A partial list of workers killed in American workplaces over the last several weeks.
Worker dies after trench collapses
Greenwich, CT - A 59-year-old groundskeeper died yesterday afternoon following a trench collapse at a northwest Greenwich country club. "Employees of Tamarack Country Club were working on a drainage pipe and part of the trench collapsed on two of the employees," police Lt. James Heavey said. One worker was able to free himself from under the pile of dirt and went to help the second man along with other employees on the job site, authorities said. Police, firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after 1 p.m. and found workers performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the injured groundskeeper. Paramedics took the man to Greenwich Hospital, where he died, Heavey said.
Worker dies after five-story fall in Roxbury
Boston, MA -- A worker died today after falling five stories at a construction site in Roxbury this morning, according to police and an official from the worker's company. The man, whose name was not released, was rushed to Boston Medical Center in critical condition. He later died, an official from the worker's company said this afternoon. The man fell at about 11:20 a.m. Police are currently investigating at the scene near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are also at the construction site.
Four arrested in death of Lawton cab driver
LAWTON, Okla. - Lawton police say four teenagers are in custody in the weekend shooting death of a cab driver. Officers say 19-year-old Delarenta Burton was arrested for murder in the death of John Thomas Lamb. Officers arrested 19-year-old Elijah Davis, 18-year-old Caprisha Davis and 19-year-old Donald Hood as material witnesses. Police Lieutenant William Grimes says Lamb was found dead in his cab at an apartment complex early Saturday with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. Investigators believe Burton called for the cab then killed Lamb and stole his wallet. Grimes says security video led police to an apartment at the complex where they found Lamb's wallet.
All lanes open on I-64 after deadly crash
All lanes are now open on Interstate 64 remains in York County after a deadly crash that claimed the life of a truck driver. Virginia State Police say it happened around midnight near the Busch Gardens exit.
The truck, which was hauling produce, flipped over, blocking the lanes and killing the driver. State police have the lanes blocked while they reconstruct the accident to try and figure out what happened. Investigators say the truck driver was trying to avoid a construction vehicle when he crashed.
Trucker Killed In Unusual I-65 Crash
INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- A truck driver was killed in an unusual crash, according to police, on Interstate 65 downtown Thursday morning that backed up traffic for several miles. The crash happened after 7 a.m. when the driver of a tractor-trailer that was carrying a load of steel pipes stopped abruptly in the northbound lanes just north of Raymond Street. When the trailer stopped, the load shifted, sending the pipes crashing through the back of the cab and killing the driver, James Surrena, 38, of Lorain, Ohio. Investigators said the load was not properly secured. Traffic was backed up for at least three miles as workers cleaned up the crash site.
Workers killed on rails were loyal family men
Woburn, MA - Christopher Macaulay and James Zipps loved working on the railroad, and they never considered any other career s , friends and family said yesterday. Macaulay was drawn to trains at an early age -- his father was an Amtrak conductor -- said Michael Blakemore, who described himself as Macaulay's best friend. Zipps joined the railroad at 21, following in the footsteps of several childhood friends, said his brother, Richard Zipps. Macaulay, 30, of Brentwood, N.H., and Zipps, 54, of Lowell, were killed Tuesday afternoon when a commuter train barreled into their maintenance vehicle parked on MBTA tracks in Woburn. While investigators yesterday continued to sort out the events leading to the deaths, friends and coworkers visited the mourning families to offer condolences.
Warsaw ‘cab guy’ killed in car crash
Warsaw, IN - A Warsaw cabdriver who died in a one-car car crash late Tuesday was a hard-working man whose grizzly-like appearance belied a tender heart, according to a longtime friend. Roger L. Calvert, 49, was driving a 1996 Chrysler van southeast on North Lake Street near Fox Farm Road on the west edge of Warsaw about 11 p.m. when he drove off the northeast edge of the road, Kosciusko County police said. The van traveled over two small parking lots before it crashed through a fence and struck several propane tanks at AmeriGas, located along North Lake Street.
Construction Worker Killed in Fort Valley
Fort Valley, GA - A construction worker was killed in Fort Valley during an accident at the job site. The man was working for Garrison Construction near Highway 49 North in Fort Valley when police say there was an accident involving a backhoe. The accident happened this morning after 7:00 am. The victim was taken to Peach Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The man has not yet been identified because police are trying to notify his family. The driver of the backhoe has submitted to a blood test and at this time no charges have been filed.
Two Arrested In Killing Of Tenn. Trooper
Nashville, TN - Officer Killed After Traffic Stop; Suspects Arrested At Hotel Near Nashville. State officials said Sunday they had arrested two people they believed were responsible for the killing of a state trooper who was shot during a traffic stop in western Tennessee. The 24-year-old trooper pulled over two men and was trying to get them out of the vehicle Saturday night when he was shot twice, according to footage from the patrol car's video camera. At least one bullet struck him in the head, said Mike Browning, a Department of Safety spokesman. On Sunday, two men were “arrested without incident” at a hotel near downtown Nashville, said Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson. TBI director Mark Gwin said “after interviewing the two men we feel confident we have the two people in custody that murdered the state trooper.” Hunters found Trooper Calvin Jenks' body beside his patrol car near the intersection of state highways 14 and 54, Browning said.
Tractor accident kills Union Co. man
LIBERTY, Ind. — A Union County man was killed Saturday in a farm tractor accident. Joe Thibaut, 38, of Industrial Park Road, was dead at the scene after he was run over by a large, dual-wheel tractor, Union County Coroner Bill Havens said. The accident occurred around 6 p.m. on a farm at 5420 E. State Road 44, Havens said. Thibaut and farmer Steve Posco were trying to jump start a Case Agri King tractor using another vehicle, Havens said. When the tractor started, it lunged forward, knocking Thibaut underneath the rear wheels, Havens said. Thibaut died from trauma to the chest and head, Havens said. Union County Deputy Dale Dishmond said the accident remains under investigation.
Fallen officer honored
BONHAM, TX — Silence and sobs spoke volumes Sunday night around the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office as people clung to each other for support. They were there to honor a fallen officer, Fannin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Rahamy Mitchell. Fannin County Deputy Rahamy Mitchell, 38, died early Sunday in the line of duty. Mr. Mitchell and other deputies responded to a 1:15 a.m. call for help from Leonard police regarding a disturbance in progress. Mr. Mitchell was “going code,” which is a word used to describe in a hurry, traveling on State Highway 11. He never made it to Leonard.
McKinney pilot killed in plane crash
Batesville, Ark. - Independence County Sheriff's Office officials, of Batesville, Ark., confirmed that a McKinney husband, father and pilot was one of two Texas men who died in a plane crash last Thursday. Capt. Bill Lindsey, of the ICSO, confirmed that Craig Meyer, 26, of McKinney, and Joel Diffie, 40, of Terrell, were found around 1 p.m. Friday in the wreckage of a plane crash a mile east of the Batesville Regional Airport. Their plane, a Cessna 182-R operated by Barr Air Patrol LLC of Mesquite, which conducts aerial inspections of oil pipelines for Exxon-Mobil, was reported missing Thursday afternoon after it left Joliet, Ill., headed for Beaumont. The last contact with the plane occurred in Ripley County, Mo. The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the ICSO and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Family mourns loss of ferry worker
GRAFTON, IL -- A city is mourning the loss of one of its own, killed on the Grafton Ferry two days ago. Raymond Eugene "Gene" Ready, 62, died on Saturday afternoon doing his job. Ready died from injuries he suffered when a sport utility vehicle leaving the ferry struck and killed him. Ready died doing what he loved. "He loved working and he loved being around people," Lori Crowe, Ready’s stepdaughter, said. Authorities were notified at about 4:34 p.m. that a pedestrian had been hit by a Land Rover Range Rover deboarding the ferry. The Jersey County Coroner’s Office pronounced Ready dead at the scene at 4:45 p.m. The Jersey County Sheriff’s Department, the Grafton Police Department, Jersey County Ambulance, QEM Fire and Rescue, Illinois State Police, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene.
Employee found dead at restaurant
CLINTON, S.C. Police are questioning someone today in the death of a worker whose body was found in a Burger King restaurant. Clinton Public Safety director John Thomas says 27-year-old Richard Allen Wideman of Laurens was found this morning lying on the floor in the back of the restaurant. Wideman had been shot three times and a had a knife wound across his throat. Thomas would say only that investigators are interviewing a (quote) "person of interest." Thomas says Wideman may have known his assailant. There was no evidence of a break-in.
Employee Of Supplier Transporting Hydrogen Killed in Explosion at Muskingum River Plant
COLUMBUS, Ohio, -- An explosion this morning at American Electric Power's Muskingum River power plant killed an employee of a supplier delivering hydrogen to the plant. The identity of the victim, who worked for General Hydrogen, is not available at this time. The cause of the 9:20 a.m. explosion is unknown and under investigation, but the plant boilers were not involved, and the explosion was outside the walls of the plant. The plant has five generating units. Four of the units are still operational. Unit 5 is offline pending the investigation of the explosion. The plant is located near Beverly, Ohio. Nine AEP employees were transported to five local hospitals for evaluation and treatment of injuries. None of the injuries is life threatening.
Fellow officers mourn loss of friend
PATERSON, NJ -- The Franklin family, well-known for their contributions and sacrifices to this city, made the ultimate one early Sunday morning; their son, Tyron D. Franklin, was killed in a robbery attempt just a week shy of his 24th birthday. Franklin's death had an impact on many lives in Paterson -- first and foremost those of his family and the 16-month-old son he left behind. But the city's uniformed services were also hit hard: both the police department Franklin served as a rookie patrolman and the fire department his father, Larry Franklin, retired from as the first black captain in the department's history.
Probe Underway at Georgia Plant
DALTON, Ga. -- Dalton firefighters on Monday continued to extinguish small pockets of fire, more than 48 hours after the start of a blaze that killed an employee and gutted much of a business here. Dalton Fire Chief Barry Gober said investigators likely would begin combing through rubble today at Columbia Recycling Corp. at 1001 Chattanooga Ave. "In my 28 years with the fire department, this is a top 10 major loss," he said. "In scope, size and scale, it's a major loss." Leonel Delgado, 22, who was working at the textile waste recycling firm when the fire broke out early Saturday, died of smoke inhalation, Whitfield County Coroner Bobbie Dixon said.
Market's clerk shot in head, Victim in attempted robbery in North Side stabilized after surgery
Richmond, VA - An employee at Hanes Market & Deli in Richmond's North Side was shot in the head last night during a robbery attempt after another store worker struggled with the gunman, Richmond police said. Medics rushed the victim to VCU Medical Center after the 8:41 p.m. shooting inside the store at 3008 Hanes Ave, at the corner of West Brookland Park Boulevard. At the scene, shortly after the shooting, Richmond police supervisor Capt. Michael Shamus said the victim's wound appeared to be life-threatening. Late last night, Shamus reported the victim was out of surgery and stabilized. "Very fortunate," Shamus said.
City Employee Killed In Ice Storm
A 25-year-old Houston city employee was killed when he was hit by a car while helping guide traffic around another traffic accident.
Delta man dies in mine accident
SOMERSET, CO — A Delta coal miner died in an accident Saturday in the Elk Creek Mine near Somerset, according to Delta County Coroner Chalmer Swain. Swain identified the victim as 26-year-old Jeremy Garcia. Jim Cooper, executive vice president of Oxbow Mining, the owner of the Elk Creek Mine, said he had spent much of the weekend with Garcia’s family. He was married and had two young children, Cooper said. Garcia had 2 1/2 years of experience as an underground miner and had worked at the Elk Creek Mine since September as a utility man on the continuous miner section, Cooper said. The accident occurred about 12:30 p.m. when Garcia went to an area where supplies are stored to get some wire screen that is used for roof support to keep small materials from falling on miners, Cooper said. According to a press release from Oxbow, when Garcia cut the metal band securing the screen material to the mine wall to get a portion of it, the whole bundle fell on him. “When the miner cut the metal band holding the bundle of screen together, it released outward striking him,” a press release from Oxbow stated.
Guard dies at Deseret Depot
UT - A 26-year employee of Deseret Chemical Depot collapsed and died Sunday at noon in the facility's parking lot. Terry Stonebreaker, 56, of Lehi worked at the depot as a security guard. He had just finished his shift when he collapsed. Emergency personnel were called in and he was taken to Mountain West Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Stonebreaker leaves behind a wife and three children. Alaine Southworth, spokeswoman for the depot, said Mr. Stonebreaker suffered from an undisclosed medical condition.
Worker Dies At Bonaventure Country Club
BONAVENTURE, FL - A worker at the Bonaventure Country Club died after the tractor he was driving ran into a lake at the golf course. The landscaping contractor was mowing the lawn, when the tractor he was using tipped over, dumping him into the water. The Broward Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. They don’t know how long the victim had been in the water before other workers at the golf course found him inside the lake. Paramedics transported him to Broward General Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The victim’s name has not been released. The golf course is located at 200 Bonaventure Blvd.
Remembering the life of Officer Fumiatti
New Haven, CT - Officer Robert Fumiatti grew up in West Haven. His father was also in law enforcement as a detective on the New Haven police department. Fumiatti graduated from West Haven high school in the late 80's. He was a hockey player on the varsity squad. That love for the ice stayed with him as an adult he coached the boys hockey team for Amity high school. His positive spirit is remarkable considering what he's been through. For the last five years officer Fumiatti's life was full of challenges. In June of 2002 Fumiatti was shot in the line of duty. A drug raid in New Haven turned violent, a suspected drug dealer shot the officer in the face and neck. With prayers and medical technology Fumiatti fought back. Spending months in recovery enduring a long battle both physically and mentally. One of the bullets forever lodged in his brain, a pacemaker monitoring his heart.
Fallen Indiana Firefighter Smothered
Forte Wayne, IN - Upland volunteer firefighter Sidney Hall died after being deprived of oxygen while trapped inside a burning house last week, the Allen County coroner announced Tuesday. Hall, 52, died following a Wednesday house fire at 7056 E. 100S. He fell through a floor and was trapped, perhaps for as long as 20 minutes, before being rescued. He died Thursday at Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne, where he was flown following the fire. Dick Alfeld, the chief investigator for the Allen County coroner's office, said the official cause of Hall's death was hypoxia and asphyxiation due to position. "Basically, he couldn't breathe because he had pressure on his chest," Alfeld said. "It was an accident."
Employee fatally shot outside Mount Pleasant newspaper office
MOUNT PLEASANT, MI — A 30-year-old newspaper advertising representative was shot to death Tuesday in a parking lot outside the Morning Sun offices after police said she was rammed and flipped over in her vehicle. Police said they later arrested Thomas Daniel Babb, 37, in the death of his wife, Mary Lynn Babb, after he drove into a ditch near Evart in Osceola County. Police said the victim had a personal protection order against her estranged husband. Authorities said they believe Thomas Babb was waiting outside the Morning Sun offices about 4:30 p.m. when his wife drove her sport utility vehicle into the parking lot, the Mount Pleasant newspaper reported. Witnesses told police the suspect then rammed Mary Babb's SUV with his pickup truck, pushing her vehicle across the parking lot and causing it to roll over onto its top.
Driver killed in tractor-trailer crash
Joplin, MO - Edward F. McMurray, 67, of El Dorado Springs died when his tractor-trailer cab went off the road and caught fire Monday in Newton County, the Missouri Highway Patrol said. His southbound 1997 Kenworth reportedly went into a median between two bridges, vaulted into a creek bed and caught fire. The crash was reported after 1:15 p.m. on U.S. 71, five miles south of Joplin.
Family of city worker killed on the job to file suit
Houston, TX- The family of a City of Houston worker killed during Wednesday’s bad weather has hired an attorney and plans to file suit. The accident happened on Highway 59 at San Jacinto River in north Harris County. Police say Jerry Hines was operating a sand truck when he and his partner spotted an accident. Hines attempted to direct traffic around the accident when another came along and hit him, sending him over the San Jacinto River Bridge. Hines had worked for the city for 14 months. He leaves behind a wife and one-month-old baby.
NC officer dies during foot pursuit
HOPE MILLS, N.C. -- A North Carolina police sergeant died Thursday after collapsing while chasing a suspect. Authorities say Sergeant James Keith Hardin, 34, was running along US 301 at the time with a K9 and another officer. According to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s watch commander, suspect Ricky Allen Wilson, Jr., was captured on Thursday at 5:25 p.m. He was wanted on a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized use of motor vehicle. He’s now also charged with felony speeding to elude arrest. Hardin, who had been promoted from corporal to sergeant in July, is survived by his wife, Shelly, and two children.
Worker found shot to death at car dealership
North Lawrence, NY - The day after one of the top salesmen at a North Lawrence car dealership was shot dead, detectives Friday said they had no motive or suspect in the killing. Nassau police said Collin Thomas, 27, of Jamaica, Queens, was shot once in the back about 8:50 p.m. Thursday, shortly before he was to help close Universal Auto World on Burnside Avenue. Investigators combed the site for clues Friday, cordoning off the entire block with tape and allowing canine units to sniff the fleet of pre-owned luxury cars and sport utility vehicles. "At this point in time, our investigation is in its infancy stages," said Det. Lt. Michael Fleming, commander of the homicide squad, who said relatives and friend of Thomas were interviewed Friday. "We do know he was shot once in the back. That was a fatal shot."
Two killed in fiery Van Nuys plane crash
NORTH HILLS, CA - Two pilots died Friday in a ball of flames when their corporate jet crashed after taking off from Van Nuys Airport, authorities said. Witnesses watched in horror as the twin-engine Cessna Citation "wobbled" before banking away from homes and plummeting into a grassy lot north of the airport just before 11 a.m. Some saw a baggage door open during takeoff. Others saw a man jump out of the plane just before it crashed.
Man Killed by Forklift To Be 'Deeply Missed'
LAKELAND, FL - Roy Eugene Davis had put in nearly 30 years at Central Maintenance & Welding Inc. before he retired on New Year's Eve. The 64-year-old Lithia man returned to work Tuesday, on a part-time basis, to assist in a project at Mosaic's New Wales plant on State Road 640. Davis, the nighttime safety coordinator on the project, was hit and killed by a forklift carrying a bucket about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
Worker killed in fall at REP, Man slipped off ledge while cleaning at mill
LORAIN, OH — A 35-year-old father of twin girls fell 120 feet to his death Friday morning in an industrial accident at a Lorain steel mill. Jose M. Diaz was working as a contract cleaner at Republic Engineered Products, 1807 E. 28th St., when he slipped off a narrow ledge and fell, according to a police report. Diaz was an employee of Superior Environmental Solutions, a Cincinnati company hired to provide cleaning services throughout the massive complex formerly known as USS/Kobe Steel Co.
Two more Burger King workers killed months after Lindenhurst murder
CHICAGO, IL -- Pam Branka would often talk about the recent murder of an employee at a Burger King in Lindenhurst, but she never believed the same fate could befall her at the Burger King where she worked for 15 years in a small northeast Illinois community, her husband said. The 46-year-old mother of one and another employee of the Burger King in Momence, about 50 miles south of Chicago, were found dead inside the fast-food restaurant early Saturday, Kankakee County Coroner Robert Gessner said. He identified the other victim as Paul Jones, 49, of Donovan.
Two W.Va. Miners Killed At Coal Mine
McDowell County, WV - Two miners (James D. Thomas, 48, of North Tazewell, Va., and utilityman Pete Poindexter, 33, of Rock) are dead after another tragedy at a West Virginia coal mine. It happened at the Brooks Run Mining's Cucumber Mine in McDowell County, W.Va. The news came just weeks after the nation remembered the one year anniversary of the Sago Mine disaster. The accident marked the first mining deaths of 2007. Officials said the miners were trapped and killed around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, while working to remove pillars of coal. Investigators are still working to determine whether it was one of the pillars or the roof that collapsed. Local lawmakers said it's eerily tragic news so soon after the governor's State of the State address, where mine safety was a key issue. "No matter what, it's a horrible tragedy but if we find that it's something that could have been prevented, then maybe we can act quickly and make sure that no other families have to go through it in the future," said Majority Leader Joe DeLong (D).
Death of nurse at hospital being probed
PARAMUS, NJ -- Authorities were investigating the death of a Bergen Regional Medical Center employee who died on the job early Saturday, police said. Dennis Bombardier, 33, a head nurse at the hospital, was found in his office and in "medical distress" by another employee around 4:30 a.m., Bergen County Police Capt. Kevin Hartnett said. The Mahwah resident was taken to the hospital emergency room where he died three hours later, Hartnett said. The cause of death is pending the completion of an autopsy.
Paramedic dies after Boone wreck
Boone, WV - A 30-year paramedic died in a Charleston hospital Sunday after being injured in a head-on collision Saturday in Boone County. Tennille Annette Davis, 30, of Belle died at CAMC General Hospital, where she underwent surgery Saturday. She was airlifted to the hospital after being extricated from her pickup truck, said David Kieffer, a captain with the Kanawha County Ambulance Authority. Davis was en route to teach an Emergency Medical Technician class in Boone County when the accident occurred at about 9:30 Saturday on W.Va. 3 in Racine. An employee of the Kanawha County Ambulance Authority since 1999, Davis had reached the highest skill level — a critical care transport paramedic — and was a field training officer
Man killed when tractor flips
Boyd Lake, CO - A 60-year-old Larimer County farmer was killed in a freak accident this morning when the tractor he was using to pull a pickup from deep snow overturned and crushed him. Larimer County sheriff's spokesman Don Nadow said the man, whose name hasn't been released, was going goose hunting with two other men when their pickup became stuck in a field northeast of Boyd Lake.
Female cab driver shot to death in La Marque
LA MARQUE, TX — Police are investigating the shooting of a taxi driver who they believe was killed by the last person she gave a ride to. A passing motorist found Raneshia Lyshaun Kelly, 28, of Hitchcock, bleeding to death in her taxi along the northbound Interstate 45 feeder road near Century Boulevard about 3 a.m. Sunday. The motorist had pulled over to check on the driver after she saw the maroon taxi van weave on the road, go across the grass median and hit the I-45 guardrail. Kelly was dead by the time police and EMS workers arrived.
Clerk killed in robbery at Forest Heights 7-11
Forest Heights, MD - A clerk at the 7-11 on Livingston Road in Forest Heights was killed Friday evening during a robbery that police spokesman Cpl. Steve Pacheco said showed a ‘‘total disregard for everything.” An unidentified suspect armed with a shotgun entered the 7-11 sometime before 9 p.m. Friday and demanded money from store employee Bekurestsion K. Gebreamlak, who was behind the counter. During the course of the robbery, the suspect shot 57-year-old Gebreamlak in the upper body, before fleeing.
Grinnell Medical Center Worker Dies
Grinnell, IA - A 42-year old worker at Grinnell Regional Medical Center died Monday. The hospital says Randy Criswell was using a lawn tractor with a snow blade to remove snow from the one-story helipad. The machine cleared the five-foot safety net and landed on the ground, more than 17-feet below. Officials say further details about how it happened aren't known at this point. Criswell had major head and chest injuries. An autopsy will be performed Tuesday.
Two Idaho Statesman Newspaper Carriers Killed
Canyon County, Idaho -- The Idaho Statesman is mourning the tragic loss of two of their newspaper carriers. Gene and Darlene Sell died in an early morning accident in rural Canyon County while delivering papers along their regular daily route. Just before 4 a.m. Monday, Cindy Hess woke up to a loud noise outside her bedroom window. "Sounded like thunder," she said. That thunder was the sound of a deadly accident. Idaho State Police say a pickup truck ran a stop sign at Hollow and El Paso roads in rural Canyon County and collided with a semi-tractor hauling a milk tanker trailer. The impact knocked the street sign off the pole, uprooted one of the trees in Hess' yard, and ejected the man and woman inside the pickup. Gene Sell, 73, and his wife, Darlene, 68, weren't wearing their seatbelts and died at the scene.
Police name man killed in industrial incident
Salina, KS - The man killed Monday morning while working on a loader at Hronek Salvage, 146 S. Cherry, was identified Tuesday as Stanley Beckner, 61, 146 S. Cherry. Mike Marshall, deputy Salina police chief, said Beckner was working on the loader shortly before 11 a.m. Monday when the hydraulic arms suddenly lowered. Beckner was trapped between the lift arms and the frame of the loader, Marshall said.
One worker killed, two others seriously injured in shredder
Seattle, WA-An industrial accident at a South Seattle scrap recycler that shreds metal from cars killed one employee and left two others hospitalized with serious injuries Wednesday. The three Seattle Iron & Metals Corp. workers were preparing to repair the recycler's massive car shredder when a metal service platform they were installing shifted, pinning them inside the machine, authorities said.
One person dead in Palatine fire
IL-The owner of a Palatine auto repair shop was killed Thursday when a fire ravaged his business, fire officials said. Michael Kipnis, 40, of Lake Zurich was the lone fatality in the blaze; 12 others - one person from the auto shop and 11 employees from another business that shares the same building - safely escaped.
Cooper Tire Worker Killed
Texarkana, AK- A long-time employee at Cooper’s Texarkana, Ark., plant was killed Jan. 16 when, according to news reports, he was struck by a piece of falling equipment. According to Cooper it was the first fatality at the plant in its 42-year history Construction worker dies in drilling accident
Long Island Rail Road worker is hit by train, dies; many delays
VALLEY STREAM, N.Y. (AP) _ A railway track worker was struck by a train and killed Wednesday, delaying service on several branches of North America's largest commuter rail system. The Long Island Rail Road worker was hit at 9:55 a.m. just west of the Valley Stream station by the 9:12 a.m. westbound train from Babylon to Manhattan's Pennsylvania Station. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he died.
Highway worker dies on road
College Station, AR-A state Highway and Transportation Department worker re-moving a dead animal from southbound Hwy. 67/167 about a quarter mile south of the on-ramp at Redmond Road Tuesday morning was struck and killed by a passing motorist. The AHTD employee was identified as Jerome Harris from College Station, according to Glenn Bolick, a spokesman for AHTD. Harris was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, according to Bolick. The driver of the vehicle that struck Harris was identified as D. Lance Smith of Evening Shade. Smith was driving south in a 1994 Ford pickup on Hwy. 67/167 near Redmond Road when he struck Harris.
Tree Trimmer Dies After High Wind Knocks Down Limb
A tree trimmer was killed by a falling limb in Arlington yesterday, an apparent casualty of the high winds that raked the area. The worker, who was not identified immediately, was part of a seven-member crew from a private service that was trimming trees behind a house, authorities said. While crew members were rigging a tree to be trimmed, "a large gust of wind blew," according to a statement from Arlington authorities. Crew members heard "a large cracking sound," and a big branch broke from a tree and fell about 70 feet.
The workers tried to flee, but one was struck on the head by the falling branch. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is being withheld until relatives could be notified.
Man who died on job named
KALIHIWAI, HA — The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation yesterday announced the name of a man who was killed working on the job this week.
Johnathan Hirata, 30, of Wailua, died after cutting down a tree near Kalihiwai bridge on the mauka side in Kilauea around 1 p.m. Wednesday. Hirata had been part of the maintenance crew for more than seven years. His family was notified of his death Wednesday night.
Warehouse Worker Killed When Run Over By Payloader
CHICAGO, IL -- Authorities are investigating the death of a Lake Station, Ind., man at a Chicago warehouse where he worked. Authorities said 48-year-old Craig Harlacker was run over Wednesday night by a payloader driven by a fellow Kinder Morgan employee. A report from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said the driver was apparently blinded by a mercury vapor light. The report states that Harlacker was wearing a hard hat with sound suppressors and may not have heard the payloader approaching.
Worker Dies After Falling from Roof
Fort Wayne, IN -- A Fort Wayne construction worker (Brandon J. Bragg, 26,) fell to his death Thursday morning, while finishing up a roofing project in DeKalb County.
Just before 9:30, crews were working on the building that now houses the Garrett Christmas Bureau. The building previously served as a church, and has steep roofs. The new roofing project was nearly complete, when a worker slipped and fell.
"There were two ladders going up to the roof with the scaffolding across and apparently he slid on to that and bounced off the scaffolding and fell to the ground," Garrett Police Detective Sterling Robbins II told NewsChannel 15.
10-Hour Effort Fails To Save Trapped Worker
BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. -- Russell Gusloff of 904 Colfax Ave. was pronounced dead on the scene at 12:38 a.m. Thursday at Graber Concrete Pipe, 24W121 Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale, according to DuPage County Chief Deputy Coroner Charlie Dastych. "It was an extremely technical extrication," according to the firefighter, who said outside companies that specialize in rescues were brought in to help.
Upon arrival, crews were notified that an employee was engulfed by sand in a hopper located about 40 feet up on top of the building, according to a release from the district. After about an hour, the rescue was turned into a recovery effort because part of Gusloff’s body was exposed and showed "no signs of life," the firefighter said.
Police identify accident victim
SANDPOINT, ID -- The victim in Tuesday's deadly industrial accident at The Seasons resort development has been identified as Washington state resident Ezra D. Gordon. Sandpoint Police released the man's identity on Wednesday and a federal labor safety inspector investigated accident site. Authorities on Tuesday listed Gordon's age as 24, but he was actually 25.
Police Chief Mark Lockwood said Gordon lived in the Spokane area and was working for Crux Subsurface, a Spokane Valley firm which specializes in geotechnical drilling services. Crux was doing work for developers of the waterfront condominium and marina project, but Lockwood had no further details on the nature of Crux's work at the site. Gordon was part of a three-man crew using a track-mounted drilling machine when his clothes became entangled in the drill. "His clothes got caught in the apparatus and it pulled him in," Lockwood said.
Worker buried alive while filling a sewage trench
Mission Bluff, TX -- A construction worker was critically injured after accidentally being buried alive while filling a sewage trench in Fort Bend County. The unidentified man was working in the trench at a construction site near Mission Bluff late this afternoon when other construction workers began filling the trench, apparently covering him before anyone realized he was there, said Terriann Carlson, spokeswoman for the Fort Bend Sheriff's Office.
As soon as workers realized what had happened, they began digging the man out, but "he was down there for a good length of time," perhaps 20 to 30 minutes, Carlson said.
Police ID worker who died after falling down elevator shaft in Fort Lauderdale
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- A 42-year-old Lake Worth man died Tuesday after he fell 60 feet down an elevator shaft while working at an oceanfront hotel construction site, officials said.
Ronald D. Mc Rostie, a subcontractor and mechanic was getting ready to test elevator cars at the St. Regis Resort when the accident occurred around 2 p.m., Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue spokesman Stephen McInerny said.
The man went to work on an elevator he thought was on the seventh floor, opened the doors with keys and fell down the elevator shaft onto the car, which was on the first floor, McInerny said. The man worked for Schindler Elevator. Company officials could not be reached for comment.
Unclothed Worker Dies After Four-Story Plunge
A naked construction worker fell about four stories to his death early yesterday at the work site for a new downtown museum, D.C. police and fire officials said.
Joseph Oliver, 23, of La Plata was discovered about 6 a.m. in the basement elevator shaft area of the Newseum, which is being built at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, officials said. Authorities said it was unclear why he was naked.
Maintenance worker dies as tractor traps him underwater in Weston
Fort Lauderdale, FL - Detectives from the Broward Sheriff's Office are investigating the death of a landscape maintenance worker, who was trapped underwater after his tractor tumbled into a pond on a Weston golf course.
Apparently, Carlos Carbena, 43, was operating a John Deere tractor with a mower attachment, cutting the grass, when the tractor lost traction and slid into the water, overturning and trapping him underwater.
Town official is killed by tree; Sturbridge man was an assessor
STURBRIDGE, MA -- A longtime town assessor and businessman died Monday afternoon shortly after a tree he was cutting down fell on him, police said.
Donald H. Mapplebeck, 67, was taken by ambulance to Harrington Memorial Hospital in Southbridge, where he died a short time later. He suffered severe trauma, Police Sgt. Kevin R. Mercier said in an interview yesterday.
Mr. Mapplebeck and his co-worker were taking down pine trees in the backyard at 67 Walker Pond Road when the accident happened just before 2:30 p.m., the sergeant said. A very large tree that was being cut down struck another tree as it fell, which redirected the path of the falling tree. Two police cruisers and an ambulance arrived within five minutes.
Pastor Fatally Shot In Prince George's
Suitland, MD -- A well-known Prince George's County minister who runs a transitional home for poor families died yesterday after being gunned down on the steps of his church in the morning.
The Rev. Milton L. Moore was outside the entrance of the Warriors for Christ Ministries in Suitland about 7 a.m. when he was struck in the upper body and bullets shattered a glass door, police and relatives said. He died at 4:25 p.m.
FBI Agent Killed While Training
BOWLING GREEN, Va. -- An FBI agent was killed Wednesday during a live-fire training exercise, the agency said. Supervisory Special Agent Gregory J. Rahoi, 38, of Wisconsin, was shot Wednesday during the exercise at Fort A.P. Hill, a sprawling Army base about an hour south of Washington.
Truck Driver Killed, Family Injured In Overnight Collision; One Truck Rear Ends Another On Bishop Ford Expressway
CHICAGO, IL -- The driver of a tractor-trailer truck was killed when the big rig he was driving rear-ended another semitrailer stopped in traffic on the Bishop Ford Freeway. Five others were badly hurt -- including his wife and three children -- in the collision early Wednesday on the South Side.
William Cummings, 65, of Springfield, Mo., was pronounced dead at 1:55 a.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to a spokesman from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
Bear-area motel worker killed in fall from ladder
Wilmington DE -- A worker was killed Tuesday when he fell 12 feet after climbing an extension ladder to a Bear-area motel roof to make repairs. Ramesh Patel, 44, who lives at the motel, was pronounced dead at the scene, said state police spokesman Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh.
Firefighter dies on duty Long 'very religious and very dedicated to his family'
Charlotte, VA -- A veteran Charlotte firefighter died Friday night on duty while exercising, fire officials said. Just before 6 p.m., firefighter Kent Long, 44, collapsed at Charlotte Fire Station # 23 on W.T. Harris Boulevard. "He was a fine outstanding young man, very religious and very dedicated to his family," said Charlotte Fire Chief Luther Fincher Jr. Fincher said Long had gone out to do some windsprints between the firestation and a nearby church. A passerby noticed Long in the grass outside the station, Fincher said. Fellow firefighters began resuscitation efforts along with an on-duty medic crew. Long was rushed to Carolinas Medical Center where continued efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
Man Killed When Tree Falls On Him In New Jersey
JAMESBURG, N.J. -- A man who works at a tree removal company was horrified when a tree he was taking down struck a second tree, which fell and killed his son on Wednesday. Jerrold Love, 28, was killed in what police are terming a tragic accident.
"I saw the tree go down and hit the other tree, and I said, 'Please don't let anybody be over there,"' neighbor Robert Cunha told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Thursday's newspapers. "Then I heard the screams."
Shipyard worker dies of Dec. 5 gunshot; co-worker charged
MOBILE Ala.-- A shipyard worker shot in the head in a dispute with a co-worker on Dec. 5 has died. Police said Travis Baldwin, 25, of Fairhope died Thursday from his injury.
An assault charge against the co-worker, LeKelvin Carlton, 27, of Mobile, in custody since the shooting, has been upgraded to murder. Carlton surrendered to police a short time after the shooting. Baldwin was shot at Austal U.S.A. Shipyard in Mobile following an argument with Carlton over tools, police said.
$10,000 reward for clerk's killer Cops check tips
Aurora, CO -- A $10,000 reward is being offered by 7-Eleven for information leading to the conviction of the man who shot and killed a store clerk in Aurora on Sunday morning. The homicide investigation is the top priority for Aurora police, with several investigators assigned to track down dozens of tips that have come in, Detective Robert Friel said Tuesday. There has been no arrest so far.
"There are so many directions to go in," Friel said. "It's a big spider web." Jutte Gallegos Burton, 62, who worked an overnight shift at the 7-Eleven at East Sixth Avenue and Havana Street, was murdered behind the counter at the store at 3:08 a.m. Sunday.
Surveillance video shows the clerk and the gunman looking at each other and having a conversation that lasts about one minute. The man then pointed a shortened shotgun at her and pulled the trigger. Gallegos Burton tried to run into a manager's office behind the store counter, Friel said. She was shot once in the back.
Postal workers remember slain supervisor and dead carrier
San Francisco, CA -- More than 50 U.S. Postal Service workers held an unusual vigil Wednesday to remember both a slain San Francisco postal supervisor and the colleague police believe killed her and took his own life.
Genevieve Paez, 53, a customer service supervisor at the Postal Service annex on Napoleon Street in the Bayview district, was shot in the back of the head outside her home Nov. 28 as she was leaving for work.
Police believe a letter carrier who worked for her, 39-year-old Julius Kevin Tartt of South San Francisco, shot Paez, possibly because he was angry she had sought disciplinary action against him. That baffled co-workers at Wednesday evening's vigil, some of whom said Paez and Tartt had a long, friendly relationship. More here.
HIGHWAY WORKER KILLED
Columbus, WI -- Columbia County highway worker Nick B. Price, 41, was killed Tuesday in a freak accident while working with a crew near the intersection of highways 151 and 73 in Columbus, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office said.
Price and others were part of a crew mowing the ditch along U.S. 151 when one of the vehicles being used got stuck in mud, the Sheriff's Office said. A second vehicle was brought to the scene to pull the stuck vehicle free, and while that was being done Price was hit in the head by a cable and suffered fatal injuries.
Price was married and the father of a daughter.
T-shirt shop owner killed in robbery
St. Louis, MO -- The owner of a small T-shirt shop in St. Louis was shot and killed this morning during a robbery at his store, police said.
The shooting took place about 10:45 a.m. in the 4600 block of St. Louis Avenue, at Cora Avenue. The victim was identified as Jesse Taylor, 73, of Bellefontaine Neighbors. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shooting rampage kills 3 - 2 strip club employees among dead
NEW BEDFORD, MA - At about 7 Monday evening Irene Thomas, inside a friend's tanning salon, heard a ruckus outside the Foxy Lady strip club next door. She went outside and saw two club employees, manager Tory C. Marandos and bouncer Robert Carreiro, arguing with a third man she didn't recognize.
"I'll be back for you and you and everybody," the man shouted. She shrugged it off as just another barroom dispute.
Five hours later, at closing time, a man walked into the club and went on a shooting rampage. He wielded an assault weapon and wore dark, paramilitary-style clothing. When it was all over, Carreiro, 32, of New Bedford, and Marandos, 30, of Nashua, N.H., were dead. Their killer, Scott C. Medeiros, 35, of Freetown, apparently took his own life, the police said. (More here.)
Friends, customers mourn slain Shoreline convenience store clerk
SHORELINE Wash.-- Relatives, friends and customers are mourning the unexplained killing of a convenience store clerk, an immigrant who helped support his ill father in this suburb north of Seattle.
King County sheriff's Sgt. John W. Urquhart said a customer found the man's body just after 4 a.m. Sunday on the sidewalk in front of the 7-Eleven store where he worked the night shift. Investigators have not determined who might be responsible, nor was anything missing, Urquhart said.
Ho Viet Ton, 49, was shot while sitting outside the store on a cigarette break within sight of the Shoreline Police Neighborhood Center across the street, but surveillance videotape provided no useful clues, Ron Conlin of 7-Eleven Inc. said Monday.
Deer comes through windshield, kills truck driver
Odell, Neb. -- In a bizarre traffic collision near Odell, Neb., a deer smashed through the windshield of a semitrailer truck, striking and killing the driver.
The deer had a broken leg, probably from being hit by another vehicle, and jumped into the path of the truck as it drove west on Nebraska Highway 8 just before 6 p.m. Thursday, said Gage County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Kendall said. The deer struck the hood of the semi, went through the windshield and into the cab.
The driver, 34-year-old Travis Hedman, of Morganville, Kan., was killed. After the collision, the truck went into a ditch, into a field and then rolled onto the passenger side, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Emergency crews found Hedman and the deer, both dead, in the cab of the truck, Kendall said. Hedman, who worked for Carlson Trucking Co. out of Clay Center, Kan., had been transporting a load of pipe on a flatbed trailer.
LaPorte man killed in accident at work
Authorities have identified the man who was fatally injured in Bertrand Township early Wednesday while working on his semi-truck and trailer as John P. Bryan, 33, of LaPorte.
The vehicle reportedly rolled over on Bryan as he was performing maintenance on it shortly before 5:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the DHL Worldwide Express terminal at 2121 Chicago Road, just southwest of Niles, the Michigan State Police post in Niles reported. Bryan was an independent contract carrier who worked for Werner Enterprises, DHL said.
Construction Worker Falls To Death
A construction worker on a condo remodeling project fell to his death Thursday morning. At about 8:40 a.m. police responded to a report of a fall at the Tequesta Towers Condominium at 400 Beach Road. Jose Caliz, 41, of Jupiter was working on a balcony renovation when he fell 10 stories, police said. He was flown to St. Mary's Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The Fort Lauderdale office of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is conducting an investigation, Area Director Luis Santiago said, but no details about the incident were available Friday.
Five workers killed in head-on collision near Modesto
OAKDALE Calif. -- A pickup truck slammed head-on into a car on a San Joaquin Valley road, killing five people on their way to work, the California Highway Patrol said. Four of the victims were related.
The truck's driver, Justin Chase Christensen, 26, of Oakdale, was the only survivor of Thursday's crash, said Highway Patrol Officer John Martinez. Christensen was arrested at the hospital, where he remained hospitalized with major injuries and was under 24-hour guard.
Martinez said the CHP will recommend to prosecutors that he be charged with five counts of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Christensen remained hospitalized Friday. The CHP said his blood tested positive for alcohol and heroin.
The five people killed were not all identified by Friday, but Martinez said they were two cousins, two brothers-in-law and a friend, all of Oakdale. The men were on their way to work at a nearby tree farm. All five were pronounced dead at the scene.
