Weekly Toll: Public employees, workplace violence and death in a tire-shredder

I’ve been away, so it’s a long, depressing list this week. Lowlights include 11 public employees in states that don’t have OSHA coverage – Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio: Highway workers, police, firefighters.

PennDOT worker killed in I-99 crash

LOGAN TOWNSHIP, PA — State police at Hollidaysburg are investigating a fatal crash involving a vehicle and pedestrian Saturday along Interstate 99 southbound, north of Kettle Road in Logan Township. Officials say PennDOT employee Robert Gensimore, 45, of Spruce Creek, was setting up flares at 3:41 p.m., warning drivers of a crash scene on I-99. That’s when they say a State College driver, 29-year-old Guanglong Hu, lost control of his car and hit Gensimore. Gensimore was pronounced dead at the scene.

Truck driver killed after being pinned by semi at Menards loading dock

HOLLAND, Ohio (WTVG) – Holland police say one person was killed when a semi truck rolled back, pinning the driver between the trailer and the loading dock. Chief Robert Reed says the truck driver was making a delivery to Menards off of Airport Hwy. in Holland Wednesday. According to Reed, the driver exited the semi and was standing behind it. That’s when the semi rolled back and killed the victim.

1 dead after industrial accident in Maynardville

MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – A person was killed in an industrial accident at a Clayton Homes facility in Maynardville. The victim, whose identity hasn’t been released, worked for Hoyle’s Tire & Axle out of Henderson, N.C., according to a Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce spokesman. OSHA officials have started an investigation of the incident that will take between ten and 12 weeks to complete.

Vermont farm worker run over and killed by machine

BERKSHIRE, Vt. — Vermont police say a farm worker was run over and killed by a bucket loader machine while arriving to work. Berkshire police say 57-year-old James Davio, of Newport, had just arrived to work around 6 a.m. Thursday when he was run over by the farm machine. WCAX-TV reports authorities say the machine operator, 22-year-old Jaime St. Pierre, didn’t see Davio. First responders pronounced Davio dead at the scene. The large dairy farm is owned and operated by the St. Pierre family, who declined to comment.

US postal worker found fatally shot in mail truck in Dallas

DALLAS, TX— A U.S. Postal Service worker was found fatally shot inside a mail truck along a busy highway in Dallas on Monday, and investigators are treating the case as a homicide, according to police. Officers found the worker’s body inside the government vehicle around 2:30 a.m. after responding to a reported shooting along Interstate 30 just west of downtown, according to a statement released by Dallas police. Sr. Cpl. DeMarquis Black said no arrests have been made, and investigators are still trying to determine a possible motive behind the shooting. The victim’s name hasn’t been released. The U.S. Postal Service operates two large mail sorting and processing complexes nearby, according to Amanda McMurrey, an inspector with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service , the law enforcement and security arm of the USPS.

Construction worker killed in Columbus Junction

COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now investigating the death of a construction worker in Columbus Junction. According to police, there was a cave-in at a construction site in downtown at 2:52 p.m. on Friday. Police said 52-year-old Anthony Hills had been working on sewer repairs at the time and was killed. He was the owner operator of Hills Construction.

Sheriff’s deputy killed in crash on I-95

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Brevard County Sheriff’s Deputy was killed in a traffic crash on Interstate 95 early Saturday morning. The crash happened just after 5 a.m. on I-95 near mile marker 217, just north of State Road 50. Field Training Officer Kevin Stanton died after his his marked cruiser was struck by a semi-truck. Brevard County Sheriff’s Office says that FTO Stanton was hired as a deputy in October 2007 and has received numerous letters of commendation, commendable service awards and was nominated for a Life Saving Award during his 10 years of service. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office will be addressing media once more information becomes available.

Middle TN firefighter dies, 4 injured in partial collapse after blaze

Lawrenceburg, TN — Officials have shared more information about Monday night’s deadly collapse at a house fire that claimed the life of a Lawrenceburg firefighter. Firefighters responded to the fire around 4:30 p.m.at a home on Hood Lakes Road. Around 9 p.m., crews activated “mayday” protocol, and were still actively attempting to contain the fire inside and outside the structure. The two trapped firefighters and two others were taken to Southern Regional Medical Center. Another firefighter was released from the hospital Tuesday. The other is from the New Prospect Fire Department. A Lawrenceburg fire engineer, Jason Dickey, was killed in that fire.

Industrial Worker Fatally Injured in Workplace Accident

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An official says a worker at a Kentucky industrial plant has been fatally injured. Carbide Industries LLC Human Resources Director Heather Y. Davis said in a statement to WDRB-TV that the workplace accident occurred Thursday morning at the company’s facility in Louisville. She did not identify the worker who died. The statement says the company, which manufactures calcium carbide, is cooperating with authorities to determine how the accident happened.

Mercer County village worker killed in industrial accident

Mendon, OH — A Village of Mendon employee was killed in an industrial accident Thursday at the village utility department, Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey said. Brendan Poling, 49, had climbed inside the bed of a dump truck carrying salt and it appeared he slipped into a salt auger, where another village employee discovered him, the sheriff said in a prepared statement released tonight. Deputies were dispatched to the utility department, 340 E. Market St., just after 11:30 a.m. for a male stuck in an auger. Poling, who was a Mendon resident, died at the scene, the sheriff said. More here.

Local log truck driver killed near Augusta

Augusta, GA — A 53-year-old Milledgeville man was killed Thursday night after he lost control of his loaded log truck near Augusta, authorities say. The victim was identified as Guy Boyd Hutchinson Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen confirmed Friday. Bowen said he pronounced Hutchinson dead at the scene at 8:05 p.m. The coroner said the single-vehicle crash happened about 6:50 p.m. on U.S. Highway 1, just north of the Richmond-Jefferson county line. Bowen told the newspaper that Hutchinson had traveled into Richmond County from neighboring Jefferson County and near mile marker three, he apparently lost control of the loaded log truck. “He overcorrected and it (truck) flipped over, partially ejecting him out of the cab of the truck,” Bowen said. “The truck was loaded with logs and logs went everywhere.”

ISP identifies truck driver killed in crash on I-94 in La Porte County

LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. – Indiana State Police have identified the driver who died in a crash on Interstate 94 in La Porte County Friday morning. The driver was identified as David C. Sturgis, 53, of Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. He was a driver for Dalli Trucking Inc. out of Greendale, Wisconsin. The crash happened just before 3 A.M. near the exit to U.S. 20. Troopers say a semi pulling two trailers was headed westbound when one trailer became detached. They say a Volvo semi, driven by Sturgis,hit the detached trailer, causing the cab of the Volvo to be ripped off, killing Sturgis.

Sanitation truck driver killed in accident

Council Bluffs, IA — A Council Bluffs man was killed when his garbage truck overturned in Pottawattamie County early Thursday afternoon.The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says 38-year-old Jeremy Daniels was pronounced dead at a local hospital following the accident on Mynster Road, west of Old Lincoln Highway, shortly after 1 p.m. An investigation determined a sanitation vehicle driven by Daniels was westbound when it exited the road while negotiating a curve and overturned. Daniels was ejected from the vehicle. S&L Sanitation Enterprises, Incorporated owned the vehicle. The accident remains under investigation.

Employee identified in fatal workplace accident at Carbide Industries

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Officials at Carbide Industries reported an employee was fatally injured at the company’s Bells Lane facility on Thursday. The employee has been identified as Patrick Childers, 38. The coroner said a suspected electrocution happened around 4:30 a.m. Two workers died in an explosion at the plant in 2011 that was blamed on a malfunctioning furnace. The 2011 explosion led to the creation of the Code Red alert system.

Garbage Worker Pinned Between Truck, Tree Killed Following Crash

Lincoln, NE — A garbage truck worker has died in an accident in a southwest Lincoln neighborhood. He has been identified as 47 year old James W. Baker of Lincoln. It was around 7 a.m. Thursday when the crash happened at Westland Circle and West Sumner Street, which is southeast of South Coddington Avenue and West “A” Street. Lincoln Police say Baker was working from the back of the truck when he became pinned between the truck and a tree. A Von Busch & Sons, Refuse manager confirmed that Baker was an employee.

Construction worker dies after getting trapped inside piping

Hillsborough County, FL — A Florida man died after he was trapped inside piping while working on a road construction project. First responders arrived on scene to a construction site in Hillsborough County Wednesday afternoon and found the man stuck in the piping while suffering from unknown injuries. Firefighters entered the pipe and discovered that the man had died before rescue crews arrived. The response then moved from a rescue to a recovery operation.

Veteran firefighter dies after collapsing at scene of Burrillville house fire

BURRILLVILLE, RI — A 72-year-old volunteer firefighter died Wednesday morning after he was stricken while firefighters battled a chimney fire at a log cabin home deep in the woods near the Massachusetts border. The cause of Pascoag fire Lt. Richard Jenks’ death was not known, but Jenks tripped and fell in the log cabin while fighting the fire and then collapsed while standing outside, said Deputy Fire Chief Keith Carter. Jenks is the first Pascoag firefighter to die in the line of duty in the Fire Department’s 114-year history, Carter said. He was a 33-year veteran of the department, a veteran of the Air Force and a retired employee of the Pascoag Utility District, Carter said.

DETROIT, MI – A police officer was killed in a crash Tuesday while training. Darren Weathers, a 25-year-old father and military veteran, was known by the name “Lucky” to friends and coworkers. While conducting a surveillance exercise, another driver crashed into his vehicle, pushing him into a metal structure. Crews tried to save his life, but it was too late.

Killed in Vehicle Incident

Martinez, California — Two more workers were killed in recent days, both of them from encounters with vehicles. In Martinez, an employee of Nelson’s Towing Service was involved in a rollover vehicle incident in a private driveway. The other workplace fatality was in San Francisco, where a driver for Recology, a waste collection service, was pinned between a wall and his vehicle.

Jeremy Gordon, Recology Worker, Dies In Industrial Accident

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A Recology worker died in an accident at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Friday morning, according to police. The San Francisco medical examiner’s office has identified 42-year-old Jeremy Gordon as the worker who died in the accident reported at about 6 a.m. Friday near Potrero Avenue and 22nd Street. Recology spokesman Robert Reed said Gordon died while delivering a garbage compactor to the hospital. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.

Man dies in accident at hay company

Ellenburg, WA — An employee died in an accident Feb. 9 during the night shift at Calaway Trading Inc. in Ellensburg. Jose Contreras Mendez, 38, died in the accident, according to the Kittitas County Coroner’s Office. Calaway President Jeff Calaway said the incident occurred when Mendez entered the inflow stream of a hay press to prepare it for cleaning. “The main cause of this accident was a failure to follow lock-out-tag-out procedure,” he said. An investigation is currently being conducted by the state Department of Labor and Industries.

High-ranking Chicago officer killed; 5th cop slain in U.S. since last week

Chicago, IL — A high-ranking Chicago police officer was shot and killed Tuesday after a downtown foot chase, the latest in a spate of law enforcement officers killed across the nation in unrelated shootings. Cmdr. Paul Bauer, a veteran of more than three decades in the Chicago force, was killed about 2:30 p.m. after confronting a man who had run from police officers, Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a news conference. Bauer was immn plainclothes attire when he was shot. He had been listening to his police radio when he heard his fellow officers were chasing down a suspect. His death marks the fifth time an officer has been shot and killed across the nation in a little more than a week, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks such deaths.

Longtime CDOT employee dies after vehicle hits him while on the job

Pagosa Springs, CO — A 14-year Colorado Department of Transportation employee died Sunday, several days after he was hit by a passing vehicle while working on a southwest Colorado highway. Nolan Olson, an accomplished 64-year-old equipment operator, was filling potholes on U.S. 160 in Pagosa Springs on Feb. 2 when he was hit and severely injured. He was transported to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood and died nine days later. “Nolan faced every day with a great and positive attitude,” CDOT maintenance supervisor Billy McDermott said in a statement. “Every member of his patrol looked up to him. Nolan gave guidance for work tasks and was able to share the history of the patrol, CDOT and Pagosa area whenever asked.” He described Olson as diligent and a true role model. He was someone who always looked for a more efficient way of doing things.

Manitowoc crane accident: Third person dies

SHADY GROVE, PA – A third man has died of injuries he suffered on Feb. 2 in a crane accident at the Manitowoc Grove plant on Buchanan Trail East. Isaac Dean Notz, 38, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m. Saturday, according to Franklin County Coroner Jeff Conner. He died of blunt force trauma. Chris Robison, 49, Marion, and John Marcoux, 66, Chambersburg, also died of blunt force trauma in the industrial accident. Authorities have not shared what is believed to have happened to cause the accident. The accident happened on a windy day. Police had to wait for lighter winds before they could take aerial photographs of the scene. The deaths are the most recent at a manufacturing plant in Franklin County since August 2013 when a man died after being pinned between two cranes at Manitowoc. Manitowoc, with about 1,200 employees, is one of the largest manufacturers in Franklin County. The plant in Antrim Township makes Grove mobile cranes and recently added an assembly line for crawler cranes.

Mourners honor Richardson officer who ‘took the warrior’s path’

Richardson, TX — They came to honor a consummate public servant, a humble warrior who gave his life as he would have wanted — in service to others. Hundreds of mourners filled North Dallas’ Watermark Community Church to near capacity Tuesday in memory of Richardson Officer David Sherrard, who was fatally shot Feb. 7 while responding to a disturbance at an apartment complex.”We’re here honoring a true hero,” Richardson Police Chief Jimmy Spivey said. “He made a true sacrifice, and he made that sacrifice coming to the aid of people he did not know.”

Sterling DCFS worker beaten in September dies in Chicago hospital

CHICAGO, IL – The Sterling DCFS worker severely beaten Sept. 29 while picking up a child in Milledgeville died this morning at a Chicago hospital, a local union official and friend of the family said. Pamela Sue Knight was 59. Knight, of Dixon, was being treated at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, but was transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Feb. 4 for emergency surgery, her family said in a post on CaringBridge.org. The reason for the surgery was not specified. Knight still was in intensive care at Northwestern at the time of her death, said Kathy Lane, president of AFSCME Local 448, who was notified of Knight’s death around 8:15 a.m. Before the surgery, Knight, who no longer could speak, was working with therapists to communicate using eye movements, and was able to answer questions that way. She also was undergoing physical therapy to help her regain movement in her arms and legs. Andrew Sucher, 25, of Rock Falls, was indicted Dec. 7 on charges of attempted first-degree murder, which carries at least 6 to 30 years in prison, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, and aggravated battery of a state employee, each of which carries 2 to 5 years in prison. He’s accused of kicking Knight in the head so severely that he fractured her skull, causing permanent brain damage that also led to her extensive physical disabilities. Knight had arrived at Sucher’s parents’ home in Milledgeville to take a 2-year-old boy into protective custody when she was attacked.

Construction worker dies after being hit on I-85 NB at I-985

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A driver is likely to face charges after hitting and killing a construction worker early Friday morning. The construction worker was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. He passed away the following day. On Feb. 9, Peter Rozboril struck and killed 42-year-old Lamar Ragland around 5 a.m. on I-85 North near the I-985 North split. Ragland, a construction worker, was removing barrels from the end of the closure as it was about to reopen, Gwinnett County Police said. Rozboril entered the closed lane with “intent to exit on I-985N” and hit Ragland.

Trucker dies in crash that turns fiery early Sunday on I-65

Seymour, IN — A truck driver from Michigan died early Sunday morning from injuries he sustained in a fiery crash with another trucker near the 53-mile-marker on Interstate 65, police report. John A. Gaskin, 54, of Saulte Ste. Marie died as the result of a crash in which he drove into the back of second semitrailer that may not have had working taillights, according to Trooper Matt Holley’s report. Holley reported Gaskin was driving a 2015 Freightliner truck pulling a box trailer south on the interstate when he collided with the back of a box trailer being pulled by a 2007 Freightliner driven by Abdulahi A. Afrah, 33, of Louisville, Kentucky. As a result of the collision — reported at about 1:30 a.m., Gaskin’s truck caught fire and burned, according to a news release from Sgt. Stephen Wheeles.

Seven Officers Killed In the Line of Duty in Past Week

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The law enforcement profession experienced one of its deadliest periods in recent memory this past week as seven officers nationwide were killed in the line of duty. Six of these fallen heroes were shot to death, and one died in an auto crash. Already this year 14 law enforcement professionals have been killed in the line of duty. Eleven of them died as a result of gunfire, more than double the number at the same time last year (5). On February 5, El Paso County (CO) Deputy Sheriff Micah Flick was shot and killed while conducting a motor vehicle theft investigation. He and several officers struggled with a suspect who opened fire, mortally wounding Deputy Flick, who had spent 11 years with the department. He was the sixth officer to be shot and killed in 2018 and the third in Colorado since December 31. The following day, Los Angeles County (CA) Deputy Sheriff Steven Belanger succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head he sustained on December 1994 while conducting a traffic stop in Rowland Heights, California. Also on February 6, Asher (OK) Police Department Reserve Officer Jarate Dewayne Condit was killed in a vehicle crash. Officer Condit was just 23 years old and is the first officer fatality from Oklahoma in 2018. Richardson (TX) Police Officer David Sherrard became the first Texas officer killed in the line of duty in 2018. Officer Sherrard was shot and killed on February 7 while responding to a disturbance call at an apartment complex in the Dallas suburb. Upon arrival, officers discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound outside and were able to locate the gunman inside the complex. As they entered the apartment, the suspect opened fire on the officers, striking Officer Sherrard in the neck. The assailant then barricaded himself in the apartment for several hours before surrendering. Officer Sherrard died of his wounds in a nearby hospital. Two days later, on February 9, Locust Grove (GA) Police Officer Chase Maddox was shot and killed while helping two Henry County (GA) Sheriff’s deputies apprehend a suspect who had failed to show at his court hearing for a traffic violation. The suspect shot the three officers, killing Officer Maddox, before being shot and killed himself.Then on February 10, two Westerville (OH) Division of Police officers were shot and killed when responding to a 911 call hang-up. The suspect shot the Officer Eric Joering and Officer Anthony Morelli as they arrived at the scene to investigate. Officer Joering died at the scene and Officer Morelli died later at a hospital. Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer called it a “potential domestic situation.”

Worker Found Dead In Hay Press

Ellensburg, WA– Jose Contreres Mendez, an employee of Calaway Trading Inc, was found dead February 9 under a hay press after cleaning the machine. (Source: Washington Department of Labor and Industries)

Hawkins worker killed at MIS Inc. plant in Phipps Bend

SURGOINSVILLE, TN — An employee of the MIS Inc. plant in Hawkins County was killed Thursday night after getting stuck in a large piece of equipment while reportedly trying to dislodge a part that had gotten stuck. The victim was identified as Arthur James Hendrickson, 361 Carters Valley Loop Lot 4, Rogersville. Hendrickson would have celebrated his 35th birthday next Friday. Hawkins County EMA Director Gary Murrell, who responded to the factory at Phipps Bend with other volunteer fire and rescue personnel, said that as soon as the part was dislodged, the door closed on Hendrickson. Murrell said death would have been instantaneous. Shortly after 11:30 p.m., Hawkins County Central Dispatch received a report of an employee being trapped in a machine at the plant, located at 119 Industrial Drive.

Washington Truck Driver Killed In Rollover Crash Near Hermiston

HERMISTON, OR — A truck driver from Spokane, Washington, was killed early Friday when he rolled his commercial semi-truck over an interstate highway interchange southwest of Hermiston, according to Oregon State Police. Troopers from Hermiston and Pendleton were dispatched to the fatal crash at the Interstate-82/Interstate-84 interchange, near I-84 milepost 180, just after 12 a.m. Feb. 9. Ray Dean Harper, 52, was found ejected from his 2004 Freightliner, which was towing an unloaded flatbed trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, police said. The investigation revealed Harper failed to properly negotiate the onramp curve as he transitioned from I-84 to I-82, ultimately leaving the roadway and rolling several times through the median.

Worker dies from Santa Fe hospital construction site accident

SANTA FE, N.M. — An investigation is underway after a fatal accident Thursday morning at the construction site for Presbyterian Healthcare Services’ new Santa Fe hospital. General contractor Jaynes Corporation’s President and COO Shad James confirmed the fatality but did not want to coment further on the details of the incident due to the investigation headed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He did not disclose the identity of the deceased “out of respect for the family.”

57-year-old dies at Battista Farms, OSHA has no inspection history at Battista Farms

San Carlos Park , FL — A 57-year-old man was killed while repairing a forklift at Battista Farms on Wednesday. Juan Mendez’s death at the business at 19490 S. Tamiami Trail in San Carlos Park was ruled a workplace accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor is investigating, said Michael D’Aquino, an OSHA spokesman. D’Aquino said the agency does not have an inspection history of Battista Farms. A woman who identified herself as Mendez’s wife at a Fort Myers home listed for Mendez declined to speak about the death.

SCIO TWP., MI – A truck driver was killed and another were seriously injured after their semi-trucks collided Wednesday night along I-94 near Ann Arbor. The accident happened just after 7 p.m. Wednesday in the eastbound lanes between Baker and Zeeb roads in Scio Township. Authorities say a 2006 Volvo semi-truck was traveling in the right lane when the driver lost control. As the truck was veering onto the shoulder, it was struck from behind by a 2012 Volvo semi-truck. The driver of the 2012 Volvo, a 42-year-old Redford man, was ejected from his vehicle and struck by a 2016 Honda that was traveling in the center lane of I-94. He received fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Johnson City man killed in dump truck accident

BLOUNTVILLE, TN — Police have identified a local paving company worker who was killed on the job Tuesday, while confirming that his death appears to be accidental. On Wednesday morning, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office named the deceased as Glenn Burchfield, 60, of Johnson City. The incident occurred at about 11:30 a.m. on property beside of Pave-Well Paving Co., 725 Centenary Road. Burchfield was unloading material from a dump truck, as was a coworker of Pave-Well that was in another vehicle. Police say that Burchfield exited the cab of his truck and was run over by the coworker. His body has been sent to the Quillen College of Medicine for autopsy.

GoFundMe page set up for Prince William school bus driver killed Monday

Manassas, VA — Richard Lee Proffitt, the Manassas man killed in an accident this week at Prince William County schools’ transportation lot in Bristow, was part of a family of school bus drivers. Proffitt, 62, had been driving a school bus since 2010. His wife, Laura, and his adult daughter, Caitlin Weaver, are also employed as bus drivers for Prince William County schools, Weaver said this morning. Organizer Deana Moreno called Proffitt “an amazing dad and grandpa.” “His smile and his laugh were always seen and always heard. He loved his family and loved to make people laugh,” Moreno wrote on the GoFundMe page. “He had a smile that rarely left his face. He enjoyed selling eggs in addition to working as a bus driver to help support his family even more.” Proffitt was killed on the job at about 7:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 5, when he was struck by a school bus backing out of a service bay at the McCuin Transportation facility on Piney Branch Lane in Bristow, according to Prince William County police reports.

Truck driver killed after veering into overhead highway sign pole

Graham, NC — A truck driver was killed after striking a pole of an overhead highway sign on Interstate 40 in Graham, North Carolina, on Tuesday.The incident happened on I-40 eastbound, near the Graham exit. According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the truck was traveling eastbound when the driver, for unknown reasons, veered to the right and struck a pole attached to an overhead highway sign. The truck driver was killed at the scene. His name has not been released. The truck was hauling sauces for Taco Bell.

Police: Bar employee dies after being stabbed by customer

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — A St. Joseph man is being held without bond after being charged in the death of a mother during a stabbing at a bar where she worked. Buchanan County authorities charged 26-year-old Eliseo Hernandez-Sebastian Monday with second-degree murder and first-degree assault. Police say Hernandez-Sebastian stabbed a male employee who asked him to leave the Legend’s Sports Bar and Grill Saturday night. He was treated and released at a hospital. Thirty-eight-year-old Terra Reents was not aware the employee had been stabbed when she also told Hernandez-Sebastian to leave. She was also stabbed and died.

OSHA investigates oilfield fatality near Williston

WILLISTON, N.D. — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating an incident that killed a worker last week at an oil site east of Williston. Jared Rizzo, 23, an employee of Wisco Inc., died Thursday, Feb. 1, from his injuries after being struck by a falling traveling block on a workover rig, said Eric Brooks, director of the Bismarck Area OSHA office. An OSHA investigator was at the site on Friday and planned to return to the site Monday, Brooks said. Rizzo, of Streator, Ill., had been working in North Dakota for a few months and planned to move into an apartment this week, said his friend Jordan Donnelly. The well is owned by Whiting Oil and Gas Corp. An email request seeking comment from Whiting media relations was not returned Monday.

Two dead, including Amtrak engineer who feared dying on the job, in horrific S.C. train crash; another 116 injured

Cayce, S.C. — He saw it coming. An engineer killed on an Amtrak train that slammed into a parked freight train and derailed in South Carolina early Sunday was worried about getting killed on the job, his brother said. After a recent round of traumatic train accidents and deadly derailments, Michael Kempf, an Army veteran who worked in the railroad industry for more than a decade, said running the rails would be the death of him. “Me and him always talked about this, something happening,” Rich Kempf, who lives in Mesa, Ariz., told the Daily News. “He was voicing concerns about getting killed.” Kempf and conductor Michael Cella, 36, died after Amtrak Train 91 headed for Miami from New York, collided with a stationary CSX freight train at about 2:35 a.m. south of Cayce, S.C., according to Lexington County CoronerMargaret Fisher. Another 116 people were injured in the horrific crash, during which thousands of gallons of fuel spilled, according to officials.

MIAMI, FL —Two workers died Sunday morning in a construction accident on Interstate 95, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Crews rushed to the scene about 3 a.m. just north of Northwest 62nd Street. Authorities blocked off the southbound express lanes for several hours to investigate. “They’re hard working people and sadly today two lost their lives, and we’re in the process of reaching out to their families and it’s one of the saddest, toughest things that we do,” said Joe Sanchez, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol. “You can only imagine the family.” The construction workers were in a trench repairing drainage pipes when one of the cement retaining walls fell on top of them, said Ignatius Carroll, a spokesman for the Miami Department of Fire Rescue. Both workers, who were not identified, were pronounced dead at the scene. Carroll said the victims were believed to be in their 20s.

Worker killed while repairing road on I-95

PRINCE GEORGE, VA — A worker from DBI services, which is a contractor for the Virginia Department of Transportation, was killed on Saturday in Prince George on I-95 South near mile marker 35. State police responded to the incident around 11:15 a.m. The worker was struck by a vehicle while working in a mobile pothole repair work zone and succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

Sanitation worker killed in collision with train carrying congressional Republicans

Crozet, VA — One person was killed and six others were transported to a hospital after an Amtrak train carrying Republican Congress members struck a garbage truck belonging to Time Disposal, as reported by The Washington Post. The fatality has been identified as Christopher Foley, 28, who was a passenger in the truck with two other men. The collision happened around 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, VA.” Because this incident involved a train carrying members of Congress, it is a national and international story. The identity of the train’s passengers must not overshadow that incidents where solid waste workers are killed on the job occur far too frequently,” Solid Waste Association of North America CEO David Biderman said in a statement. He added that the organization is committed to improving safety; “Nothing we do is more important,” he said. The death from the train collision is the sixth U.S. fatality of a collections worker on the job in 2018, according to SWANA.

Feds Investigating Fatal Fall at Nebraska Construction Site

Hastings, Ne — Federal workplace safety investigators are looking into what led to the fatal fall of a construction worker at a Hastings, Nebraska, work site last week. Television station KSNB reports that Jeff Funke of the Omaha office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says an OSHA investigator has been reviewing the case since Monday. Police say 39-year-old Rafael Ayala Orozco, of Grand Island, fell about 80 feet to his death at a fertilizer plant construction site near Hastings. Funke says Orozco was employed by M&M Industrial Construction of Hastings. An OSHA records check indicates the company has no previous OSHA violations.

Texas man dies after falling into tire shredder

SHELDON, Texas –– Federal investigators began looking into the circumstances of a man’s death at a Texas recycling plant after he fell into a tire shredder. Byron Jones had been working at the plant for only four days when he died. Jones reportedly became caught in the shredder and was unable to escape. Both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Harris County Sheriff’s Office began looking into the death. An attorney representing the owner of the plant stated, “The company has no comment at this time.” Jones left behind his family, including a 3-year-old daughter.

Shop Worker Crushed to Death by Vehicle

Katy, TX — A man who was working underneath a vehicle at a Katy, Texas auto shop was killed when the vehicle he was working on fell on top of him, KTRK-TV and Covering Katy News reports. Sources at the scene said that the man died after the jack holding up the vehicle somehow slipped. Two other workers were nearby working on another vehicle. They heard a sound, looked at the truck and saw it fall on the victim according to a spokesman of the Harris County Fire Department.

MANHATTAN, NY — A firefighter who was one of the first responders to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks died of a a 9/11-related illness, fire officials confirmed. Ray Phillips died of a World Trade Center-related illness on Saturday. Fire officials with the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York confirmed that Phillips death was 9/11-related on Tuesday. Phillips, 64, contracted asthma while doing search and recovery missions at Ground Zero. An asthma attack caused a fatal heart attack over the weekend, his family told the New York Daily News. Phillips worked as a New York firefighter starting in 1977.

Truck driver killed in crash on I-95 in Brevard County

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — I-95 reopened hours after a deadly crash involving a tanker truck that was hauling hydrogen peroxide. Firefighters doused the scene with water. The cleanup closed an 18-mile stretch, causing a traffic nightmare in southern Brevard County. The driver of the tanker was killed. Smoke was in the air and pavement was scorched, with metal strewn all over the scene of the crash.

Truck driver killed on I-355 ramp

New Lenox, IL – The driver of a semitractor-trailer was killed Tuesday after his 2013 Peterbilt truck rolled over a concrete barrier on the right shoulder of the ramp at Interstate 355 that leads to eastbound Interstate 80 in New Lenox , according to Illinois State Police. Serghei Balint, 33, of Wheeling , was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:54 p.m., according to the Will County coroner’s office. Police said the load on his truck shifted, causing him to roll over and be ejected from his truck.

Truck driver killed in I-294 rollover crash near O’Hare Airport ID’d

ROSEMONT, Ill. (WLS) — Authorities have identified the driver killed in a four-vehicle crash on I-294 near O’Hare Airport that left two others injured. Illinois State Police said a 2009 International truck with trailer failed to reduce speed and rear-ended a 2004 Peterbuilt tractor with semi-trailer, causing a chain reaction crash, causing the Peterbuilt tractor to crash into a 2004 Chevrolet Venture van, which crashed into a 2016 Freightliner truck tractor with semi-trailer. The driver of the International truck was transported to Lutheran General Hospital, where she later died from her injuries. She has been identified as 53-year-old Renee Hodorowicz of Joliet.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A man was killed in a workplace accident in South St. Paul Friday afternoon, according to police. The deadly accident happened at South St. Paul Steel Supply, located on the 200 block of Hardman Avenue North. The victim, who has not been identified, was loading steel pallets onto a flatbed trailer when the pallets tipped over on him.