Worker electrocuted while fixing telephone pole
SHARON, Mass. --A repairman for Verizon Communications Inc. was electrocuted Sunday morning while fixing a damaged telephone pole in Sharon, a company official said.
Steve Buckman, who had worked for Verizon for 25 years, was among a crew fixing a pole that was damaged in an earlier auto accident.
"He somehow came in contact with a power line," company spokesman John Bonomo said.
The fire department responded to a report of the worker shocked at about 8:30 a.m. Buckman was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
It wasn't immediately known if Buckman was on the pole or on the ground when he was electrocuted, Bonomo said.
Construction worker killed on I-95 in Boynton
BOYNTON BEACH FL-- A construction worker was killed late Wednesday when he was rolled over by a tar truck on Interstate 95 near Gateway Boulevard, troopers said. The incident happened at 11:51 p.m. in the southbound lanes near Hypoluxo Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Truck driver Charles McFadden was doing paving work in the I-95 construction zone when his co-worker, Walter Covert III, 44, for some reason moved behind the tar truck, the FHP said.
Worker killed under dump truck on Port Washington dock
PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. Port Washington police say a contract worker for We Energies was killed this morning, apparently when a dump truck rolled over on him.
Police Captain Mike Keller says the man was dead when rescue personnel arrived at the We Energies plant.
The incident occurred around 10:25 this morning on the coal dock at the company's Port Washington power plant.
Police have not released the man's name.
Oil Rig Worker Killed in Accident
Minot,ND - McKenzie County authorities say a South Dakota man working on an oil rig in western North Dakota was crushed by a tank and killed. Thirty-one-year-old Karl Heller of Piedmont died early Tuesday morning. Authorities say it happened about eight miles from the Montana border, authorities said. The McKenzie County sheriff's office says a tank that was being moved fell and crushed Heller. McKenzie County authorities are investigating the accident. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration also has been notified.
3 Mammoth Ski Patrollers Killed, Many Others Injured in Resort Accident
Mammoth, CA - It's been a deadly year at California's Mammoth Mountain. In late January and early February five skiers were killed in a seven day period. Now, adding to an already tragic season, three members of the mountain's ski patrol were killed in an accident while clearing snow at the resort yesterday. According to TelemarkTips.com, two patrollers were fencing off a volcanic steam vent when nearly 80 inches of recent snow collapsed into a pit that had been compromised by the heat vent. The patrollers were dragged into the pit and killed almost instantly by the carbon dioxide in the hole. Snow-safety expert, long-time Mammoth fixture and president of the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, Walter Rosenthal, jumped into the hole to try and rescue the patrollers, but succumbed as well. Reports indicate that a fourth patroller also attempting to rescue the others was overcome by the carbon dioxide, but was later revived and hospitalized. Six other employees were hospitalized and many others treated for carbon dioxide inhalation.
(John "Scott" McAndrews and James Juarez fell into the hole as they tried to clear snow from a fence around a fumarole -- a hole from which hot smoke and gases escape -- on Mammoth Mountain, The Los Angeles Times reported. Charles Walter Rosenthal was killed in a rescue attempt.)
Florida construction worker dies after falling down elevator shaft at federal courthouse
ORLANDO, Fla. – Investigators are trying to find out what happened right before a construction worker fell to his death on the job Tuesday morning.
36-year old Jon Murphy fell 50-feet down an elevator shaft at a downtown Orlando construction site.
Rescue workers say the Murphy was working on the elevator, slipped, and landed at the bottom of the shaft at the new Federal Courthouse site on North Division Avenue.
They say he was working alone, and aren't sure if he was wearing a harness.
Man dies in construction accident
WALTON COUNTY, GA — A Bogart man died Thursday after he was pressed between the bucket on a construction truck and metal beams on an uncompleted building. Law enforcement officials responded to the incident at about 9 a.m. Thursday morning. John Michael Cox, 47, died as a result of injuries suffered while working at the construction site of a gas station/convenience store on the corner of Hwy. 11 and Bold Springs Road in Monroe. “We got a call approximately nine o’clock Thursday morning about the accident,” Lt. Chris Cannon of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said. “The gentleman was working with the steel structure at that site, and it appears he was pressed between the roofing beams and the bucket from the bucket truck he was operating.” Cannon said Cox was trying to extend the boom of the bucket truck, but as he tried to stop the boom, there was a malfunction that resulted in him being pressed against two steal beams that supported the roof on which he was working.
Construction worker unloading wallboard killed when stack falls
Albuquerque,NM - For the second time in less than a week, a construction accident in the Albuquerque metro area has killed a worker. James Jojola, 38, of Albuquerque died Thursday at a home construction site in Rio Rancho when a stack of wallboard fell on him. He was part of a crew unloading wallboard from a flatbed truck. Jojola worked for Rak’s Building Supply. Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Office of the Medical Investigator are looking into what caused the accident. Last Saturday, two construction workers died at the Albuquerque Sunport when the lift they were on fell over. The workers were doing ductwork on a new building at the state’s largest airport.
Farmer dies in hay bale accident
Dodge City,KS - A small farming community is in shock. Friday evening a southwest Sedgwick County man was moving a hay bale in his shed when he got caught underneath and died. It happened at a farm house off McArthur and Maize Roads. Deputies say the 65-year-old man was home alone at the time. A family member found him and called 911. When fire rescue, Sedgwick County Sheriff's deputies and EMS workers moved the bale they discovered the man was dead. Neighbors tell Eyewitness News the man was married with three children and believed to be in good health. Charles Becker lives up the road from the farm house. He knew the victim well. Becker says the farmer was known for using common sense and wasn't a risk taker. Authorities took the body to an area forensic lab for a possible autopsy. Authorities are waiting until Monday to release the man's name
Man falls to death at plant
Steamboard Springs, CO -- A Mississippi man died Sunday after falling nearly 100 feet into an empty boiler at Xcel Energy's Hayden Station.Routt County Deputy Coroner Mitch Locke said 34-year-old Jason Parks of Lucedale, Miss., was pronounced dead at Yampa Valley Medical Center at about 5:45 p.m., an hour after the accident was reported. Locke said Parks died of blunt force trauma to the head.
Parks worked as a pipe cutter and fitter for Southeast Texas Industrial Services, a company that was subcontracted by Xcel Energy to repair one of its boilers, Routt County Sheriff John Warner said Tuesday.
Parks was working on the ninth floor of the boiler when he fell from scaffolding to the bottom of the cone-shaped boiler, Warner said.
Two Sheriff's Office deputies and West Routt Ambulance personnel responded to the accident. CPR was performed on Parks almost immediately after the fall and up until the time he was pronounced dead, Warner said. Parks was not wearing a safety harness when he fell, Warner said.
Worker Is Killed in a Fall
Queens, NY - A 60-year-old construction worker was killed yesterday when he fell from scaffolding attached to a Queens building and landed on the roof of a parking garage six stories below, the police said. About noon, the worker, Shafi Burondkar, was repairing the exterior of an apartment building at 102-25 67th Drive, in Forest Hills, when he lost his footing and fell, the police said. Mr. Burondkar was not wearing a safety harness, and a man working with him had just gone on a lunch break, said Ilyse Fink, a spokeswoman for the city's Department of Buildings. She said the company that employed Mr. Burondkar, Roosevelt Contracting Company, would be issued at least one citation because it had failed to hire a licensed rigger to monitor the scaffolding. Evelyn Gross, 64, who lives next door, said she believed the accident occurred when Mr. Burondkar's partner stepped off the scaffolding.
Local Caltrans Worker Killed on Highway 101
Gilroy, CA - A Gilroy resident and former city employee was killed Tuesday afternoon while patching a rain-soaked highway in his new job with Caltrans. Sean Merriman, 32, was pinned between two Caltrans vehicles after a flat-bed tow truck collided with one of them near Hellyer Avenue in south San Jose. Merriman was part of a three-man crew filling potholes along the northbound lane of the highway. He was shoveling asphalt from a dump truck when the accident occurred, according to Caltrans spokeswoman Lauren Wonder. She said work crews had taken all appropriate safety precautions prior to the accident, which occurred shortly after 1pm. As part of standard procedure, the crew had parked a safety truck intended to protect workers from approaching vehicles. The tow truck was traveling at full speed when it hit the safety truck, pushing it forward and pinning Merriman against the dump truck.
Parking Attendant shot/killed
SAN DIEGO, CA - Authorities are investigating the shooting death of an employee at a Downtown parking lot Friday night. The victim was an employee of ACE Parking. According to investigators, he just arrived at the 1365 6th Avenue lot with proceeds from another lot when he was confronted and shot.
Dump truck backs over, kills MoDOT inspector
A veteran Missouri Department of Transportation employee was killed on the job Friday when a dump truck backed over him near Old Appleton. Robert Eftink, 62, of Marble Hill, Mo., had been working at a construction site on Interstate 55 south of Route KK at mile marker 116 when the accident occurred around 2:30 p.m., the Missouri State Highway Patrol stated. Eftink suffered "multiple-system trauma" and "massive injuries," Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:05 p.m. The dump truck, which was not state-owned but subcontracted out, had been backing up in the outside northbound lane closed to traffic when it struck Eftink, said Mark Shelton, MoDOT's district engineer for Southeast Missouri.
Marion man dies in grain bin accident
Valley City,ND - A Marion man died in a grain bin accident Thursday at Plains Grain and Agronomy, Marion, according to LaMoure County Sheriff Gary Jensen. The accident occurred at approximately 9:49 a.m. Terry Rienstra, 45, an employee of the elevator company, died of injuries he received when he fell into a grain bin at the elevator. Details of the accident are being withheld pending an investigation by the LaMoure County Sheriff’s Department. The LaMoure Fire Department, with 16 firefighters, and LaMoure Ambulance were called to the scene. It took firefighters between 2 1/2 and 3 hours to remove Rienstra from the bin, said Gary Klein, LaMoure fire chief. John Albers, Marion Fire Department, also assisted. “It took a little longer because it was a recovery rather than a rescue,” Klein said.
Saraland police officer dies at 33
Mobile, AL - Since the age of about 7, Anthony Maurice Andrews wanted to be a police officer, his father said. And he did just that -- here at home and in Iraq. Andrews, 33, a corporal with the Saraland Police Department and a veteran of the Iraq war, died Friday morning at hospital in Mobile, one week after collapsing during a standard exercise program, according to a Saraland police official. He was a native of Mobile and a resident of Axis.
Construction worker killed at home site
RIO RANCHO, N.M. -- An Albuquerque man was killed in a construction accident Thursday afternoon at a rapidly growing subdivision in Rio Rancho. The victim was delivering construction supplies. Rescue workers responded quickly to a 911 call around 2 p.m., but it was already too late for the victim. John Francis of the Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety says a load of sheetrock fell on a 37-year-old employee of Rak's Building supply. The site developer released a statement saying, "What happened today was truly a tragic accident. We are deeply saddened by the loss." Rio Rancho DPS, OSHA and the Office of the Medical Investigator will be looking into the incident. For OSHA it has been a busy week. Last Saturday, two workers at an airport construction site were killed when the lift platform on which they were working collapsed An OSHA spokesman says since construction work is the second most dangerous job in the state the numbers are not alarming. They say an investigation will take several months.
Two fatal accidents push W.Va. mine death toll to 18
A miner at the Mystic mine was killed at 12:15 p.m. Friday while running a continuous-miner conveyor belt at Candice No. 2, said Caryn Gresham, a spokeswoman for the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training. She declined to release the miner’s name.
The miner was killed after being pulled into the conveyor belt, said Amy Louviere, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. She didn’t know where in the mine the miner was killed.
The second accident happened about 3:15 p.m. at the Jacob No. 1 Mine, Gresham said. Robert Runyon, 48, of Belfry, Ky., was the victim in that accident, a Mingo 911 dispatcher said.
Louviere said he was operating a 15-ton locomotive, and was killed after rock and roof-support materials fell on the machine.
Miner injured by falling rock dies
TUSCALOOSA, AL -- A Brookwood miner died Monday evening at DCH Regional Medical Center, almost two weeks after he was struck by a falling rock in Jim Walter Resources’ No. 4 Mine. A hospital official said Gerry R. Jones, 57, died at 7:50 p.m. Monday. He had been in critical condition since the accident.
Jones had no pulse and stopped breathing after the large rock struck him in the legs and knocked him backward onto a heavy-duty conveyor belt on March 29.
Jones, who had been a coal miner for more than 23 years, was assisting in the installation of chain-link-type fencing on a wall where workers were preparing to move a large piece of machinery called a longwall.
Trainmen are victims, too, when rail fatalities occur
Hackensack,NJ - Ken Michel shuddered when he heard about the grisly deaths of the bridegroom-to-be and his companion. Both men were killed Monday when a Susquehanna & Western locomotive rammed their landscaping truck at an Oakland railroad crossing. By now, somewhere in Washington, D.C., an entry in a Federal Railroad Administration safety log marks this event in dry numerals: 2 truck-train victims: NJ, 4/3/2006. But Michel knows the math is incomplete. "The two guys in the truck weren't the only victims," he said. "You've got to count the engineer and the conductors, too." A CSX Corp. train engineer for 32 years, Michel speaks from bitter experience. From January to June 1980, he was at the helm when his train was involved in six vehicular or pedestrian accidents -- three within two weeks.
Oregon City man accused of killing business partner
Oregon City, OR - The suspect, Christopher Winter, co-owned a pest-control company with John Hall. Authorities arrested an Oregon City man Wednesday, accusing him of murdering his business partner after the two argued over their company's finances. Clackamas County sheriff's deputies arrested Christopher Keller Winter, 36, of the Redland area on accusations of aggravated murder and first-degree theft in the death last fall of John David Hall, 55. The two men owned Bullseye Pest Elimination. Friends found Hall's body Nov. 15 in his home at the Frontier Mobile Home Park in the 8900 block of Southeast Beaverlake Drive in Clackamas. He died of blunt-force trauma. Detective Jim Strovink, a sheriff's spokesman, wouldn't elaborate on the cause of death.
Worker Killed In On-The-Job Accident
Blackduck, Minn. - A Blackduck, Minn. worker has died after the trench he was working in caved in. The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office said it received a report of a trench caving in on a worker near Blackduck at around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Jeffrey Lossing, 37, had been working in the trench. Rescue workers performed CPR, but couldn't revive Lossing. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Blackduck is about 23 miles northeast of Bemidji in northern Minnesota.
Man trimming weeds struck and killed by train
EARLINGTON, Ky. - An Earlington city employee died Wednesday after being struck by a train, the Hopkins County coroner said. John Bell Jr., 39, was trimming weeds along the railroad tracks in the western Kentucky town when he walked into the path of an oncoming CSX train, Coroner John Walters said. Bell died at the Regional Medical Center in Madisonville as a result of blunt force trauma, Walters said. State police said the accident happened just before 9 a.m. CDT at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Kentucky 112. The engineer sounded the train's horn before striking Bell, Walters said. Bell was not wearing any type of ear protection at the time of the accident, Walters said.
Driver of cement truck dies in wreck on I-30
FORT WORTH -- The driver of a cement truck was killed Tuesday morning when his truck blew a tire on Interstate 30 and slid a few hundred feet along a highway divider. The wreck forced lane closures on both sides of the road for hours. The driver was in the westbound center lane approaching the Forest Park bridge about 10:45 a.m. when the left front tire blew out, witnesses told police. The truck, which was carrying a full load of cement and weighed about 63,000 pounds, veered left, striking and partially rolling over the concrete divider, said Sgt. Tim Ellis, supervisor of the commercial-vehicle-enforcement unit. The truck then slid along the divider, with the cab on the westbound side and the mixer on the eastbound side, for about 300 feet, flinging metal posts into the air.
Vulcan worker dies at quarry
New Providence, TN - A Vulcan Materials employee who died Monday at his rock quarry job site was possibly electrocuted. Emergency Medical Service Capt. Gary Perry said EMS workers responded to an unknown injury at Vulcan Materials in New Providence. He said medics had difficulty finding the victim at the quarry but confirmed someone had been "electrocuted."
"He was DOA (dead on arrival) when our medics got there," Perry said. Vulcan's Mid-South Division Human Resources Director Ed Barrett confirmed the fatal accident happened about 4 p.m., but he could not give many details until the employee's family is notified.
Vulcan and Mine Safety Health Administration representatives are investigating. "At this point it is premature to speculate as the cause of the accident," Barrett said. "Our primary concern is for the family of our deceased employee. This is a devastating loss to them as well as everyone here at Vulcan." Barrett said the area where the employee died has been secured, and the investigation will continue today. He would not say where the accident happened or how long the man had been employed with Vulcan.
Three dead in Boston scaffolding collapse
BOSTON --A 20,000-pound construction platform collapsed and then crashed down 13 stories onto a busy downtown street Monday, killing three people and crushing cars stalled in midday traffic.
The collapse occurred about 1:20 p.m. on Boylston Street, which runs along the south side of Boston Common.
Witnesses said there was a terrifying rumble then crash of the platform lift system, which was set up atop a second building next to a 14-story building owned by Emerson College. The platform and scaffolding, which had been used to install a stone facade, were being dismantled around the 13th story when the collapse happened, said acting Fire Commissioner Kevin MacCurtain.
Boston police identified the dead as the driver of the car, Michael Tsan Ty, 28, of Boston's Roslindale neighborhood; and two construction workers, Robert E. Beane, 41, of Baldwinville; and Romildo Silva, 27, of Somerville.Postal Worker Charged in Coworker Killing
Baker City, OR -- A postal worker killed a colleague by running over her and shooting her in the office parking lot, authorities said Wednesday. Grant Gallaher, 41, struck the woman with a postal vehicle as he drove into the lot Tuesday afternoon, said District Attorney Matthew B. Shirtcliff. The woman was on foot and her car was nearby. Gallaher then entered the building intending to shoot postmaster Michael McGuire, but was unable to find him, Shirtcliff said in a statement. Gallaher then entered the building intending to shoot postmaster Michael McGuire, but was unable to find him, Shirtcliff said in a statement. He returned to the parking lot and shot the woman, Lori Leigh Hayes-Kotter, the prosecutor said.
Local Worker Killed While Cutting Down Tree
Lansing, MI - A Jackson Road Commission worker was killed Monday in a tree cutting accident. Authorities say it happened around 9:30am on West Liberty Road. The county sheriff's department says Terry Wheaton was cutting trees downed by from the recent storms. They say a tree that had just been cut, twisted as it fell and hit Wheaton on the head. The incident remains under investigation.
GR oil field worker dies from injuries
Green River,WY - A Green River man died from injuries he received in an accident on a drilling rig east of Rock Springs, according to Sheriff Dave Gray. Rodney Caddy, 39, was working on Neighbors Drilling rig east of Rock Springs and about 53 miles north of Interstate 80 last Thursday when the accident occurred. Gray said Caddy and another crew member were attempting to break a connection in the drill pipe with chain tongs. “For some reason, the connection bound up and the chain swung around, striking him in the left side of his head,” Gray said. The blow from the chain knocked Caddy into another piece of machinery on the rig, striking his chest. Gray said he and Capt. Dave Schofield were coming back from the Law Enforcement Academy in Douglas when the dispatch came in.
Byron man dies in ditch accident
Byron, GA - A Byron city utility worker died Wednesday and another was injured after a ditch in which they were working collapsed. Tony Poole, 42, of Byron, died after being partially buried in the ditch, said Byron Police Chief Wesley Cannon. Mike Creighton, 52, was in stable condition at The Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, the chief said. The two city workers were constructing a ditch for a new water line on Mosley Road when a wall of dirt collapsed on them about 10:30 a.m., Cannon said.
Owner of diner dies after shooting
Buffalo News, NY - The second unprovoked shooting of a merchant in less than two weeks resulted in the death Saturday morning of a popular Buffalo restaurateur. George Pitliangas, owner of Tony's Ranch House at 2285 Main St., died in Erie County Medical Center following a robbery and shooting in the diner Friday afternoon as he was getting ready to close. Buffalo and Kenmore investigators were exploring similarities between the latest attack and another unprovoked shooting April 5 at a convenience store on Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. "These guys have to be cold-blooded, ruthless sociopaths. Those are the best three words I can come up with," said Detective Sgt. Daniel F. Rinaldo.
Carroll County farmer killed in accident
LANARK, Ill. — Carroll County sheriff’s deputies continued their investigation Friday into an accident that caused the death of a 67-year-old farmer a day before. Deputies were sent to the Gary Sturtz farm at 5:31 p.m. Thursday. Sturtz was engaged in field work using horse-drawn equipment at the time of the accident, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No other information regarding the accident was released Friday by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department.
Longtime Bashas' worker slain on job, 35-year veteran killed in store; suspect shot dead by police
Mesa, AZ - The veteran produce manager of a Mesa Bashas' store was shot and killed Friday in an unexplained incident that ended with the death minutes later of the 62-year-old suspected gunman at the hands of police officers. Other than witnesses saying that the suspect, Charles R. Haynes, 62, of Mesa, was a longtime shopper at the Bashas' store, no other connection between the two men had been found by late Friday, police said. Killed was Tony Sanchez, 53, of Chandler who was just a few months shy of his 35th anniversary as a member of the Bashas' organization.
Man fatally shot at area building site
Gainesville, FL - A man was shot and killed Friday afternoon at a construction site in southwest Gainesville when a disgruntled former employee of Hardi Boys Construction came to pick up his last paycheck armed with a gun, according to Sgt. Keith Kameg with the Gainesville Police Department. Erik Schulz, 40, was shot around 3:45 p.m. in front of a new home being built in the Portofino subdivision at 2072 SW 66th Drive. He was pronounced dead around 4:30 p.m. at Shands at the University of Florida, Kameg said. Frank Salonko, 27, was arrested at the scene and charged with murder, carrying a concealed firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Kameg said additional charges are pending because officers found a loaded shotgun and small amounts of marijuana and morphine in his vehicle.
Man killed in workplace accident
Billings, MT - A 35-year-old man was killed in a workplace accident Wednesday at an oil field in Rosebud County. Kory A. Dawson, of Melstone, was attempting to service a pumping unit near Sumatra when he was fatally struck by a counterweight, said Rosebud County Undersheriff Tom Skinner. The victim -- whose name was released by a funeral home -- was taken by helicopter to St. Vincent Healthcare, where he was pronounced dead the same day, Skinner said. The accident happened about 12:30 p.m. in an oilfield located about five miles west of Sumatra and two miles north of Highway 12. The field is operated by Great Plains Operating LLC, and Dawson was an employee of Green Oil Field Service of Roundup, Skinner said.
Worker Crushed to Death at Construction Site
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A worksite on the Southside could remain closed for a few days after a backhoe crushed a man to death Thursday afternoon. Investigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office say a backhoe hit a man working in a pit. The man became pinned between the backhoe and a concrete barrier. "The driver had some dirt, he was swinging it around left, away from the workers," said JSO Sgt. Andre Ayoub. "There were three workers working in this pit area. When he swung around the backhoe to the left the back part of the backhoe struck our victim and pinned him against the concrete barrier." The JSO says the work site has been shutdown until representatives from OSHA complete their investigation. The worker has been identified as 37-yr-old Adrian Laster. He worked for American Site and Utilities.
Eatery owner killed in drive-by shooting
Miami, FL - The drive-by shooting of restaurant owner Mildred Reid Francis in her Miami Gardens business Tuesday has family and customers asking, `Why?' Nearly an hour after her Jamaican restaurant was supposed to close, Mildred Reid Francis chatted with the night's last customer. Then a volley of gunfire erupted through the window. Hours later, Reid Francis, 41, a bullet wound in her abdomen, died of internal bleeding at the hospital Wednesday. Miami-Dade homicide detectives say the drive-by shooting happened just before 11 p.m. Tuesday at One Stop Bellyfull & Go Jamaican Restaurant in Miami Gardens. A Chevrolet Monte Carlo was seen speeding from the strip mall at Northwest 27th Avenue and Miami Gardens Drive.
Award-winning Scio farmer killed in accidental explosion
SCIO, Ore. - An explosion at a Scio farm, east of Albany, has led to the death of an award-winning farmer, 68-year-old Burl Eastman. Eastman died Monday after a water tank he was pressurizing on his farm exploded. After the explosion, Eastman was found by paramedic's still breathing early Monday evening but unconscious from massive head injuries. He was transported to Samaritan Albany General Hospital, but died later. Eastman had won the Norpac award for high-quality vegetables in 2004.
Construction worker killed, 2 injured in accident
Ft. Myers,FL - A construction worker was killed and two were hospitalized after a three vehicle accident that happened while two construction vehicles were conducting tests on US 27 Tuesday morning. The two construction vehicles were headed northbound on US 27 in the outside lane, driving slowly. Henry Bullard was driving the first vehicle and Leland Rollis was driving behind Bullard. Anthony Williams was driving a vehicle northbound in the inside lane of US 27. As he approached the construction vehicle driven by Rollis, he began to change lanes, but failed to slow for the vehicle. The front of his vehicle hit the crash attenuator on the rear of Rollis' vehicle. Rollis' vehicle spun clockwise and struck the trailer of Bullard's vehicle. Williams' vehicle jackknifed and came to a rest near the east shoulder of the road. Williams and Bullard were not injured, but Rollis was killed in the accident. Bullard had two passengers in his vehicle who were injured. Tammy Wallace Dunton was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital by helicopter in serious condition. Tim Arnold Woodrum had minor injuries and was transported to Florida Hospital Lake Placid.
Man dies from fall at Georgia Pacific
Cedar Springs, GA - 59-year old Jerry L. Widner was a mechanic at the Cedar Springs Georgia Pacific plant. Monday, during an outage, he was moved from the garage, his normal work area, to the pulp mill to assist workers in that area. Around 9:20AM, a release valve opened and Widner fell off a platform in the pulp mill, to a level about 20 feet below. He suffered severe trauma to the head and was taken to Southeast Alabama Medical Center where he died about an hour later. OSHA is investigating the accident. This is the first employee death at the plant since the death of Walter Kincey in August 2003. OSHA issued Georgia Pacific 18 serious citations and fined the company $102,000.
Man Killed in Madera Industrial Accident
Madera,CA - A man was killed in an industrial accident on the outskirts of Madera. The accident happened on Road 28, near Avenue 14. The Madera County Sheriff's Department says 51-year-old Benjamin Tovar of Los Banos was killed. He was raising the boom of a cement truck using a remote control, when the boom hit live power lines That's when Tovar ran to shut the truck off, but was electrocuted. Investigators from Cal-OSHA have been called out to investigate. PG&E shut off the power for a while, but it has since been turned back on.
Worker dies climbing Montco cell-phone tower
Montco, NJ - A 40-year-old Cingular Wireless subcontractor died yesterday afternoon after losing consciousness while climbing a cell-phone tower in Rockledge, authorities said. Gerardo Rivera, of Patterson, N.J., was assigned to climb a cell-phone tower to take photos of the antennae array, Rockledge Police Department Senior Patrolman Oscar Horajeckyj said yesterday. About halfway up the tower at Rockledge and Robbins Avenue, Rivera stopped to rest, according to other Cingular subcontractors at the scene, Horajeckyj said. Rivera continued climbing, then lost consciousness and fell backward, caught by his safety harness. Rockledge police and fire departments from Rockledge, Cheltenham, and McKinley responded about 3:45 p.m. They brought Rivera down, but he never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at the scene, Horajeckyj said. It was not clear yesterday why Rivera lost consciousness and died. The Montgomery County Coroner's Office will conduct an autopsy.
1 worker killed, 4 injured at Los Angeles refinery
LOS ANGELES, CA - One worker died and four were injured when a storage tank roof collapsed on them at an oil refinery, officials said. Monday morning's accident at the Conoco Phillips refinery occurred as the men installed plates on the floor of the empty, 65-foot tank. Somehow, the adjustable, 120-foot-diameter roof fell to just two feet above the tank floor, said Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Lou Rapouli. The workers were employed by HMT, a Tomball, Texas-based contractor.
It marked the first time that a worker had been killed at the refinery in more than 20 years, ConocoPhillips spokesman Andy Perez said. "We suffered a fatality and we are very saddened by that," Perez said. "We are like a family here." Officials identified the dead man as Mario Vasquez, 25, of San Pedro. Another man was in serious condition with head and back injuries, while three others suffered minor injuries. Houston-based ConocoPhillips suspended all maintenance at the refinery, Perez said. It could take six months for the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health to complete an investigation into the accident, said Cal-OSHA spokeswoman Renee Bacchini.
Supplies crush worker driving forklift, Man, 33, bumped brace on shelving unit with vehicle and was killed under weight
TN - A 33-year-old Knoxville man was killed at work Monday afternoon when falling supplies crushed him as he exited the cage of a forklift, a Knoxville Fire Department official said. Abraham Castaneda died at Volunteer Wire Rope and Supply Company Inc., 2716 John Deere Drive, in North Knoxville, said assistant chief Mark Foulks. He was driving a forklift and hit a support brace for a bulk shelving unit, which is 25 to 30 feet tall, Foulks said. It contained wire rope and 24,000 pounds of chain in barrels. The shelving unit became unstable and began to come apart, he said. "When he realized what was happening, he left the cage of the forklift to evacuate, and that's when he was struck," Foulks said.
Worker Dies After Falling On His Head
NORTH SALEM, N.Y. -- A 40-year-old man has died from injuries to his head after falling 20 feet from a roof at a Westchester County home on Sunday, State Police in Somers said. An autopsy report determined that Robert Rabens, of Danbury, Conn., suffered massive head injuries when he landed on a concrete slab, police said. Rabens was installing siding on a house on Deer Run Court in North Salem at 2 p.m. police said. Police said he was standing on a six-foot ladder on top of a roof overhang leading to a second story when he lost his footing and fell. Rabens died at Danbury Hospital.
Driver killed in Ottawa County crash
Camp Perry, OH - The driver of a semi pulling an auto carrier was killed this morning in Ottawa County when he drove into the side of a freight train on State Rt. 2 near Camp Perry and his cab burst into flame. The identity of the semi driver was not immediately available. Authorities said the accident occurred around 4:30 a.m. when the driver of the semi apparently went around at least one other stopped vehicle at a railroad crossing marked only by a crossbucks and slammed into the side of the train. The Ohio Highway Patrol said it is not certain whether the driver saw the train because the area is not well lit. The fire destroyed the cab and damaged vehicles on the carrier as well as some freight cars. State Rt. 2 remained closed at 7 a.m. while clean-up crews removed the auto carrier and damaged freight car. Traffic was being detoured via State Route 163.
Man killed when attacked by bull
CRESCO, Iowa A northeast Iowa man has died from injuries received after a bull attacked him on his farm. John Wilson, of Cresco, died Thursday. Family members say Wilson and his son, Pat, were rounding up cows for milking when the bull became angry, charged through a fence and struck him. The 65-year-old Wilson was a farmer his entire life. His wife, Rheta, says "he even called his cows by name."
Construction worker killed by elevator
Pittsburgh, PA -- A construction worker was killed Thursday morning after sticking his head into an elevator shaft at a Downtown building, police said.
Workers at the scene said James A. Neely, 44, of Shiloh Street, Bellevue, was working on the seventh-floor of the former Try Street Terminal Building at Try Street and First Avenue. The elevator hit him in the head, killing him instantly, the workers said. The incident happened shortly before 8 a.m., police said.
Accident kills Dow employee
OYSTER CREEK, TX — A Dow Chemical Co. employee died Thursday morning at Memorial Hermann Hospital after injuries sustained from a fall at the Oyster Creek site Wednesday morning.
Miguel Curiel was transported to Brazosport Memorial Hospital after falling 20 feet from a structure at the plant, said Texas Dow Operations spokesman Jan Huisman. Curiel later was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital by LifeFlight and died at 1:30 a.m. Thursday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Migrant workers killed in accident
COLORADO, TX -- Six Valley migrant workers were killed when their SUV smashed into a train in Colorado.
The Colorado State Patrol says Melissa Resendez of Combes, Ventura Becerra of Harlingen, Francisco Perez Jr. and Cristela Rios of Donna and their teenage children, 13-year-old Bud Cruz and 14-year-old Harley Rios were killed.
They were in the Colorado area looking for work.
The 15-year-old driver, Christopher Cruz, survived.
Trench Collapse Kills One
Creston, IA - One man is dead following a deadly construction-site accident in Creston. Two men were working in a ditch replacing a sewer line when a wall of dirt suddenly caved in. One man was killed, the other suffered serious injuries to his legs, but is listed in fair condition.
The man who died is Danny Meggison, 43 of reston. Friends say he was very experienced at digging trenches, but might have made a fatal error today. In pictures taken by the Creston Fire Department you can see Travis Klos in a green brimmed hat. The 21-year-old from Afton was helping Danny Meggison. Klos was buried to his waist, he was unable to move but was alert. Meggison however, was caught under the dirt with only part of his head and shoulder visible.
Paramedics believe Meggison died within four minutes. Even though they could see his head - he hadn't been able to free himself - just one square yard of dirt weighs about 3,000 pounds.
Equipment operator dies in accident at Auburn construction site
AUBURN Ala. -- An Auburn man died at a construction site Thursday after becoming pinned between a tree and the heavy equipment he was operating.
James Dennis Pugh, 24, was declared dead at the scene, Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said in a statement. Harris said Pugh died from a head injury suffered in the accident shortly before 10 a.m.
It appears Pugh was trying to maneuver an excavator between two trees at the subdivision construction site off Lee County Road 72 in Auburn when he fell out of the cab and was pinned, Harris said.