This is a weekly list of some workers killed on the job over the past week. I collect this information through dozens of Google news alert, but considering that an average of 14 workers are killed on the job every day in this country, this list represents a small fraction of those workers who lost their lives in the workplace last week. (Note: Neither COVID-19 related deaths, nor other deaths from workplace diseases are included on this list.)
Power line worker killed in Bayfield County
Marquette, MI — A 54-year-old Marquette, Mich. man was killed Thursday afternoon when a power pole he was working to replace fell on him, striking him on the head. Bayfield County Chief Deputy Andy Runice said the man, whose name was not released pending notification of family members, was part of a crew from Hooper Corp., an electric power and mechanical contractor based in Madison.
Yuma Firefighter Darcy Stallings Dies In Crash With Semi
YUMA, Colo. — A 34-year-old firefighter with the Yuma Volunteer Fire Department passed away Thursday evening while responding to a fire call in his personal vehicle, the Colorado State Patrol confirmed. Darcy Stallings’s vehicle rear-ended a slow-moving semi that was hauling sugar beets about a mile northeast of the City of Yuma, CSP Master Trooper Gary Cutler said. Stalllings’s vehicle was wedged underneath the rear of the trailer.
OSHA investigating machinery death at Eau Claire workplace
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a death at an Eau Claire workplace on Friday, Oct. 15. The man who died from the incident is identified as Clayton Park. OSHA confirmed that it was investigating a workplace fatality at American Phoenix, Inc., an industrial rubber mixing company which is located at Banbury Place in Eau Claire. According to a police report, on Oct. 15, 2021 at approximately 3:51 a.m. authorities responded to American Phoenix at 800 Wisconsin St. after a 911 call. A caller informed authorities that someone was trapped in heavy machinery, and they could not tell if he was breathing. The caller became emotional, and dispatch took over medical questions. Officers’ arrival was delayed due to a train blocking roads around the building.
Worker Shot and Killed on Movie Set
Santa Fe, NM — Actor and producer Alec Baldwin fired the prop gun on a New Mexico movie set that killed the director of photography and injured the director, an accident that is renewing questions about safety hazards on film sets. During production of a movie, Baldwin shot two people Thursday afternoon on the set: cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42; and the film‘s director, Joel Souza, 48, according to a statement by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
Employee who killed gunman likely saved lives, police say
SUPERIOR, Neb. — An employee who returned fire after a gunman killed two people at a Nebraska grain elevator likely prevented more deaths, a Nebraska State Patrol official said. The employee, who was not named, retrieved a weapon and shot Max Hoskinson, 61, after Hoskinson began shooting at the Agrex Elevator in Superior, Nebraska, on Thursday. The victims, who were all Agrex employees, were identified as Sandra Nelson, 60, of Formoso, Kansas, and 53-year-old Darin Koepke, of Hadar, Nebraska. The third person shot by Hoskinson was treated at a hospital and released.
Michigan man dies after being pulled into wood chipper, possibly by his jacket
WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI — Police believe a 48-year-old man was accidentally pulled into a wood chipper Monday morning by his jacket while feeding the chipper. According to Fox 2 Detroit, police were called around 9 a.m. by one of the man’s co-workers who found him inside the wood chipper. Emergency services rushed to the scene and were able to perform first aid on the man — who was still conscious at the time — and apply a tourniquet to an unknown body part, however he died on the way to the hospital. He was part of a crew working at a private residence. Although the investigation is ongoing, police say every indication is that the man’s jacket was caught on a branch that was being fed into the wood chipper and it pulled him inside. Police are also looking at the machinery being used to make sure it was working properly before the incident happened. According to MIOSHA statistics, the man’s death is the 33rd worker death in Michigan this year
NYC Deli Worker Fatally Stabbed After Refusing to Sell 75-Cent Loose Cigarette on Credit
New York, NY — A New York City deli worker was stabbed to death by a customer who became enraged over the price of an item, police said. The altercation began inside an East Harlem deli near East 102nd Street and Second Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Regulars at the shop said it got heated when a customer got angry because he tried to buy loose 75-cent cigarettes on credit, and the worker refused. The dispute spilled outside the deli, surveillance video shows, where the customer stabbed 34-year-old deli worker Ahmed Almulaiki in the upper body.
Berks tow truck operator killed in accident on the job
Berks County, PA — A tow truck operator was killed as a result of an accident on the job Tuesday night in Onteulaunee Township, authorities said Wednesday. Jose A. Tirado Zamot, 46, of Reading was found dead by a worker shortly before 9 p.m. There were no witnesses to the accident, which may have happened as much as two hours earlier. Tirado Zamot, who was employed by Matos Towing & Recovery, had used one of his employer’s heavy-duty tow trucks to haul a truck tractor to the Berman Truck Group property off Route 61 near Leesport. Officials said they believe the truck tractor started to roll backward while Tirado Zamot disconnected it from the tow truck. Tirado Zamot apparently ran behind the vehicle and was run over as he tried to place a block under one of the back tires to stop the truck from rolling.
Wellington falls to his death in workplace accident in southeastern Ohio
Clarington, OH — A 37-year-old Lorain County man, Adam Mills, 37, died Monday in a workplace accident in southeastern Ohio near the West Virginia border. The Wellington resident was working for a company called West Roofing Systems at the Hannibal Industrial Park in Clarington when the incident happened, according to Chief Deputy Jason Rinard, of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. He said the victim “was in an area of the roof where he wasn’t supposed to be” around 10:45 a.m. and fell 60 to 70 feet to his death.
ALDOT Worker Falls 40 Feet Off Bucket Truck To His Death
BIRMINGHAM, AL — An ALDOT worker was killed Monday morning when he fell 40 feet from a bucket truck. Just before 10 a.m., an Alabama Department of Transportation employee working on an interstate sign fell from the bucket to the ground on Daniel Payne Drive, just off I-65, according to authorities. He was taken to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Joseph John Bonner, a 57-year-old from Oakman. The Birmingham Police Department said it is investigating the incident. [Editors Note: Yet another public employee killed in a state where public employees have no OSHA coverage.)
Police ID man who was hit, killed behind a work truck in the median in Phoenix
PHOENIX, AZ — A man is dead after police said a driver slammed into him while he was working behind his truck in north Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon. It happened in the area of Cave Creek Road and Dynamite Boulevard around 2 p.m. Police said an SUV driver hit the work truck that was parked in the median with road cones around it, and then struck the man. The man died at the scene. He was identified Thursday as Alex Gonzalez.
Highway worker killed in crash
LIBERTY, IN — A highway worker was killed and a co-worker was seriously injured when a vehicle struck them as they were working along a rural road in eastern Indiana, state police said Tuesday. The two Union County Highway Department employees were working about 9 a.m. Monday along a road near U.S. 27 when a vehicle struck both of them, a preliminary police investigation shows. Justin Moore, 42, of Brookville, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Douglas Scaggs, 62, of Liberty, was airlifted to a hospital in Dayton, Ohio, with serious injuries, police said.
Bridge being demolished collapses, killing 1, injuring 2
COVINGTON, Ga. (AP) — One worker was killed and two seriously injured when part of a bridge in Georgia collapsed into a river during early demolition work, officials said. The three workers fell into the river Tuesday evening from the Access Road bridge on Interstate 20 in Newton County, east of Atlanta, news outlets reported. About 2 1/2 hours after the accident, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office reported that one worker, Demario Battle, 33, had died. The subcontractors were sawing when the accident occurred, the Georgia Department of Transportation said.
Worker dies after incident at chemical plant in Geismar
GEISMAR, LA – A contract plant worker has died after an incident at a chemical facility in Ascension Parish sent two people to a hospital late last week. Zachry Group, which employed the deceased worker, confirmed the worker’s death Monday afternoon. State Police told WBRZ that a hazmat team was called to the BASF plant along River Road in Geismar before noon Friday. At least two people were exposed to chemicals and were treated on site before being taken away by paramedics. Police said the incident was initially reported as a possible chemical fire, though the company later said there was no fire. A BASF spokesperson said the two were exposed to an “inert substance” while performing maintenance work.
Tow truck driver killed in Pocatello crash
POCATELLO, Idaho — A tow truck driver died in a crash on Interstate 15 early Monday morning. The single-vehicle wreck happened at 5:53 a.m. on the northbound side of the interstate in Pocatello. According to Idaho State Police, the driver of the 2007 Freightliner tow truck went into the median, then overcorrected, swerving back onto the roadway. The 62-year-old lost control, and the tow truck rolled. The driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, died in the crash. His name has not been released.
Dump Truck Driver Killed in I-78 Crash Identified by Police
Berkeley Heights, NJ — The dump truck driver who died on Monday after a crash on Interstate 78 has been identified by police. The accident happened around 2:30 pm near milepost 43.4 in Berkeley Heights. According to state police Sgt. Alejandro Goez, The dumps trucks driver, now identified as John D. Morales, 47, of Guttenberg, is believed to have problems with the front driver side tire, causing Morales to lose control. Morales crossed several westbound lanes and struck a guardrail, sending him down the embankment careening across the medium, and crashing into the eastbound lanes.
Semi Driver Dean Johnson Killed In I-94 Crash In St. Michael, State Patrol Says
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A 62-year-old semi-truck driver from Maple Grove was killed in a crash Tuesday afternoon in the northwest metro. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened just before 1 p.m. on westbound Interstate 94 at Highway 241 in St. Michael. The semi rear-ended an SUV, and then struck an off-ramp barrier and rolled. Investigators say the driver wasn’t wearing a seat belt. He was identified as Dean Patrick Johnson, of Maple Grove.