A partial list of workers killed in the workplace over the past several weeks.
THP Officer Killed In Tipton County
Nashville, TN -- In West Tennessee, the Tennessee Highway Patrol is on the hunt for two men they believe killed a state trooper Saturday night. Trooper Calvin Jenks was shot twice, including once in the head.
A group of hunters saw the trooper’s blue lights from the woods. They checked it out, and found Jenks dead beside his vehicle in Tipton County. The Department of Safety is “deeply saddened by the loss” and is “doing everything” it can to “bring the suspects to justice”.
Rail worker killed
Sioux City, IA -- A Union Pacific employee was killed while working at the 28th Street yard this afternoon. The man was separating rail cars by destination at about 1 p.m. when he was struck by a rail car and killed, said Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific. Davis said there will be counseling available to co-workers. He did not release the name of the victim.
Worker Killed At Demolition Site Identified
PENN HILLS, PA - A worker died after falling 40 feet from a building he was helping demolish has now been identified. Yousef Maayah, 64, fell off the Atlas Cement Plant in Penn Hills at about 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office announced Thursday. Maayah last lived in Dearborn, Mich., but was a recent immigrant to the United States, the medical examiner's office said. His death was ruled an accident. Penn Hills police and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were investigating. It was not immediately clear who Maayah was working for when he died. "We're still trying to determine who the employer was," said Leni Uddyback-Fortson, spokeswoman for OSHA's Philadelphia office.
Tacoma Utilities Worker Dies After Storm Accident
TACOMA, Wash. -- Tacoma Power worker Bary Kensrud died Tuesday night from injuries sustained during cleanup after the Dec. 14 windstorm. On Dec. 17, Kensrud and a tree-trimming crew were sent to remove a tree that had fallen onto the road near North 29th Street and Mullen Street in Tacoma. When the crew arrived they discovered a downed power pole that limited access to the fallen tree. Kensrud was standing on the ground cutting away the pole, which released the tension on some communications cables that were under the pole, when the pole and lines hit him, throwing him across the alley. The crew called 911 immediately and Kensrud was transported to the hospital where he remained in critical condition until his death Tuesday. Tacoma Power is following normal accident review procedures and preparing incident report ro share with Kensrud’s family.
Tyson Investigating Worker's Death
Emporia, KS - Tyson Foods is investigating the death of an Emporia worker who was hurt on the job. Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said a male production worker walked to the plant's Health Services Department about 5:30 p.m. Thursday night and reported being injured while helping prepare an animal for slaughter. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, but did not survive. Tyson operations and safety personnel are investigating. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has also been contacted.
Alcoa worker dies from gas inhalation
POINT COMFORT, TX - 37-year old Port Lavaca man came into contact with hydrogen fluoride. A 37-year-old Alcoa employee died Tuesday in a Houston hospital after he inhaled hydrogen fluoride gas Tuesday afternoon while working in the chemical department at the Point Comfort plant. Late Wednesday, Alcoa officials identified the man as John Dorton of Port Lavaca. "It's a very sad day for us here," said Laurel Cahill, Alcoa's director of communications. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the instrument and electrical technician." In a news release, Cahill said Dorton had been an Alcoa employee since 2004. About 50 members of Hope Fellowship Church in Port Lavaca gathered for a prayer service Wednesday night to offer support and comfort to Dorton's wife, Carolina.
Budding farmer lost in tragedy
HARDWICK TWP., PA - 16-year-old Devin Yurga died doing what he loved, his mother says. 'He just had the gentlest heart.' One of the highlights in Devin Yurga's young life was the day he got his farmer's license and drove his Ford pickup truck across the fields for the first time. The 16-year-old, who dreamed of being a dairy farmer, had been working on area farms for years, but now he was one step closer to adulthood. His mom, Bonnie Yurga, is left with the memory of her son, who died Saturday doing what he loved -- driving a tractor on a Knowlton Township farm. Devin Yurga was operating a 1974 Massey Ferguson tractor Saturday morning when it flipped and pinned his upper torso. He was flown to Morristown Memorial Hospital, where, police said, he died of asphyxiation.
Accident kills utility worker
Waynesboro, GA -- An OMI employee was killed when a truck backed over him at Waynesboro's wastewater treatment plant. The accident occurred around 12:45 p.m. Saturday when Sewell Clifford Peckham, 25, was leaving the plant to make routine rounds in the city.
He was closing a gate behind his company truck when it apparently slipped into reverse, a spokesperson from the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) said, noting that their findings were preliminary.
Explosion at Bucks firm results in man's death
FALLS, Pa. -- A man was killed when a pressurized tank he was testing exploded at a concrete factory yesterday, police said. The man -- identified by police as Theodore C. Potsko, 40, of Doris Avenue, Bensalem, Pa. -- was working at Silvi Concrete on Newbold Road when the deadly acci dent occurred about 12:50 p.m. Police said Potsko was a veteran of the war in Iraq. The preliminary investigation revealed Potsko was pressure-test ing a water tank that was part of a cement mixer truck, police said. For an as yet unknown reason, the tank exploded, throwing Pot sko several feet and killing him instantly, police said.
Worker killed in Bronx construction accident, falls 2 stories
NEW YORK — A construction worker (Carlos Reinoso, 47,) operating an excavating machine during the demolition of a vacant building fell to his death Wednesday when a concrete beam tumbled off a second-story ledge and dragged his vehicle with it. A preliminary city report indicated that the man was using the front-end loader to push a 60-foot concrete beam to the ledge of a Bronx building's second floor when it got stuck. In an attempt to dislodge the 2-ton beam, the worker pushed it off the side of the eight-story building. But the beam dragged the machine with it, and it fell about 26 feet. The worker, who was thrown from the machine, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The city's Department of Buildings stopped work at the site and issued a violation to the contractor for unsafe demolition practices. Common practice would be to cut the beam into pieces before removing it. Engineers from the buildings department and inspectors from the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration were investigating.
Pizzeria Employee Killed
Fort Wayne, IN - Fort Wayne police are looking for two men, who they say, shot and killed an employee at Tasty Pizza. It happened during a hold-up around 12:40 a.m. Sunday morning. There were a few employees in the store, when two masked men walked in with guns. What began as an armed robbery turned violent, and 23-year old Chad Brunson, of Fort Wayne was shot in the head. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. So far, no arrests have been made. Police say this type of murder is rare. They hope surveillance video will help them find the killers.
Anchorage man dies at Red Dog Mine
ANCHORAGE, AK - An Anchorage man was killed Friday when he was struck by a boulder at the Red Dog Mine in northwest Alaska. Jeffrey A. Huber, 51, was pronounced dead at the mine's medical facilities. Mine officials said a boulder fell from the side of an open pit and struck Huber, causing massive head and chest injuries.
Two found dead in bar owned by Red Wings star
Detroit, MI -- Two people were found stabbed to death Tuesday morning at a sports bar owned by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios, authorities said. Police arrested a former employee, according to news reports. The victims were a man and woman who both worked for Cheli's Chili Bar, officials said. They were found shortly after 9 a.m. on the restaurant's second floor, said police spokeswoman Yvette Walker. A former employee was arrested, the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News reported. Earlier, Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings told the Free Press that "a former disgruntled employee" may have been responsible. The newspapers identified the victims as Megan Soroka, 49, of suburban Dearborn, and Mark Barnard, 52, of Detroit. Soroka was a manager and Barnard was a cook, the papers said.
Construction Worker Dies In Fall At New School
STEVENSVILLE, Md. -- A construction worker fell to his death Thursday while working on a roof of a middle school being built on Kent Island. The 45-year-old man, who wasn't identified pending family notification, was standing on the Matapeake Middle School roof when he fell from the two-story structure, hitting the concrete floor below, officials said. The man died at the scene, said Cpl. J.D. Hofmann of the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office.
Worker dies after becoming pinned by machinery at paper plant
GILMAN, Vt. -- A paper mill worker has died after becoming pinned by machinery at the Dirigo Paper Co. Gary Brown, 49, of Guildhall, was doing maintenance at plant Friday morning when he became pinned between the bucket and front of a skid steer. Brown, who had worked at the mill since 2004, was taken by helicopter to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. He died during emergency surgery.
Ironworker killed by falling metal plate
Brooklyn, NY - A Bronx man working as a dry dock ironworker was struck and killed by a 6,000-pound metal plate that fell from a crane at a shipyard inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard Saturday, according to co-workers and the victim's family. Police said their investigation was still pending and did not immediately identify the victim or provide details about the accident. Co-workers said the 40-foot-by-80-foot plate somehow came loose from a crane on a fuel barge and landed on the ironworker, Christopher Thomas, around 10:30 a.m. in the GMD Shipyard. Thomas was still breathing when he was rushed by ambulance to Brooklyn Hospital Center, where he later died, co-workers said.
Demolition worker dies from earlier injuries
Wilkes-Barre, PA - A demolition worker injured when a wall collapsed on him has died. Edward Widdick, 53, of Clarks Summit, died last week, Luzerne County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Lisman said. The building collapsed Dec. 10. Firefighters and rescue workers tossed aside bricks and beams to get to Mr. Widdick, who was pinned for about 15 minutes. The building on Public Square, Wilkes-Barre's town center, was once part of Pomeroy's department store.
Cobb County lawman killed in car collision
MARIETTA, Ga. - A Cobb County sheriff's deputy driving to work was killed in a traffic wreck Sunday morning. Deputy Loren Lilly, 41, was killed in the collision, which occurred at about 5:45 a.m., Marietta Police said. Lilly was driving south on Powder Springs Road near Baltimore Place when his green Honda Civic collided with a white Ford Taurus and overturned several times, police said. Lilly's car overturned several times and he was killed at the scene, officer Casey Camp said.
Funeral Services Set For JSO Officer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Funeral services are set for Jacksonville Sheriff's Officer Corey Russ, who was killed in a traffic accident Saturday. Russ died Saturday afternoon after a collision that occurred while he was driving the wrong way on a one-way street downtown, state police said.
Man killed in roofing accident in Thompson
THOMPSON, CT — A construction worker was killed on the job this morning after falling 17 feet off scaffolding that was mounted against a house, state police officials with Troop D said. Scott B. Millette, 47, of Webster, Mass., was part of a roofing company crew installing a new roof on a two-story home at 422 Riverside Drive when he fell off aluminum scaffolding around 11 a.m., police said. Millette was transported to Day Kimball Hospital by ambulance. Millette succumbed to injuries sustained from the fall and was pronounced dead at 11:42 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday at the Chief Medical Examiner’s office in Farmington.
North Texas firefighter killed in line of duty
DENISON, TX — A Denison firefighter who died this weekend while battling a blaze was a second-generation firefighter who had grown up around the North Texas department. Phillip Townsend, 31, died Saturday at the Texoma Medical Center about two hours after part of a building collapsed on him as he fought a fire that destroyed a Denison shopping center. Chief Gordan Weger, 54, was also trapped in the collapse. He was taken to the hospital and was treated and released, officials said.
Cab Driver, Father of Four Murdered
Atlanta, GA - DeKalb County police are investigating the murder of a taxi driver, who was shot to death at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning. The shooting happened at an apartment complex on New Bedford Way, near Shallowford Road and Interstate 85. Police responded to the scene after a neighbor called 911. When they arrived, they say they found the driver's body inside his van, which rolled down a hill, hitting the side of an apartment building. "We know him for a long time, so our company feel bad about it," said Amanda Flores, a friend and co-worker of the victim. "He had reported to our base about an hour ago."
SF Police Officer Dies After Shootout; Suspect Dies at Scene
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - -- A San Francisco police officer is dead after he was shot in the head last night, then pulled off life support by his family early this morning. Bryan Tuvera, 28, a four-and-a-half year veteran of the force, was shot by a suspect during a gun fight in the Sunset District that also left the suspect dead, according to Police Chief Heather Fong. She said the shootout started when two officers chased the suspect, wanted on multiple warrants, into the garage of a home on the 1,600 block of 25th Avenue.
W.Va. Man Killed in Mining Accident
MAIDSVILLE, W.Va. — A man died in a weekend roof fall at a northern West Virginia coal mine, becoming the 47th mining fatality in the nation this year. Electrician John Elliott, 26, of Newburg died Sunday night at Dana Mining Co.'s Prime No. 1 mine in Monongalia County, said Amy Louviere, spokeswoman for the federal Mine Safety & Health Administration.
Snapped cable killed construction worker
BUFORD, GA - A 21-year-old man - who worked for a Flowery Branch company - was killed Monday in a construction accident after a support cable snapped on an excavator driven by his brother. Gwinnett County Medical Examiner's Office investigator Ray Rawlins said Oscar Velasco of Lawrenceville died of blunt force trauma to the neck and head, causing a broken neck. Rawlins said Velasco was helping to install a sewage system for a new subdivision and was loading a trench box onto the tracked excavator, also known as a track hoe. The trench box weighs about half a ton, and the cables were up to 100 pounds, Rawlins said. ``The tension is deadly,'' Rawlins said. "It will destroy anything that it strikes.'' As his brother, Raul Velasco, lifted the trench box, one of the cables came off, striking Oscar Velasco on the base of his head and wrapping around his neck.
Man Dies After Falling Four Floors At Downtown Building
St. Louis, MO - A St. Louis County man died Monday night after falling four floors at a downtown St. Louis building under redevelopment. Sidney Taylor, 49, of the 9400 block of Burdella Avenue, was an employee of Environmental Operations, Inc., a St. Louis-based firm that provides abatement services. Chairman and CEO Stacy W. Hastie said Taylor fell from the sixth floor to the second floor of the Syndicate Trust Building at 10th and Locust Streets.
SJ Airport Contractor Killed On First Day Of Work
San Jose, Calif. -- A truck driver working on a construction site at the airport in San Jose has died after getting crushed between his cab and a conveyer belt, NBC11's Kris Sanchez reported. Rich Dressler with the Mineta San Jose International Airport said the man was moving equipment into storage near the north concourse at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when he was struck. The man was on the flatbed of his big-rig getting ready to move a conveyer belt when another truck got too close, Sanchez reported. "This second driver in the red truck flipped his flatbed and that movement caused him to be crushed between the back of his cab and the conveyer belt," Dressler said The incident took place at the southeast end of the airport in a construction area known as the "rental airfield," Dressler said. The area is off the flight path, he said.
CSX employee struck and killed by train
Selkirk, NY - CSX Spokesman Robert Sullivan said, "Shortly after midnight, about five after, we had a tragedy occur here." The CSX Rail Yard in Selkirk hadn't seen such a tragedy until early Tuesday morning when John A. Williams, 53, of Albany -- a CSX employee -- died after the company-owned ATV he was riding on collided with a train. Sullivan said, "This train was departing the yard, moving very slowly, less than 10 miles an hour."
Worker killed in Cass County pipeline blast
PORTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An employee of an electric utility was killed Tuesday when the digging machine he was operating hit and ruptured a high-pressure natural gas pipeline, causing an explosion that left a 60-foot crater and shook windows miles away, authorities said. The worker, Danny Young, 27, of Vandalia, was an apprentice lineman for Midwest Energy Cooperative, the Cassopolis-based utility said in a written statement. Young was part of a three-person crew installing primary electrical service to a home when his machine, known as a trencher, struck the pipeline. The other two crew members were not injured.
Man killed in bizarre accident
RIDGELAND, SC - A 52-year-old truck driver from Tennessee died in a freak accident Monday afternoon while he was trying to free his truck from mud after dumping a load of dirt at the Hickory Hill Landfill in Ridgeland, according to authorities. "He tried to get it loose with the bed extended instead of letting the bed down," Jasper County Coroner Martin Sauls said. "The cylinder popped off from the bed and came through the cab of the truck, crushing the driver." He died instantly, Sauls said. He said he couldn't release the name of the driver because his next of kin hadn't been notified. The driver worked for a Tennessee company hired to shuttle dirt to the dump by Houston-based Waste Management, which runs the landfill on Lowcountry Drive, Sauls said. The landfill serves Beaufort and Jasper counties.
Milton mourns officer killed in Tobin crash
Milton, CO - Flags were lowered to half-staff at Milton municipal buildings today in memory of Michael Devin, a 35-year veteran of the police department, who was killed in a two-car crash on the Tobin Bridge Monday. The accident on Route 1 in Chelsea remains under investigation as police try to determine "what role, if any alcohol played," according to Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. Autopsies are scheduled for today and may help determine why the other driver was heading the wrong way on Route 1 when his Toyota Camry collided with Devin's Honda Accord, Wark said. In Milton, people were still trying to come to grips with Devin's death.
Work restarted on wastewater treatment plant
SPOKANE, WA -- Work has restarted on a new addition to the wastewater treatment plant where a Post Falls man was killed in a construction accident last week. Construction was put on hold indefinitely following the death of 26-year-old Tizoc Gayton, an employee of Garco Construction, who was killed when a horizontal beam fell and killed him at the construction site last Tuesday. On Monday the city reported that construction had restarted on the new digesters for the wastewater treatment plant late last week.
Movement in cabbie killing
BETHEL, AK - Investigators chasing clues in a high-profile Bethel cabbie slaying executed search warrants at two locations Tuesday evening, Bethel police said. The search warrants centered on a handful of residents police are calling "people of interest." It's still too early to call those people suspects, Police Chief Ben Dudley said Wednesday. The warrants are the first announcement of a significant development in the investigation involving cab driver Ju Young Joung, 41. Joung was killed on Dec. 10 after people on snowmachines pulled up beside his idling cab. Dudley would not identify the owners of the searched premises nor describe any items seized.
Worker Dies In Construction Accident
SAN ANTONIO, TX -- A construction worker was killed Wednesday afternoon while working on a new development on the city's North Side. Police said the man got his head caught between an awning and a cherry picker he was being lifted on to do some electrical work at the Plaza on East Sonterra and Sigma. The man, in his 30's, died at the scene, police said.
Veteran Window Washer Falls to Death
WHITEVILLE, NC -- A Whiteville family is trying to figure out how their loved one fell to his death while on the job, washing windows. Kenny Lynn, 51, died after his lift tipped over while he was doing a routine window check up at the BB&T bank in Whiteville. Family members say window washing was second nature to Lynn. It's been a family business since 1940. With three generations of window cleaners, Lynn's daughter says it will be tough to move on without him. "I think it will be different without my dad. My brother, bless his heart, he has big shoes to fill and I know he can do it. Daddy had such a good reputation with so many people, Brandon, he can carry on that legacy," says Lynn's daughter Jennifer. One bank employee says he noticed all the safety precautions Lynn was known for were not in place, saying the scaffolding was not anchored correctly.
Highway construction worker killed near Rancho Viejo, Police say truck backed over man
RANCHO VIEJO, TX — A highway construction supervisor on U.S. Expressway 77/83 was accidentally run over and killed Wednesday morning north of Rancho Viejo, Brownsville police said. San Benito resident Santiago Olivares, 58, a supervisor with Ballenger Construction Co., was struck and run over at the 1300 block of Expressway 77/83 by a construction tar tanker after he walked behind the truck, police Sgt. Pablo Flores said. Olivares was working in the middle of the expressway where workers were reconstructing the roadway and adding lanes. The highway lanes are diverted around that section of construction, which is more than a quarter mile south of Highway 100. “It was a work site accident,” Flores said. “Apparently, he was run over by the vehicle’s rear right-side tires.”
Construction worker crushed by roller
BARBOURSVILLE, WV -- A 43-year-old construction worker was crushed by a construction roller Wednesday evening while working on a subdivision in Barboursville, according to Cabell County Sheriff Sgt. R.B. Chafin. Chafin said John O'Dell and other employees for Scott Hutchinson Enterprise were operating two pieces of heavy equipment when it appeared that the soil gave way and the equipment overturned on O'Dell. The construction workers were working on Island Estates, a subdivision of apartments located along Route 60 off of East Pea Ridge. Cabell County Sheriff's received a call at 7:13 p.m. Cabell County EMS transported O'Dell to St. Mary's Hospital, where he died shortly after.
Nolen Construction employee found dead along road
BLACK OAK, OH -- An Olive Hill man was found lying beside a guardrail in Black Oak Wednesday and was later pronounced dead, said police. Beecher Yates, 56, an employee for Nolen Construction, had been performing repairs on telephone lines along Kentucky 8 in Sand Branch. The Lewis County Sheriff's Office received a call around 11:15 a.m. to report the finding, said authorities. At the scene, it appeared Yates may have fallen from a ladder, but hospital reports indicated Yates had suffered a heart attack. Yates was transported to Southern Ohio Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 11:54 a.m. The Portsmouth Ambulance Service, the Black Oak Fire Department and deputies Tom Polley and Dwayne Stone responded to the scene.
East P.A. bar owner is city's fifth homicide of year
East Palo Alto, CA - The owner of a popular East Palo Alto sports bar was shot to death late Wednesday night. John Farmer, 56, was shot once in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene, said police Lt. Tom Alipio. Farmer owned The Doctors Sports Bar & Grill, 2240 University Ave. Authorities have not made any arrests, Lt. Alipio said. Detectives spent much of Tuesday at the restaurant, which was shut down temporarily, investigating the crime scene. The shooting was the fifth homicide of the year in East Palo Alto. Last year, 14 people were killed in the city. Authorities are also trying to figure out what happened in a different shooting late Wednesday night. Just after 11 p.m., two 17-year-old East Palo Alto residents were found in a car at the corner of Newbridge Street and Willow Roads in nearby Menlo Park. They told officers that there were stopped at a red light when someone from another vehicle opened fire on them, then sped away, Lt. Alipio said.
Construction Worker's Death Considered Accident
BROWNSVILLE, TX - Investigators are treating the death of a construction worker as an accident. Santiago Olivarez, 58, was killed while working inside a construction zone, just north of Rancho Viejo. Police say they responded to a call just after 10 a.m. "We are still interviewing witnesses at this time," says Lieutenant William Ingram of the Brownsville Police Department. "We understand that he was walking one way and a tar tanker was backing up when he struck him." A tar tanker is a heavy-duty truck used for distributing oil before paving.
Dubuque man killed in crane accident
DUBUQUE, Iowa -- A Dubuque man has died after a crane he was working in tipped over and pinned him between the crane's cab and an electrical transformer. According to the Dubuque Police Department, Lonnie Plumley was working in a crane owned by A-1 Crane Service of Dubuque at a construction site in the city. The crane was in the process of moving a large aggregate hopper when the crane tipped. Plumley was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the cause of the accident.
Utility worker electrocuted in Greenville County
GREENVILLE, S.C. - A utility worker on a pole in northern Greenville County was electrocuted after he touched a live wire and fell, the coroner's office said. Tim Oldham, 43, of Salem died Monday afternoon after the incident that occurred while he worked on a pole off state Highway 11. Oldham worked for Sumter Utilities. The company and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the death, Coppins said.
Construction worker killed in electrical accident
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - One construction worker was killed and another was seriously injured after metal poles they were moving at a house touched a low-hanging power line. Ivair Olinpio DosSantos, 20, died in the accident Thursday. He was pronounced dead at a St. Joseph hospital. Marcos Vincius Silva Teixeira, 23, was injured trying to help DosSantos. The men were employed by a Lenexa, Kan., construction firm that was working in the southeastern St. Joseph neighborhood without a permit, said Cmdr. Jim Connors, police spokesman. Witnesses said the accident victims were at the side of the home disassembling metal scaffolding. Vinyl siding had been added to the home earlier.
Blaine Bar Employee Killed In Fight
Blaine, Minn. - A bouncer is dead and a 35-year-old man is in critical condition after a bar fight in Blaine early Friday morning. The bouncer, 24-year-old Greg Klaers, was killed while trying to break up that fight. His brother saw the whole thing happen. "I saw a knife and the next thing I saw was my brother bleeding and hitting the ground," said Andy Klaers, the victim's older brother. "Greg was my best friend ... he's my brother and my best friend. He's the only one that would look past anybody's faults." ...Greg Klaers later died at HCMC. A customer was also stabbed and critically wounded. Police arrested four men for assault. Police Chief David Johnson says they've had an unusually high number of police calls at Time Out -- 37 this year.
Store manager shot and killed in Pasco County
LACOOCHEE, Florida (AP) — Pasco County authorities say the manager of a convenience store was fatally shot during a robbery. Sheriff officials say the suspect entered P.K. Food Store and shot and killed Rahul Patel, who was standing behind the counter shortly before 8:00 Thursday night. A second employee in the store was able to hide and call for help when he was sure the suspect had left. Patel was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of money. He's described as a black man between 20 and 30 years old with dreadlocks. It's believed he got away in a red, older model vehicle with tinted windows.
Four dead after plane crashes, Aircraft carried family members from San Diego
CONCORD, CA — A veteran pilot trying to land his plane with three family members aboard crashed short of a Buchanan Field runway on a drizzly Thursday morning, his aircraft clipping a Highway 4 median and cartwheeling into flames before stopping in a muddy field. All four aboard died, including the pilot's wife of more than 50 years and their 12-year-old grandson. Pilot John Mauricio, a 78-year-old retired commercial fisherman from Las Vegas, left San Diegos Montgomery Field around 9 a.m. en route to Concord for a business trip.
Bank Teller Identified In Fatal Shooting
Little Rock, AK - Little Rock police say a bank robber fatally shot one teller before demanding and getting money from another teller at a bank branch in west Little Rock Saturday. The robbery occurred at about 11 am at a Metropolitan National Bank branch on North Rodney Parham Road, near the intersection with Interstate 430. Employees at the Little Rock bank branch were less than an hour away from closing their doors for the Christmas holiday. That's when police say a masked gunman entered and shot employee James Garison.
Treasure Island rollover of SUV kills woman, 20
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The mood on Treasure Island was somber Friday as Job Corps staff and students reeled from the loss of one of their own. Job Corps member Alea Burr, 20, was killed just after 1 a.m. on Friday when the sport utility vehicle she was riding in rolled over near the intersection of California Avenue and H Avenue on Treasure Island. Treasure Island Center Director Benjie Williams, who runs the local chapter of the federal program, said the Job Corps community is coming together to support one another after the tragedy. “It’s a deep, deep sadness,” Williams said. “We just need to take care of the students, take care of the staff now.” Job Corps is a U.S. Department of Labor program in which about 800 people under age 24 take part at Treasure Island. The 39-acre campus on the island provides educational opportunities, counseling and job training for young adults.
Memorial, burial today for man killed in Sisquoc
Sisquoc , CA - Memorial services and burial are scheduled this morning for a Santa Maria man who was killed in an industrial accident in Sisquoc last week. A memorial for Peter “Pete” Noragong, 48, will be held at 10 a.m. today in the chapel of Magner-Maloney Funeral Home and will be followed by burial at the Santa Maria Cemetery. Noragong was working for J & N Trucking Services, a division of Bakersfield-based Grayson Services Inc., when he was sent to check on a pump in an oil field southeast of Santa Maria on Dec. 28, said Dean Fryer of the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “We know he removed the guard covering the drive belt and we suspect that he looked into the area where the pump is to get a visual of the drive belt when the counterweight of the pump struck him in the head,” Fryer said.
Ranch worker killed in ATV fall
Lake Sherwood, CA - A worker at a ranch near Lake Sherwood was killed Sunday morning when the all-terrain vehicle he was driving plummeted down a 50-foot slope, officials said. Jeremias Antonio Vargas, 44, a resident of the San Fernando Valley community of North Hills, was pronounced dead at Los Robles Medical Center in Thousand Oaks about 10 a.m., an hour after the accident, said Mike Feiler, a senior deputy medical examiner with the Ventura County Coroner's Office.
Man Hit, Killed By SUV, Police: Pedestrian Was Trying To Cross Loop 410
SAN ANTONIO, CA -- A construction worker on his way to lunch Friday was hit and killed while he was trying to cross loop 410. The 36-year-old man was getting off work early, according to a friend he talked with on the phone just before the accident. The man jumped a concrete barrier and attempted to cross Loop 410 at Alamo Downs Parkway when he was hit by a sport-utility vehicle. "We were going to pick him up because he said he was getting off early today. So I said, "OK, we'll met you here at Pepe's, OK?' Sure enough, we got here and saw all the traffic. I told my wife, 'I hope it's not a friend of ours who works here,'" said the victim's friend, Andy Ramirez. Tragically, it was his friend who was hit. The construction worker took the chance to get across 410 and made it across two lanes when he was hit by the SUV, said police.
Worker is killed by a train at steel mill
COATESVILLE, PA -- A 24-year-old steel mill worker was fatally struck by a train at the plant, authorities said. Brian E. Pluck, of Coatesville, died from massive head injuries around 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Chester County Coroner's Office. Pluck's body was found on railroad tracks at the Mittal Steel USA plant, where his job was to link and unlink railcars. Pluck, who was married, worked for a subsidiary of Harsco Corp., a Harrisburg company that had a contract to clean up slag and other waste from the Mittal plate-steel plant. Harsco and the United Steelworkers of America are conducting investigations, as is the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Feds probe death of crushed worker
Queens, NY - Laborer Luis Murillo died a horrible death on a cold night in Queens, his waist and legs crushed under a massive steel boiler door. The city medical examiner called it an accident. But the circumstances leading up to his death - including a botched attempt to save him - are now the subject of a federal investigation. The 3,000-pound door fell late on Friday, Dec. 15, as a handful of workers - including Murillo and his brother - were trying to remove it from a boiler at a utility plant in Astoria, Queens. It slammed down on top of Murillo, a 38-year-old father, crushing his lower torso and legs and pinning him to the floor, according to records and several sources. The workers, from All-Star Welding and Demolition of Danbury, Conn., told first responders they used a forklift to pull the door off Murillo.
Trash worker dies of injuries from fall
ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) -- A trash worker died of injuries he suffered when he fell off the back of a trash truck the day before, authorities said. Michael Rightenour, 34, of Hollidaysburg, died Wednesday morning from a severe brain injury, said Blair County Deputy Coroner Jeff Guyer. Rightenour was on the back of the truck Tuesday morning when the truck's driver, Rightenour's cousin Steven Rightenour, swerved to miss another vehicle, police said. Steven Rightenour, of Altoona, faces charges of driving with a suspended license and accidents involving injury or death because he left the scene, police said. The charges will be filed in early January.
Construction Worker Struck, Killed By Forklift
PLAINFIELD, Ind. -- A construction worker was fatally struck by a forklift Wednesday morning on the site of future Plainfield High School, police said. Witnesses told police that Danny Karr was crossing a parking lot when a forklift, being driven around a curve, struck him at about 11 a.m. Karr was taken to Indianapolis' Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Police said the forklift's driver apparently did not see Karr before he was struck. Karr, an employee of Ermco Electric, was working at the construction site of the new high school, located on Indiana 267 at Reeves Road.
Hardhat's crushed in building collapse
New York, NY - Calling into the darkness of a partially collapsed building in upper Manhattan, an injured construction worker pleaded yesterday for his nephew, a fellow hardhat, to respond. But there was no answer. Burton Joseph, a 33-year-old father who began working as a hardhat just four weeks ago, was crushed to death about 12:30 p.m. when three floors pancaked inside a W. 113th St. building. Two other workers, including Joseph's uncle, Stephen Fanfan, were injured. Nesta Felix, 27, the dead man's cousin, visited her injured uncle at St. Luke's Hospital last night.
Webster roofer dies after fall
THOMPSON, MA -- A Webster man working on roof died Wednesday at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam after he fell from scaffolding. Scott B. Millette, 47, of Lake Parkway, Webster, was part of a crew installing a new roof at a home at 422 Riverside Drive when he fell about 17 feet about 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to a news release by Resident State Trooper John Aiello. Mr. Millette was taken by ambulance to Day Kimball Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:42 a.m., according to the release. The roofing company was not identified. Trooper Aiello, Thompson Building Official Alvan R. Hill, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.
Firefighter, 31, Dies After Battling Blaze At Shopping Center
Denison, Texas -- From the time he was old enough to walk, Phillip Townsend toddled around the Denison Fire Department. And he grew up to become a firefighter, just like his father. The younger Mr. Townsend, a 31-year-old father of three, was killed Saturday morning while doing the job he grew up loving, Denison fire officials said. He died after part of a building collapsed on him and the Denison fire chief as they battled a blaze. Mr. Townsend and Chief Gordan Weger, 54, were driven to Texoma Medical Center in Denison, where Mr. Townsend died and Chief
Weger was treated and released, Sanitation driver formally charged in fatal accident
Altoona, PA - An Altoona man who drove the garbage truck his cousin fell off of last week was arrested Thursday on charges stemming from the fatal accident, city police said. Steven Wayne Rightenour Sr., 40, of 1020 Fourth Ave. was arrested at his home. He doesn’t have a listed telephone number and could not be reached for comment Friday. Rightenour was driving on a suspended license Dec. 26 when he swerved to avoid a collision with an oncoming vehicle on the 2200 block of 10th Avenue, court documents state.
RPU Worker Dies
ROCHESTER, MN -- An R.P.U. worker has died while on the job today in Northwest Rochester. It happened at this home near the 2700 block of Bandel drive around eleven this morning. An R.P.U. spokesperson says, the man was found unconsicious and taken by ambluance to Saint Marys hospital. We do not know the exact cause of death, but police tell us the man was not electrocuted. His name hasn't been released pending notification of relatives.
Grocery Store Owner Shot in the Head
Philadelphia, PA-December 30, 2006 - Police are searching for the gunman who shot a man in the head during an attempted robbery. It happened late Saturday afternoon in the 51-hundred block of Walnut Street in West Philadelphia. Police say the storeowner was shot in the jaw. The bullet exited the back of his head, but it looks like the victim is going to survive. Inside Sabah Grocery, pools of blood surround a box of sugar and bottles of Mountain Dew - signs of a struggle, say police. The owner, Bashir Ouazzani was shot in the head during an attempted robbery. Charles Groweles, a customer of Ouazzani's, told Action News, "He was the guy, if you were a little short of some change, he'd just say see you next time you come in. You know trying to get his business going."
Berks trash collector killed while working on truck
EXETER, PA -- An Exeter man was killed Friday afternoon after the trash truck he was working on broke free and pinned him to the ground, police said. At approximately 1:15 p.m., Leonard Kramlich Sr., who lives and operates his business, Lenny’s Sanitation Service, at 5581 Oley Turnpike Road, was working under the cab of a truck when the cab broke free and flipped forward onto him, police said.
Death of construction worker investigated
PLACIDA, FL -- Authorities are investigating to determine the circumstances that led to a construction worker falling to his death from a rooftop. Emilio Diaz, 31, of Arcadia, landed on his back and died from the fall, according to ABC Construction, the company that employed Diaz.
Shrimper killed when hair catches in pump
Bayou La Batre, AL-Richard Luther Rodgers, a 56-year-old commercial shrimper, was killed Saturday morning when his long hair became entangled in the shaft of the bilge pump aboard his brother's shrimp boat, said Rodgers' girlfriend, Debbie Jo Garrett. The incident occurred shortly after Rodgers left Bayou La Batre to fish for shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico, Garrett said Tuesday at the mobile home they shared on Padgett Switch Road in Irvington.
Worker Killed as Building Partially Collapses
NEW YORK, NY -- A construction worker died and two others were injured after a building under construction in Harlem partially collapsed early Tuesday afternoon, police said. Authorities responded to the call about the five-story, unoccupied tenement building located at 280 West 113th Street at about 12:30 p.m. said Emily Rahimi, a spokeswoman for the fire department. Some of the building's floors apparently gave way, officials said. No scaffolding was visible outside of the building, and the outer walls did not appear to be affected. A view from the roof of a nearby building showed that the top floors of the structure had fallen in. The victim has been identified as Richard Joseph, 33, of Brooklyn. The two injured workers were taken to St. Luke's Hospital and are listed in stable condition, 1010 WINS' Terry Sheridan reported.
Cab driver identified; services set for today
WATERVLIET, NY -- Police on Tuesday identified the taxi driver killed by an alleged drunken driver this weekend as Donna Rehm of West Hoosick. The 57-year-old woman was driving through the city at about 9:45 p.m. Saturday night when Megan Vogel, 22, plowed into her taxi, authorities said.
Utility worker electrocuted in Greenville County
Greenville, SC - A utility worker has died after he was electrocuted while working on a pole in northern Greenville County. Greenville County Deputy Coroner Ken Coppins says 43-year-old Tim Oldham of Salem died Monday afternoon. Coppins says Oldham was working on a pole on State Highway 11 when he touched a live wire and fell to the ground. Oldham worked for Sumter Utilities. Coppins says the company and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the death.
Work restarted on wastewater treatment plant
SPOKANE, WA -- Work has restarted on a new addition to the wastewater treatment plant where a Post Falls man was killed in a construction accident last week. Construction was put on hold indefinitely following the death of 26-year-old Tizoc Gayton, an employee of Garco Construction, who was killed when a horizontal beam fell and killed him at the construction site last Tuesday.
Crash kills Milton detective; Fellow officers mourn death of 35-year veteran in Route 1 accident
MILTON, CO - Instead of talking about the approaching holidays, Milton police officers are mourning the death of a 35-year veteran detective who was killed in an accident near the Tobin Bridge tolls. ‘‘I’m devastated,’’ said Milton Deputy Police Chief Paul Nolan. Detective Michael A. Devin, 57, of Milton, was killed at 4:14 p.m. yesterday when a car driven by Stephen M. Parnell, 50, of Nashua, N.H., came the wrong way on Route 1 and crashed into Devin’s personal car. Parnell was also killed in the crash.
Tacoma Utilities Worker Dies After Storm Accident
TACOMA, Wash. -- Tacoma Power worker Bary Kensrud died Tuesday night from injuries sustained during cleanup after the Dec. 14 windstorm. On Dec. 17, Kensrud and a tree-trimming crew were sent to remove a tree that had fallen onto the road near North 29th Street and Mullen Street in Tacoma. When the crew arrived they discovered a downed power pole that limited access to the fallen tree. Kensrud was standing on the ground cutting away the pole, which released the tension on some communications cables that were under the pole, when the pole and lines hit him, throwing him across the alley. The crew called 911 immediately and Kensrud was transported to the hospital where he remained in critical condition until his death Tuesday. Tacoma Power is following normal accident review procedures and preparing incident report to share with Kensrud’s family.
Harford sheriff’s deputy killed in crash
Baltimore, MD -- After leaving his family's business to pursue his dream of working in law enforcement, William Beebe wasted no time working to make a mark as a Harford County Sheriff's deputy.
Late Monday, as his shift drew to a close, Beebe, 28, was on his way to assist fellow deputies on an attempted suicide call when his police cruiser ran off a neighborhood road in Abingdon, and careened down an embankment and into a shallow creek. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Firefighter dies of injuries sustained in house fire
ATLANTA, GA - An Atlanta firefighter has died of injuries sustained fighting a house fire on Thanksgiving night. Officials say firefighter Steven Solomon died early today in Grady Memorial Hospital's burn unit. He was injured fighting a house fire in northwest Atlanta that investigators determined was sparked by an unattended candle left by homeless people staying in the unoccupied house.
Local firefighter dies on duty
MILLERTON — Family members, firefighters and others in the Millerton community are mourning the death of a lifelong firefighter who died in the line of duty Sunday.
Hector McClune, 76, died after collapsing at the scene of a grass fire about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the Millerton Fire Department said. He was one of about 25 firefighters who responded to the fire at Millerton Elementary School on South Elm Avenue in the village. Roger said it is believed McClune died of a heart attack, but the cause of death remains uncertain pending an autopsy. State police are investigating the fire.
Plumbing employee electrocuted near Roswell
ROSWELL N.M. -- A man trying to clear a sewer line at a home south of Roswell was electrocuted, Roswell police said. Cloys Dement, 48, an employee of C Reading Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, was killed Wednesday in what Roswell police are calling an industrial accident while he was operating machinery.
Dement was found about 11 a.m. at a home where he was doing repair work, Roswell police Cmdr. Tony Sedillo said. Dement was pronounced dead at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center. "He was conducting some outside plumbing work," Sedillo said. "It's very possible he electrocuted himself in the course of trying to clear the sewer line."
Carbon monoxide victim identified
SOMERSWORTH, DE -- A woman who died Tuesday from carbon monoxide poisoning while working on a home on Walnut Street was identified yesterday as Natalie Lufkin, 46, of Greenland. Lufkin, a contractor working in the home, was discovered passed out there Tuesday afternoon, a little before 3:30. Safety officials from Somersworth and Dover responded and Lufkin was taken to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police said yesterday they believe Lufkin's death was an accident, but are continuing to investigate the incident along with fire department, the state Fire Marshal and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
2nd Metro Worker Dies From Nov. 30 Accident
A second Metro employee who was hit last week by a Yellow Line train died yesterday, transit officials said. Matthew Brooks, 36, of Waldorf, was one of two trick inspectors hit by a four-car train Nov. 30 near the Eisenhower Avenue station.
Matthew Brooks was inspecting tracks when the train hit him. The other worker, Leslie Arvell Cherry, 52, who was known as Arvell, died on the day of the accident. Both were struck from behind.
Deadly gas blamed in death
Cuyahoga Heights, OH -- Troy L. Tetlak, 35, of Parma was killed by carbon monoxide while working Monday at Charter Steel in Cuyahoga Heights, Cuyahoga County Coroner Elizabeth Balraj said. He was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center at 8:13 p.m. and pronounced dead at 8:29 p.m., she said. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating. Tetlak had two sons, 10 and 6. His wife, Vickie, said he was an electrician hired by Charter Steel in August. "He went to work early Monday to get some overtime before Christmas," she said, sobbing. The company had not given her details about what her husband was doing when he was overcome by the odorless gas, which prevents the blood from carrying oxygen to vital organs. A company spokesman did not return a reporter's call.
Roofer dies in 18-foot fall into building Roofer dies in 18-foot fall
Town of Oconomowoc, WI - A 72-year-old roofer died from a head injury after falling 18 feet through a roof that was deemed unsafe by the Okauchee fire chief. Dane Delich, owner of Milwaukee-based D & S Roofing, was explaining something to one of his employees when he stepped off plywood on the roof and onto an area that was not supported by plywood, Police Chief James Wallis said.
Delich was on a job at Lake Country Concrete, N50-W34548 Road P, when the accident occurred at 11:25 a.m. Saturday, Wallis said. He fell through the roof, striking his head on maintenance equipment that was stored in the building. He died at the scene. Wallis said the roofing company placed the plywood on the roof for safety purposes, and that Delich had told others to stay off the roof because it was unsafe.
NorthWestern Energy lineman dies in work-related accident
BUTTE, MT -- A NorthWestern Energy lineman died Monday while clearing downed trees from a 115 kilovolt power line between Plains and Thompson Falls, the company said Tuesday. Nick Hegge, 52, was the company's town manager in Plains. Justin Myers, a Sanders County coroner, said Hegge was cutting at the base of a tree that had fallen on the power line. "The part he cut loose came down the hill and took him with it," Myers said Tuesday. Hegge rolled about 50 feet down an embankment and the tree landed on top of him, suffocating him, Myers said. He died at the scene.
Bronx: Man Crushed to Death
A Bronx man died yesterday after falling into the back of a cement-pumping truck, the police said. The man, Ramon Gonzalez, 40, was working in Morrisania about 4 p.m. when his shirt got caught and he was pulled into the machinery at the back of the truck. Firefighters pulled him out and he was taken to Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, where he was pronounced dead, the police said.
Motorcade cop dies
Honolulu, HA -- A motorcycle officer injured last week while escorting President Bush in the islands died Sunday, police said. Steve Favela, 30, and two other officers crashed their cycles as the presidential motorcade was traveling across Hickam Air Force Base next to Pearl Harbor to meet troops for breakfast Tuesday. The other officers were treated at The Queen's Medical Center and released. Favela, an eight-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department and father of four, had suffered internal injuries and had been listed in critical condition at the medical center.
Fatal forklift accident
Pittsburgh, PA -- A worker helping to unload a piece of equipment on a forklift was killed yesterday after the load shifted and pinned him against a trailer, authorities said. John Alan Malandro, 42, of Charleroi, died at 10:36 a.m., yesterday, while working at Spartech-Polycom in Donora, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco.
Mr. Malandro, who was employed by Staff Masters of Washington, Pa., was unloading the equipment from the trailer with a co-worker, who was operating the forklift, at the time of the 9:40 a.m. accident, authorities said.
Crash Kills Semi Truck Driver
Dearborn, MI -- A late night crash on Interstate 94 killed one man Friday night, according to Michigan State Police. The crash happened on eastbound I-94 in Dearborn, when the driver of a U.S. Postal Service truck lost control and crashed into a car on the side of the road. Michigan State Police told Local 4 the driver of the truck died in the accident.
