John Fryar said. Madera-Lamas was working for local excavating contractor Ransom Boone. The site of the accident was south of the Morgan Ditch between West and Main Streets. "When they tried to dig down to get him out, it kept caving in," Fryar said. "They had to pull the sides back, and that took time." Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials were on the scene Tuesday and were expected to return today. OSHA officials were expected to look into why the trench was not shored, whether shoring would have been required and other factors involved in the accident, Fryar said. The cause of death was probably suffocation with some possible crushing involved, the undersheriff said


Bulldozer rollover kills Sandpoint man

SAGLE, ID -- A Sandpoint man was fatally injured Monday when the bulldozer he was operating rolled down an embankment near Lake Pend Oreille's Bottle Bay. Bonner County Sheriff's officials identified the victim as Allen D. Bricker, 66. The accident happened at about 12:30 p.m. in the 7,000 block of Bottle Bay Road. Bricker was maneuvering the piece of heavy equipment near the top of the embankment when he lost control, according to Sheriff's Capt. Jim Drake. "He got it sideways and it rolled over. It did one revolution and landed back on its tracks," Drake said. The bulldozer rolled approximately 30 feet before coming to rest. Drake said the earth mover had a protective cage over the driver's seat, but Bricker suffered severe head and chest trauma. Coworkers at the site helped free Bricker, who was taken to Bonner General Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Drake said Bricker was apparently creating an earthen barrier to prevent sediment from running off into the lake. The work was being done for a homeowner.


WORKER DIES AT CONCRETE PLANT

Wichita Falls, TX - Wichita Falls Police are awaiting autopsy results from a Wichita Falls cement worker who died this morning. It happened at ABC Redi Mix concrete company on Wichita Street. Police say 64-year-old Phillip Broomfield was pronounced dead at the hospital after he fell into a stationary concrete mixer at the plant. CPR was administered on the scene after he was removed from the bottom of the mixer


Lineman killed in fall at generating station

LA CYGNE, Kan. - An apprentice lineman working at a coal-fired generating plant was killed when his gondola fell almost 100 feet, authorities said. Adam Egbert, 27, had been with PAR Electrical Contractors for a little more than one year. He was working Monday at the plant - jointly owned by Westar Energy and Kansas City Power & Light - when the accident occurred, the Linn County Sheriff's Office said. It was Egbert's first day on the job at the plant. He was working on a project involving a 345,000-volt transmission line, company officials said. "He was up doing his job, and just a freak accident is all it is," said his father, Brian Egbert, also a lineman. PAR is listed as a subsidiary of Quanta Services. John Colson, Quanta's chief executive officer of Quanta Services, said the initial investigation showed that the fall - and not any contact with electricity - killed Egbert. The federal Occupational and Safety Health Administration has been notified of the accident.


Wayland Baptist administrator killed in plane crash

San Antonio, TX - A Wayland Baptist University administrator instrumental in the development and current expansion of the school's San Antonio campus was killed Saturday, March 25, in a plane accident. Bill Hardage, executive vice president of Wayland, was an employee of the Plainview, Texas-based university for 40 years. He died Saturday after his plane leaving from Watsonville Municipal Airport in California crashed 50 miles southeast of the airport. He was on his way to his home back in Plainview, according to university officials.


Daikin American worker killed in accident at plant

DECATUR, AL - A Daikin American employee was killed at the company plant here Tuesday after he fell between the two rear-tire tandems of a trailer that was leaving the plant, police said. Bradley Miles Swanner, 35, of Decatur died in the 3 p.m. accident at the plant on State Docks Road on the northwest edge of Decatur, said Jeremy Hayes, a detective in the Decatur Police robbery and homicide unit. Hayes said the preliminary investigation shows an independent tractor-trailer driver had taken on a load of industrial gas at the plant and pulled to the scales to weigh out. Swanner and another employee were operating the scales. The driver began to pull away after he was given the OK to leave. Swanner somehow got between the tandems of the trailer and was dragged for a distance, Hayes said.


Roofing worker dies after fall from church

Miami, FL - A worker who fell off the roof of a church died on the way to the hospital, officials said Tuesday. Ramon Edgardo Rodriguez, 37, of Miami, slipped off the roof of the First Baptist Church at 214 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd. about 3 p.m. Monday and hit his head on a Dumpster below, police spokesman Andrew Casper said. In addition to serious head injuries, Rodriguez also suffered a heart attack, Fire-Rescue division chief James P. Johnson said. Rodriguez died on the way to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Casper said.


Pascagoula officer dies in wreck

PASCAGOULA, MS -- Law enforcement personnel mourned the loss of one of their own Monday when Pascagoula police officer Terry Micheal Byrd, son of Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd, died in a traffic accident. According to police, Byrd, 26, of Wade, a six-year veteran with the Pascagoula department, was on his motorcycle at 7:50 a.m., traveling northbound on Chicot Road, approaching the intersection of Baltimore Avenue.


Police look into store clerk's shooting

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A convenience store clerk was fatally shot Monday night in what police say was a robbery attempt. The incident happened around 9:15 at the Circle K on Providence Road near Fairview Road. Rajendra Premani, 59, had just clocked out of work, his family members said, but he stuck around to help a co-worker close up. "He told me, ‘I’m coming (home) in one hour,’” said Premani's wife, Devi, who spoke to him just minutes before the shooting. Police are still reviewing the surveillance video


Investigators Looking Into Potential Clues, Motive

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- A San Antonio man was shot and killed in broad daylight while arriving at work on Saturday, police said. The incident happened in an eastside neighborhood in the 200 block of Lyric Street. Family members of the male victim -- whose name was not released -- said they couldn't believe what happened. "It's kind of scary," said one neighbor. "Nothing like that has happened before." Police said the victim was shot once in the upper part of his body at close range. It happened in the middle of the morning, as neighbors were getting ready to start their day.


Owatonna man killed in job accident

OWATONNA, Minn. - A 25-year-old Owatonna man died in a workplace accident, police said Wednesday. Patrick Donahue was pinned under a crate that weighed nearly a ton while working in the shipping area at Viracon Inc., an architectural glass fabricator based in Owatonna. Police and rescuers were called to the company around 6 p.m. Tuesday, but weren't able to revive Donahue, Police Chief Shaun LaDue said. Authorities said a co-worker found him trapped under the crate. They hadn't determined what caused the crate to fall on Donahue. No other employees witnessed the accident, LaDue said. James Honerman, spokesman for the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said investigators interviewed employees and examined the scene on Wednesday, and will be looking into the accident over the next week to determine whether there were any safety violations.

One Dead, One Injured In Tower Mishap

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- One man died and another was injured Monday when they fell from a television and radio tower, according to authorities.

Gregory David Harrington, 60, died in the Monday afternoon incident. Michael John Hinsberger, 48, was being treated at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Officials said they had been working on a 400-foot tower before they fell.

Harrington and Hinsberger were doing the work for Sky Tower Service in Lynchburg. Witnesses said the men were coming down the tower using a cable and pulley system attached to a trailer.


Fence installer killed by forklift

MANTUA TWP., NJ -- A fence installer at a township business was killed Saturday when a forklift truck shifted into reverse and ran over him, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office and township police. Manuel Ortega, 21, of Swedesboro Road, Monroeville, was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred at 9:01 a.m. at Burger and Son Fence on Main Street. Two co-workers -- who were witnesses -- summoned help via a 911 call. Ortega, employed at Burger for two years as a fence installer, had started the forklift to load a pallet for a job the workers were preparing, according to initial findings of the investigation. Ortega was described as standing on the right side of the forklift when it began moving in reverse, dragging him beneath the vehicle. The forklift was in a driveway leading to a warehouse.


Construction Worker Found Shot near Work Truck

San Antonio, TX - A construction worker was found shot to death near his work truck and authorities are still searching for suspects. The victim, Paul Samudio, Jr., was found close to 9 a.m. Saturday on Lyric near Southcross on the southeast side, San Antonio Police said. The windows of his SUV had been shattered. Samundio had been shot in front of a home that he was working on, authorities said. Neighbors told News 4 WOAI they did not see anything happen. “I never heard anything until my dog barked and I looked outside,” neighbor Kathy Tschirgi said. “It's a little scary that it happened two houses down, but I wish it wouldn't happen anywhere,” Tschirgi said


A 33-year-old stevedore died today after he got pinned between a steel

Port Everglades, FL - A 33-year-old stevedore died today after he got pinned between a steel wall and a 20-foot freight container being loaded onto a cargo ship at Port Everglades, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. BSO Fire Rescue rushed Louis Clairmont to Broward General Medical Center where he was pronounced dead a few minutes after 2 p.m. according to BSO. Clairmont, a Lauderhill resident, was inside the vessel when he somehow got stuck behind the freight container that was being lowered onto a ship named the Berulan. His death appears to be accidental based on preliminary findings, BSO said. The incident took place around 1 p.m. at Berth 16, 1900 SE 28th St., Port Everglades. The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been contacted, according to BSO.


GJ man killed in bulldozer accident

Grand Junction, CO -- An accident involving a bulldozer took the life of a 56-year-old Grand Junction man Thursday morning outside Silt, the president of the company said. Richard Millet was a field mechanic for Power Motive Corp., a Denver-based heavy-machinery company, President Jay Baugher said in an e-mail message to news media outlets. Baugher said Millet was working on a tractor that belonged to a customer near Silt. “He was attempting to repack the track adjuster” on the bulldozer when the accident occurred, Baugher said. Details of what led to the accident are under investigation, he said.


Slaying at golf course rattles retirement community

WEST LAKE WORTH, FL - A worker at the Fair Oaks pro shop is killed in what is believed to be a botched robbery. With two bullets bleeding the life from her, Cynthia Moffett staggered from her golf course pro shop Thursday evening and lurched into the night. She didn't make it far. Investigators say the 52-year-old pro shop worker collapsed and died just steps from the building, in sight of the fairways at the Forest Oaks Golf Club near Greenacres.


Manager shot in Holmesburg drug store robbery

Holmesburg, PA - A 19-year-old assistant manager at the Rite Aid store in the Holmesburg Shopping Center was shot in the groin last night during a robbery, authorities said. He was in stable condition at Frankford Hospital-Torresdale Campus last night. The robbery occurred about 9:30 p.m. when a man entered the store at 8445 Frankford Ave. and demanded money from the victim. The robber ended up shooting the worker, whose name was not released, before escaping. Police believe the gunman made off with some cash, but it was not immediately clear how. Police said the robber also took $100 from a customer. No other details were immediately available.
Man crushed in fatal accident at factory


OSHA, Sauget Police investigating Accident

SAUGET, IL - A 27-year-old Cahokia man was killed Wednesday in an accident at a manufacturing plant in Sauget after only a month on the job. J.D. Croom was operating an industrial machine at Mid-America Fiber when he either slipped or got his clothing caught in the machine about 9:15 a.m., according to Sauget Police Chief Patrick Delaney. Croom was taken to Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital in East St. Louis where he was pronounced dead. "He received chest and neck trauma. He was basically crushed," Delaney said. "We have no signs of any foul play other than a tragic industrial accident." Delaney said that both the Sauget Police Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) are investigating.


Braintree man killed in industrial accident by forklift

South Weymouth, PA - A Braintree man died after being pinned by a forklift at a South Weymouth building supply warehouse. Police say John DeTullio, 42, was crushed while he was unloading drywall at Gallagher's Building Materials at 1500 Main Street at about noon on Friday. According to authorities, DeTullio was standing between a 10-foot high pile of drywall and the forklift when the accident happened. Investigators believe that while DeTullio was unloading sheets of drywall from the forklift, the vehicle lurched forward, pinning him against the pile of drywall behind him.


Boxing is one sport where death can and has been the unfortunate outcome of competition.

Evansville, IN - Thirty-four-year-old Evansville boxer Kevin Payne loved that sport, but in the end, it cost him his life. Moments after winning a split decision against fellow junior welterweight Ryan Maraldo Saturday night at the Centre, Payne collapsed. He was taken by ambulance to Deaconess Medical Center and underwent surgery. But Vanderburgh County Coroner Don Erk told Newswatch Sunday night that Payne was pronounced brain dead Sunday afternoon as a result of swelling on his brain caused by blows to the head.


Man Struck & Killed By Dump Truck

Chesapeake, VA - Chesapeake Police say a construction worker was killed when he was hit by a dump truck earlier today. Police responded to the new off ramp construction site at the 168 Bypass and Hanbury Road regarding an accident involving a pedestrian and a dump truck. Police say the dump truck entered the construction site and was backing up to drop off its load. The worker on site did not appear to see the truck backing up when he was struck. The 31 year-old worker died at the scene as a result of his injuries. The driver of the dump truck is not expected to be charged.


Lee deputy dies in I-75 crash - Sergeant loses control of SUV and collides with dump truck

Lee County, FL - A Lee County deputy died early Sunday morning following a two-car crash on Interstate 75 in Estero. Sgt. Felix Romano, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene after his sport utility vehicle collided with a dump truck shortly before 1 a.m. in the northbound lane near Alico Road. According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, Romano lost control of his SUV before it struck the rear of the dump truck driven by Jimmie S. Jacque, 36, of New Orleans.


Slow-rolling, runaway tractor kills man, injures farmer

EAST AMWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- An East Amwell man died after being struck by a runaway, slow-rolling farm tractor that his fiancee's father had unknowingly started up while in gear, authorities said. Richard A. Polenz, 48, unsuccessfully tried to stop the wayward tractor and sustained fatal head and internal injuries after Robert "Kenny" Totten, 87, turned the machine on around 5:20 p.m. Saturday.


One killed, another injured in West Delray turnpike construction accident

West Delray, FL -- One construction worker was killed and another one was injured Friday afternoon when part of a machine used to pound concrete pilings into the earth fell on them, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said. Benedict Maloney, 67, of Fort Lauderdale, died at the scene shortly after 2 p.m. Joseph Madonia, 48, of Palm Springs, was later released from Delray Medical Center, sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.


Backhoe accident claims life of Colonial Heights man

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, FL - A funeral is scheduled for Monday for Morris "Arch" Allen Wilkins who died Thursday afternoon in a work-related accident at the Virginia State Police administrative headquarters in Chesterfield County. Wilkins, 69, was owner and operator of Wilkins Tree Service in Colonial Heights. He and his crew had been clearing brush and debris from the state police headquarters on Midlothian Turnpike when a backhoe Wilkins was driving overturned on him.


Truck driver killed in Allen County

WOODBURN, IN -- A Parker City truck driver died late Wednesday in a head-on crash on a rural stretch of highway east of Fort Wayne.

Harold Richard Kelly, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on U.S. 24.

Kelly, known to friends as Rick, had been driving semi trucks since he was a young man, his mother, Sue Kelly, said Thursday.

Kelly was driving eastbound on the highway when an oncoming semi driven by Octavio Ayala, Illinois, apparently drifted across the center line and crashed into him, Allen County Sheriff's Department public information officer Steve Stone said.


Road worker killed by cement truck

Suffolk County, NY -- A state Department of Transportation worker was struck by a cement truck and killed while repairing potholes on Sunrise Highway at 10:30 a.m. Friday, spokeswoman Eileen Peters said.

Patrick Mapleson, 66, of Ridge, was pronounced dead at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center at 11:24 a.m. "Poor Patrick. He was just working on making the road safer for everybody and he lost his life," Peters said.

Mapleson was protected by crash barriers, and traffic near his work site had been diverted from the shoulder, she said.

The cement truck driver appeared to lose control of the vehicle and veered from a left lane toward the westbound shoulder between Exits 61 and 62, then plunged off the road into woods, officials said.


Worker Dies After Electrocution At Gravel Pit

FORT LUPTON, Colo The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the death of a man who was electrocuted while working at a gravel pit north of Fort Lupton.

Weld County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Margie Martinez says 30-year-old Christopher Carder of Littleton was pronounced dead at the scene yesterday, but his heart started beating again.

Coroner's officials say he was flown to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Martinez says Carder was walking beside an industrial-sized piece of equipment when it got close enough to a power line, causing it to arc and send electricity to the ground. He was nearby and was electrocuted.

The gravel pit is owned by Compass Environmental Incorporated.


Cargo airline identifies pilots killed in Montana plane crash

HELENA, MT -- Search crews on Monday found the wreckage of a cargo plane that crashed on a flight from here to Butte, killing the two pilots on board.

Allen Kenitzer, a regional spokesman for the FAA in Seattle, said the wreckage of the twin-engine Beechcraft 99, owned by Ameriflight Inc., of Burbank, Calif., was discovered Monday morning south of Butte. Kenitzer confirmed that the two pilots were killed in the crash.

Ameriflight identified the two men on board as Carl C. Cotton, 37, of Helena, a training and check pilot for the company, and Kyle R. Kemmet, 23, who had just moved to Montana and was completing training for flying a Beechcraft 99.


Worker Killed When Load Of Granite Falls On Him

BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- A delivery truck driver was killed in Brunswick on Monday when a load of granite he was delivering fell on top on him.

The accident happened just after 9 a.m. on Pearl Road. The truck driver was trying to un-strap the granite when it became unstable and fell on him, pinning him against the truck.

He was taken to South West General Hospital, where he died.


Washington Firefighter Dies After Water Training Outing

Ocean Shores, WA -- The Ocean Shores community in Washington is struggling with the loss of one of its most admired residents, a leader known for his dedication to training.

Capt. Rob McLaughlin, 40, died Wednesday, of injuries suffered Monday during a water training exercise with the Ocean Shores Fire Department.

McLaughlin, the father of three, was stricken after being dumped into the ocean when a personal water craft overturned. He was a passenger on the vessel, operated by a fellow firefighter.

There were no signs of injuries, and an autopsy will determine if McLaughlin suffered a medical condition.

"It was a freak accident," Krick said Wednesday afternoon. "It was no one's fault. It just happened..."

(McLaughlin was also President of IAFF Local 2109.)


Clerk fatally shot in 7-11 robbery

APPLE VALLEY, CA -- A 7-Eleven clerk complied with two robbers who demanded cash early Tuesday, but he was killed anyway in what authorities are calling a senseless murder.

William Edward Gould, a 31-year-old Apple Valley resident, father and college student, was shot multiple times after the robbers led him into a back room at the store in the 17900 block of Highway 18 at Apple Valley Road, authorities said.

"They forced him behind the counter and forced him to open the two cash registers, and then they take him into the back room and murdered him," sheriff's Sgt. T.A. Peters said. "He [Gould] was very cooperative. It was a senseless murder. Very coldblooded and callous."


Bernalillo County sheriff's deputy shot and killed

TIJERAS, N.M. (AP) - A Bernalillo County sheriff's deputy was fatally shot after pulling over a pickup truck in this small community east of Albuquerque.

"We're following up leads. We're not going to rest until we find the person responsible for this," Sheriff Darren White said early Wednesday morning.

White did not immediately release the identity of the deputy.

The deputy pulled over the truck about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday on N.M. 337, just south of old Route 66 and near the entrance to an elementary school, White said.

"And a few minutes later, some people who live nearby heard two gunshots," White said.


Two die in separate on-the-job accidents in Houma

HOUMA La. -- Two men died in a span of 12 hours in separate on-the-job accidents at east-Houma oilfield-service companies.

Mark Broussard, 51, a mechanic at Gulf-Inland Contractors was killed Monday afternoon when the scrap iron he was cutting a 6,000 pound piece of a radiator, measuring 8 feet tall and 12 feet long fell, trapping him underneath.

David Carlos, 19, was hurt about 3 a.m. Tuesday while working at K&B Machines. A piece of pipe he was working on came loose from a lathe and hit him in the back of the head, authorities said. He died later at Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center.


Police Identify Highway Worker Killed In Beltway Crash

Glen Burnie, Md. - State police have identified the 19-year-old highway worker who died when he was struck by a box truck on the Baltimore Beltway Wednesday.

Michael Guthridge of Broad Top, Pennsylvania, died at Shock Trauma shortly after the 1:30 p.m. crash.

Police said Guthridge was standing in the center grass median of I-695, near the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, doing repairs to a section of guardrail, when he was struck. Investigators believe the driver of the box truck fell asleep at the wheel and lost control.


Sheriff identifies deputy killed during traffic stop

Albuquerque, NM -- The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department deputy slain this morning while conducting a traffic stop has been identified as James McGrane Jr., 38.

McGrane joined the department in December 2002, Sheriff Darren White said at a news conference this afternoon. Before that, he worked for 10 years with the U.S. Postal Service and served a six-month stint with the New Mexico State Police in 1992.


Tree Worker Dies After 40-Foot Fall In Columbia

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Authorities say a tree worker from Orangeburg died after he fell 40-feet out of a tree.

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts says 41-one-year-old Dale Martin was working when he fell Wednesday afternoon.

Watts says Martin was taken to a hospital, where he died about 45 minutes later.


Motorcycle Deputy Killed in Accident

Los Angeles, CA -- A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was killed Thursday when his motorcycle crashed during a pursuit in Lancaster.

Deputy Pierre Bain, 45, a 14-year veteran, was following a speeding car about 5:35 p.m. when he entered the intersection of Avenue K and 20th Street on a green light. A car alongside him veered into his lane, said acting Los Angeles County Sheriff Larry Waldie.

Bain swerved to avoid it and "the car just nipped the bike, and the bike went down," Waldie said.

Bain's motorcycle hit a tree, and he was thrown off the bike and into another tree, then into another, and suffered massive injuries, Waldie said. Fire officials said he was in full cardiac arrest at the scene.


Owensboro jewelry store owner dies in armed robbery attempt

OWENSBORO Ky. -- An Owensboro jewelry store owner was shot and killed during an armed robbery attempt on Thursday afternoon.

Samuel E. Garrett, 57, of Louisville, died at Owensboro Mercy Health Systems Hospital from a single gunshot wound, Owensboro police public information officer Jeff Arntz said.

Witnesses told police that four men came into the Jewelry Chest and took a ring from a woman who works there.


Motel worker dies after 2-story fall

Chicago, IL -- An employee at a Southwest Side motel fell to his death Wednesday afternoon after losing his balance while moving mattresses, police said.

The accident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. at the Aloha Motel on the 8500 block of South Cicero Avenue. The man was moving mattresses out of several of the motel rooms and lost his balance as he pushed one of the mattresses off a second-floor balcony to the parking lot below, Chicago Lawn District Lt. Gerald Koch said.

He tumbled over the railing after the mattress and struck his head on the pavement, Koch said. Paramedics took the victim to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead, Koch said.


Corps worker dies after fall at Winfield locks

WINFIELD W.Va. -- An employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers died Thursday after a fall at the Winfield Locks and Dam.

The man, who works in the corps' Huntington District, was not identified pending notification of relatives, the corps said in a news release.

Corps spokesman Chuck Minsker said he did not know how far the man fell or the circumstances of the accident.


Hondo plane crash kills pilot, 30

San Antonio, TX -- A West Texas man died Tuesday when the crop-duster he was piloting crashed while undergoing testing at the Hondo Municipal Airport, police said.

The pilot, Jacob Fisher, 30, of Sudan, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 10:40 a.m. crash, officials said.

Hondo Police Chief Rick Garza said the plane owned by Ag Flyers, a crop-dusting service based at the airport off U.S. 90, was undergoing calibration tests during the flight by the victim.


Worker Dies After He Is Pulled Into Machine

NEW HAVEN, CT -- A worker died after he was pulled into a machine at a scrap metal yard Wednesday, police said.

The accident occurred at about 4:15 p.m. at Regan Metal Corp., 69 Poplar St., police said. Richard Larson, 54, of Kensington, was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:45 p.m., Sgt. Robert Dudley said.

Police said Larson was loading metal into a machine that coils the metal. His work glove apparently got caught in the machine when he went to adjust a bar, and the machine pulled him in, Sgt. Andrew Muro said.

Fumes cited in workers' deaths: Coroner says men passed out, drowned

GULFPORT, MS -- A federal safety agency has joined investigators at the storm-damaged casino barge where authorities said two construction workers drowned Tuesday after passing out from hazardous fumes.

The workers, hired to pump water from the overturned Grand Casino Gulfport barge, apparently were overcome by hydrogen sulfide fumes inside the barge, lost consciousness and drowned, said Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove.

Tim Alan Fitzgerald, 49, of Newport News, Va., and Miguel Hidalgo-Soberano, 48, of Cardenas Tabasco, Mex., were employed by Dominion Marine Group LTD of Norfolk, Va. The company is the subcontractor for a demolition contract handled by PRC Environmental of Houston.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's investigation could take six months, said Clyde Payne, area director.

"Our first objective is to identify the cause of the incident and what factors played a part in it," said Payne, "and to address if the employer had appropriate safety precautions in place, and if not, why."

Hargrove said he believed the employees were instructed to stay out of the barge's interior.

Spokesmen for both companies declined to return phone calls.

Authorities said confined areas such as the barges allow the buildup of toxic gases heavier than air, making such environments dangerous if the oxygen is not replaced before the area is entered.

Fitzgerald entered the barge shortly before 4 p.m., said Hargrove, and his co-worker went in "to try to rescue, help or assist, and he, too, got overcome by fumes and fell in. We may never know exactly why or how it happened."


Woman killed in Springfield plant accident

SPRINGFIELD Tenn. -- A woman was crushed to death Wednesday when pinned by a robotic arm at an auto parts manufacturing plant, authorities said.

Nam Mulligan of Clarksville was working on a welding machine at the Thyssen-Krupp Fabco plant, police Det. Madison Burnett told WSMV-TV in Nashville. Her age was not available.

She died at a local hospital after the accident, while awaiting transportation to a larger hospital.

After the accident, company officials halted production and sent the 250 employees home for the day. The plant makes components for the auto industry.


Teenage Worker Killed in Accident

Lexington, KY -- A teenage worker is killed in an accident at an industrial area in Lexington.

Investigators were called to the city's garbage transfer facility off Old Frankfort Pike just before two Friday afternoon. A worker for PECCO, a sub-contractor at the garbage facility died.

The 19 year old man was operating a Bob Cat. Investigators say the man got off the machine and when he tried to get back on a piece broke and hit him in the head.


Volunteer Firefighter Dies After Receiving Severe Burns

Chickasha, OK -- A volunteer firefighter who was seriously injured in a wildfire in Stephens County on March 1st passed away last night.

Destry Horton was severely burned on his lungs, hands, arms, feet and face. Both of his legs had to be amputated. The doctors were amazed that Horton survived as long as he did. A memorial service will be held at two p.m. on Thursday in Chickasha, OK.


Contract worker killed on South Side

San Antonio, TX -- A 49-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday morning outside a South Side home he was helping to remodel, police said.

The victim, Paul Samudio Jr., lay sprawled on the street in the 200 block of Lyric beside the open door of a Ford pickup. The driver's side window was shattered, and a single shell casing was found in the street, Sgt. Marc Ebinger said.

The man was shot once in the upper neck area, Ebinger said. Police had no suspects Saturday.

The victim had been doing contract work on the house for about three days, another neighbor said. The homeowners were inside the house around 9 a.m. when the shooting occurred.


CONSTRUCTION WORKER HIT BY FALLING TREE

EAST ROCKHILL TOWNSHIP, PA -- An 18-year-old Perkasie man was in stable condition Friday at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest after he was hit in the head by a falling tree at a construction site in East Rockhill Township, police said.

A fellow construction worker was cutting down a tree at a site for a new home when Scott Pearl of the 1300 block of Meadow Lane walked under the tree and was hit, Pennridge Regional police officer Dan Branch said.

Pearl got a deep cut on the right side of his head and was knocked out, Branch said. Pearl was in and out of consciousness when police arrived and was flown to the hospital, Branch said.

"When I loaded him into the helicopter, his eyes were opening and closing, but he seemed to know what was going on: times, dates, president of the United States, those standard questions," Branch said.


Fredonia man dies after being trampled by cow

BISMARCK N.D.--A man has died of injuries suffered when he was trampled by a cow.

Greg Entzi, 54, of Fredonia, died Tuesday night at a Bismarck hospital of head injuries, said Laurie Spitzer, chief deputy of the McIntosh County Sheriff's Department.

Entzi was trampled while he was working with his son and a hired hand at his farm Monday, Spitzer said.


Truck driver killed in interstate pileup identified

CHEYENNE Wyo. -- A truck driver killed in a crash involving six tractor-trailers was identified Friday as Kapui Liti, 40, of West Valley, Utah.

Liti was a co-driver and was in the sleeper berth of his 2001 Freightliner when it crashed Wednesday into a 2006 Volvo truck that had jackknifed. He died at the crash scene about 11 miles east of Wamsutter on Interstate 80, according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

The road was icy at the time of the crash, and light fog had reduced visibility to around a quarter-mile. The crash happened around 6 a.m. and the westbound lanes were closed off and on throughout the morning.


Worker killed in accident at aluminum mill

CLARKSBURG W.Va. -- A worker (Donald Grimes, 45) at a Harrison County aluminum mill died Monday morning after apparently getting caught by a piece of machinery.

The accident occurred at Precision Coil just west of Clarksburg. The victim's name and details of the accident were not immediately available.

"All I can tell you is someone should not be in a position where they may have been crushed," Stan Elliott, area director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Charleston office, told WDTV-TV.

Jim Smith Jr., the owner of the company, declined to comment Monday. He said he would release a statement on Tuesday.


Truck driver dies in Prince George crash

Prince George County, VA -- A North Carolina truck driver was killed Thursday when he lost control of a tractor-trailer on Interstate 95 in Prince George County and crashed.

State police said Carlton Wade Stanley, 64, of Clinton, N.C., was northbound about 2 p.m. when his rig sideswiped a guardrail, plunged down an embankment, hit several trees and overturned a mile south of South Crater Road.


Worker dies when crane hits live wires

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - A construction crane struck several power lines Monday morning, killing one worker, injuring another and leaving dozens of residents without power for a few hours.

Thomas Boyd Joslin and John Mullin of Ken Fisher Building were trying to unhook trusses from a crane at 754 36th Ave. N about 8:15 a.m., said St. Petersburg police spokesman George Kajtsa. Joslin, 44, of Tarpon Springs, was holding the metal lines connected to the trusses when the crane hit a power line. Joslin was pronounced dead at Bayfront Medical Center.

Mullin, of Brooksville, was thrown about 10 feet by the force of the shock. He was treated at Bayfront and released Monday afternoon.

Joslin worked for the company for about three weeks.

Cherie Jacobs, spokeswoman for Progress Energy Florida, said about 33 homes lost power because of the accident, but workers had been out and all power had been restored by Monday afternoon.

Kajtsa said the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the accident to determine if proper procedures were followed. OSHA's regulations say employers should not permit workers in areas with live wires. The wires should be de-energized and grounded so they pose no risk .

In 2004, 123 workers nationwide were electrocuted after coming into contact with overhead power lines, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eleven of those deaths were in Florida.


TEEN KILLED IN ROLLOVER OF TRACTOR

Madison, WI -- A 13-year-old boy helping out on a relative's farm in Crawford County died Saturday when the tractor he was driving slipped off the road and overturned.

Jason Teynor III, a seventh-grader in the Fennimore School District, was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred about 11 a.m. near Wauzeka.

"Every spring you'll hear of someone tipping a tractor over," said Crawford County Sheriff Robert Ostrander, who was at the scene. "It's just such a tragedy. There's just been too much of it."

The boy was the only person on the tractor and was pulling a manure spreader up a private road on a farm owned by a great uncle, Ostrander said. One of the tractor's wheels apparently dropped off the road, causing the tractor to roll over and pin the boy, he said.

Tractor rollovers are the most common way people get killed on farms, said Mark Purschwitz, a researcher in agricultural safety at the National Farm Medicine Center, part of the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation.

In 2003, the most recent year available, 37 people died in farm-related fatalities in Wisconsin, according to the Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at UW-Madison Extension. Of those, 10 involved tractors.

11 Tape Reveals Officer Killed In Crash Died In Line Of Duty

Washington DC -- A DC police officer killed in a car crash Thursday night had just called in to check on a possible stolen vehicle when he died.

Police spokesman Joe Gentile says Police Chief Charles Ramsey has reviewed a 911 tape from Sergeant Gerard Burke Junior and determined he died in the line of duty.

Burke was off duty when he lost control of his SUV on 11 Street, Northwest. It crossed the center line, hit a parked car, then spun around and hit another moving car. The driver of that car walked away from the accident.

Police say they've determined Burke died of a ruptured aorta.


Garbage co. employee killed in accident

A Waste Management employee from McComb was killed Tuesday evening on Highway 51 in a three-vehicle accident that blocked the highway north of Summit for approximately six hours, authorities said.

Steven A. Young, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene by Pike County Coroner Percy Pittman. Three others received minor injuries in the accident about 1.5 miles north of Summit.

Young was a passenger on the back of a garbage truck driven by O.C. Montgomery, 62, of Summit, when the truck stopped to pick up a load of trash around 6:30 p.m.

A passenger car driven by John Clifton Hudson, 51, of Tucson, Ariz., and a loaded commercial log truck driven by Andrew Jagers, 53, of Summit, were behind the garbage truck, said Master Sgt. Albert Johnson of Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Troop M.

Johnson said Jagers' truck struck Hudson's car and forced it into the garbage truck. The log truck overturned and spilled its load across the highway.