Drowned in a trench, suffocated in a corn silo, crushed under a stone, Trench Collapse, grain silo suffocation, falls, burned in a chemical explosion, crushing in a machine. How workers died last week. On average, almost 100 workers are killed every week in the United States due to traumatic injuries suffered at work. Over 20 times as many die from occupational diseases, many due to exposure to hazardous substances many years before they died, or from COVID-19 acquired at work. The few narratives below (gathered from almost 100 Google News searches) do not come close to capturing the full toll that work takes on the working people of this country — even in normal years, much less during the COVID pandemic. Nevertheless the accounts below gave you a taste of the preventable carnage occurring in workplaces across the country every day.
Construction worker dies at Golden Gate Estates work site
Naples, FL — A construction worker is dead after a wall fell on him in Golden Gate Estates on Sunday. Greater Naples Fire and EMS responded to a home under construction on Della Drive after a family member discovered the worker. They say the man was working by himself. While working, it appears a wall came down and trapped the man underneath it for an unknown amount of time, says Greater Naples Fire.
Steelworker who died at Indiana Harbor steel mill identified
EAST CHICAGO, IL — Authorities identified a steelworker who died Saturday after an accident at an East Chicago steel mill earlier last week. Michael Osika, a 44-year-old Schererville resident and a graduate of Griffith High School, died in a Chicago hospital Saturday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy has been performed. The official cause and manner of death, however, are pending the results of the autopsy, a police investigation, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration probe and his medical records. Osika was pronounced dead at 1:52 p.m. Saturday after suffering an accident at 12:51 p.m. Thursday at the Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor steel mill at 3210 Watling St. in East Chicago. He was doing a routine task at the operation’s ladle maintenance area at the steel mill on Lake Michigan in East Chicago’s Indiana Harbor neighborhood, Cleveland-Cliffs spokeswoman Patricia Persico said.
Worker dies during accident on construction site in South Gate
SOUTH GATE, Calif. – A worker died Wednesday after becoming trapped in a ditch at a construction site in the South Gate area, authorities said. Firefighters were sent to the 10000 block of West Frontage Road at about 11:20 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. “A severed water line filled a ditch with a worker inside,” the department said in a statement on Twitter. “This is a body recovery mission.” Douglas Castillo, 34, died at the scene, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office reported.
Worker killed in gravel pit incident in northern Minnesota
Culver, MN — A Culver, Minnesota man was killed in what police describe as an “industrial accident” at a gravel pit Wednesday afternoon. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said 40-year-old Brad Wojtysiak was alone at the time of the incident. It remains unclear what caused his death. The sheriff’s office was called just before 3 p.m. to a gravel pit just off of Highway 33 and Sunset Lake Drive in Industrial Township, about a half-hour west of Duluth. Deputies and emergency responders arrived to find the man dead in the pit. The victim was working on a large piece of equipment. There were other workers in the general area, but none were in the vicinity at the time, with another employee finding the man dead. The death is being investigated by the sheriff’s office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Sayre man killed in industrial accident at water purification facility in Wysox
Wysox Township, PA — A Sayre man is dead after an industrial accident Tuesday in central Bradford County. The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity of the victim as Jeremy Lanzo, 39. Lanzo was injured in an apparent chemical explosion Tuesday at Eureka Resources, 34640 Route 6 in Wysox Township. Lanzo, an employee of Eureka Resources, was treated locally before he was transferred to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, where he died from his injuries. Eureka Resources officials couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday regarding Lanzo’s death. An autopsy was conducted Thursday morning, according to Lehigh County Chief Deputy Coroner Rick Pender. The autopsy revealed Lanzo died from chemical and thermal burns, and the coroner’s office determined his death was accidental, Pender said. The incident is being investigated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to an OSHA spokesperson.
Port Tampa Bay construction worker killed after 3,000-pound concrete slab fell on him, deputies say
TAMPA, Fla. – Hillsborough County deputies are investigating a deadly accident at Port Tampa Bay after a construction worker passed away. Investigators said crews were working on replacing the seawall Friday morning. As they were moving a concrete slab, a portion of it – weighing about 3,000 pounds – broke, fell, and landed on the 27-year-old man. He was taken to the hospital where he passed away. The victim was not publicly identified by deputies. Officials said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.
Worker dies after being trapped in corn silo
ROSELAND, Neb. – A worker was killed in a grain silo accident in Nebraska on Monday evening, according to officials. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said 34-year-old Travis Thelander was pronounced dead upon recovery after becoming trapped inside a corn silo on the CHS property in Roseland. Thelander was a worker for CHS, and since it is a workplace death, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified.
Birmingham man dead after being pinned in paper machine at plant
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The 55-year-old man was killed after being pinned in a machine at a Birmingham plant Wednesday night has been identified. According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, Bonnie Chancellor Jr., sustained injuries while attempting to correct a jammed paper machine at a business located at 123 Industrial Drive around 7 p.m. Orlando Reynolds with the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service said the victim had been freed by the time medics arrived and was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported. The address is listed as belonging to Joe Piper Inc., a paperboard distributor company.
Truck driver killed after being thrown from 18-wheeler in St. Landry Parish crash
St. Landry Parish, LA — The driver of an 18-wheeler was killed Friday morning after his truck ran off Interstate 49 and overturned several times in St. Landry Parish. New Iberia resident Harvey Broussard, 60, was driving a 2022 Kenworth 18-wheeler north on I-49 when he ran off the roadway to the right and went down an embankment, overturning several times. Investigators are still trying to determine why Broussard ran off the road, Louisiana State Police Troop I spokesperson Trooper Thomas Gossen said. The crash happened near mile marker 30 around 10:15 a.m. Broussard was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the St. Landry Parish Coroner’s Office, Gossen said.
27 Year Old Lubbock AC Worker Dies After Found Unconscious In An Attic
Lubbock, TX — An investigation is underway in the death of 27 year old Aaron Palmer who died after he was found unconscious while working in an attic recently. He was a father of a five year old boy, and a husband. Local AC worker, Mike Tyson with Hart Air Conditioning, says that some attics can get up to 160 degrees, and that his workers always work in pairs when in attics. “In an attic, you can be fine one minute, and then the next.. you need to get out…and if you’re not watching that, if you’re concentrating on your job and you’re not paying attention to how your body feels,” said Tyson. “It can happen in just a matter of minutes and you’re in trouble” said Tyson. Aaron Palmer was working at Lowery AC when he died, and started work in June.
Deputies ID box truck driver killed in Hanover crash
HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — Deputies have released the name of the 31-year-old man killed after the box truck he was driving crashed in Hanover County Thursday. Lt. James R. Cooper with the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to Rural Point Road near the intersection of Georgetown Road for a single-vehicle crash. When deputies arrived, the found a Freightliner box truck on its side just off the road’s shoulder, Cooper said. A preliminary investigation found that the truck was headed east on Rural Point Road when it ran off the road’s westbound shoulder. The driver, Brady Marshall Price of Manakin Sabot, was taken to VCU Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Tow truck driver killed in Northway crash by repeat DWI offender
WILTON, NY — Police arrested a repeat DWI offender after a three-car crash on the Northway on Thursday night that left one man dead Tow truck driver Alex W. Bleickhardt, 33, of Pottersville, was declared dead at the scene, after he was struck by a car driven by Justin P. Rodriguez, 41, of Moreau, according to police. At 10:41 p.m., state police responded to reports of a three-car accident between exits 15 and 16. An investigation determined Rodriguez was traveling north on the Northway, when his vehicle left the travel lanes and drove onto the shoulder, striking a disabled box truck, tow truck and tow truck operator, according to a news release. Bleickhardt was servicing the disabled truck and preparing to load it onto the tow truck when he was hit.
Truck Driver Killed After Tractor Trailer Overturns and Catches Fire
Hillsborough, NC — WRAL has reported that a highway remained closed for almost two days following a fatal tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 85 near Exit 165 in Hillsborough, NC. Officials say the truck driver was traveling southbound on I-95 when they allegedly lost control of the large truck going off the road and striking a beam of the bridge. The 18-wheeler carrying a load of chickens overturned and was quickly engulfed in flames. The driver died in the fiery crash, and officials are still investigating.
Security guard killed outside Club Onyx identified as father of four girls, family says
HOUSTON, TX — Police are searching for a gunman after a security guard working at Club Onyx was killed early Wednesday morning, according to the Houston Police Department. The security guard who was shot and killed was identified as 32-year-old DeLaunte Maxie, according to his father and sister. The deadly incident started when a man got into an argument about his girlfriend. It is unclear who he got into an argument with, but one security guard asked him to leave the club. Before the man left, police said he showed a rifle before he got into his SUV and drove away, police said. Police said the gunman came back and that is when a second security guard, Maxie, stepped out onto the street and asked him to leave again. The gunman opened fire on Maxie from his SUV, hitting him in the torso before taking off again.
Semi-truck driver killed in fiery I-35 crash near Iowa border
Albert Lea, MN — A freight driver was killed on northbound Interstate-35 near the Minnesota-Iowa border on Friday afternoon after the semi-tractor trailer he was driving collided with a guard rail and started on fire. The crash happened around 3 p.m. south of Albert Lea in near mile marker three in Freeborn County, prompting a highway closure and a significant slowdown of traffic that lasted several hours. The Minnesota State Patrol said a 64-year-old man from Spirit Lake, Iowa died in the crash. His name has not yet been released.
Worker dies after falling off roof of Apex home
APEX, N.C. (WTVD) — A worker died Wednesday afternoon after falling off the roof of an Apex home. Apex police responded to calls about a person falling from the roof of a residence in Apex just before 4:30 p.m. in the 100 block of Langshire Court. The 35-year-old man sustained serious injuries. He was taken to a hospital but later died. According to officials, the man was part of a local roofing crew working at the home when the fall happened. The worker, who is from Willow Spring, was not immediately identified.
Cullman County man killed in tractor wreck identified
CULLMAN Co., Ala. (WAFF) – A Cullman County man was killed Wednesday after a tractor rolled over on him on County Road 839. According to the Cullman County Coroner, the man killed was 77-year-old Charles Truman Gable.
Worker Killed In Brooklyn Construction Accident After Equipment Collapsed
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – A construction laborer died Aug. 12 after being struck by a machine attachment at an apartment project in New York City’s borough of Brooklyn, city officials said. The incident is under investigation by the city Dept. of Buildings and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. City officials ordered all work at the project to stop, and, mindful of the city’s poor safety record in recent years, noted that its inquiry was being done in coordination with law enforcement. The police department identified the worker as Pape Khoule, 46, of Elizabeth, N.J. His death is the city’s fifth building construction-related fatality of 2022. Workers on the site were in the beginning stages of work on a 14-story apartment building in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood. They were using an excavator to transport pipe posts from one side of the site to the other. Khoule was using straps to secure the posts to an excavator’s arm, says a spokesman for the Dept. of Buildings, when a lifting attachment on the machine’s arm, which weighed at least one ton, dropped and struck him. “The machinery failed,” the spokesman says.
Construction worker killed during daylight NYC shooting
Brooklyn, NY — A construction worker was shot dead in a broad-daylight shooting in Brooklyn on Wednesday, cops said. The 30-year-old victim had just walked out of a building on Stanley Avenue near Ashford Street just before noon when a gunman pulled up in a silver Honda, “blasted him” and drove off, authorities and sources said. The construction worker was believed to be targeted. The 911 caller described him as a construction worker, cops said.
Community mourns father of 6 who was shot and killed in Seattle while driving for Lyft
TUKWILA, Wash. – Friends and family gathered on Wednesday to remember the life of Mohamed Kediye, a father of six who was shot and killed while working his last route for Lyft near the Amazon Spheres on Sunday night. Dozens of people filled the Abubakr Islamic Center of Washington in Tukwila to remember him. Through their heartache, it is Muslim tradition to honor Kediye’s life with a prayer. Seattle Police Department said the 48-year-old was driving a rideshare route for Lyft near the Amazon Spheres at 7th and Lenora Sunday night. A passenger was in the car when someone in a separate car drove next to Kediye and shot him in the head.
Fast-food restaurant in OKC closed for day after 16-year-old employee allegedly kills co-worker
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — A usually busy fast-food restaurant in Oklahoma City was closed after a 16-year-old employee allegedly killed a co-worker. The entrances to the Arby’s were blocked and cars were turned away during the lunch hour. It all started with an argument between two workers at Arby’s on MacArthur Boulevard and Memorial Road in Oklahoma City around 7 p.m. Monday evening. “At some point, during this argument, one of the employees went out to his car, retrieved a handgun, and came back in shot the other,” said Msgt. Gary Knight, OCPD. D’Quan Brown, 28, later died from his injuries. The alleged shooter, who is 16 years old, took off after the shooting but police later arrested him.
Princeton University employee dies on campus
Princeton, NJ — A Princeton University employee died of an apparent suicide in Green Hall on Tuesday, according to a report on Planet Princeton. “Princeton University is saddened to inform the community that a staff member died on campus today,” read an emailed statement to the campus community. “The death is under investigation and access to Green Hall might be limited. The Department of Public Safety has determined that there is no ongoing threat to the campus community.” The Middlesex County Medical Examiner is charged with reviewing the death.
George’s employee dies in mower crash
Pierce City, MO — A Pierce City man and George’s employee died on Monday as a result of injuries sustained from an overturned mower. Det. Doug Henry, with the Barry County Sheriff’s Office, said at 11 55 a.m., a call reported a single motor vehicle accident on the right of way of Highway 37 in front of George’s Inc. The vehicle involved was a John Deere zero turn mower that traveled down right of way and into a large concrete culvert. The lawnmower overturned and ejected the driver, Craig Golubski, 57, of Pierce City. Mercy EMS and Butterfield Fire responded to the scene, but Golubski was unable to recover from the injuries he sustained.
Yorktown Highway Department Employee Killed in Motor Vehicle Accident
Yorktown, NY – A Town of Yorktown employee was struck and killed yesterday while working for the town in the area of 477 London Rd. Yorktown Police said the incident occurred around 11 am when the employee was struck by a vehicle. The Town of Yorktown is mourning the loss of Jake Arcara, a 28-year-old who was engaged to the love of his life, town Supervisor Matt Slater told The Post. He was transported to Hudson Valley Hospital where he died from his injuries.
Driver killed in fiery tractor trailer crash on I-85 near Hillsborough
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — A person was killed Wednesday on Interstate 85 in Orange County after a tractor trailer overturned and caught fire. The crash and massive fire was reported before 2:30 a.m. In the overnight hours, a viewer sent WRAL News a photo of the truck engulfed in flames and smoke. Officials said the driver died in the crash. It was unclear if other cars were involved. It was the second fiery tractor trailer crash in 12 hours.
North Carolina truck driver killed in I-495 crash
Fairfax County, VA — The Virginia State Police (VSP) has released more details about a single-vehicle crash on Sunday morning that left one driver dead. VSP said they responded to the crash on the Beltway near the exit to the Georgetown Pike around 6 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11. “A tractor-trailer traveling north on Interstate 495 ran off the road, struck the guardrail and then a pole near Exit 44/Georgetown Pike,” VSP said in a release. VSP said the driver of the tractor-trailer was Damaree Sanders, 33, from Raeford, North Carolina. VSP said Sanders died at the scene.
Funeral scheduled for Arvada police officer killed in shooting
Arvada, CO — The second Arvada Police officer to die in 15 months while in the line of duty will be laid to rest this Friday morning at a public service at the Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette, according to the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation. Dillon Michael Vakoff, 27, was killed in the line of duty, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. Dillon Michael Vakoff, 27, was killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call at 1:40 a.m. on Sunday morning. The funeral for Gordon Beesley, a 19-year Arvada Police veteran and School Resource Officer who died in an ambush while on patrol in Olde Town Arvada, was held at the same church in June 2021.
Armored Truck Guard Killed in Robbery at San Leandro Medical Center
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — An armored truck guard who was robbed and shot outside a California medical center has died from his injuries. The guard was ambushed around 11:40 a.m. Wednesday as he walked out of Kaiser Permanente San Leandro Medical Center with a bag of money, reports NBC Bay Area. San Leandro police said the suspect followed the guard inside the hospital and came back outside and waited. He then shot him in the back of the torso at close range before stealing the cash and fleeing in a waiting vehicle. The victim, a 60-year-old man, was transferred to an area hospital in critical condition. He died from his injuries Thursday.
Worker dies at Port of Panama City Sunday night
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — A stevedore worker died at the Port of Panama City around 6:45 p.m. on Sunday. The worker was loading a foreign vessel docked at the port.
Social services worker killed in work trip crash, MO officials say.
Annapolis, MO — A social services worker was traveling on a work trip when she was killed in a car crash, according to Missouri officials. “It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that we mourn the loss of our Children’s Division team member, and friend, Carrie Greer,” the Missouri Department of Social Services said in a Sept. 12 Facebook post. “Carrie dedicated her career to helping families and supporting children and youth in her community, and she leaves behind a legacy of unyielding service,” the post continued. “Our hearts go out to her family and close friends, including her Southeast Missouri team, during this difficult time.” Greer was driving north on state Highway 49 near Annapolis when a southbound Honda Accord crossed the center line and struck her Chevy Malibu head on, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The Malibu ran off the road before it flipped.
Man dies after cesspool hole collapses in Huntington
Huntington, NY — A worker installing a cesspool at a Huntington home Wednesday afternoon was killed after the rim of a freshly dug hole collapsed, burying him beneath a large mound of dirt, Suffolk police said. Edward Sinnott, 59, of Huntington, was pulled from the hole just before 7 p.m., police said, and pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant with the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s office. Sinnott, who worked for Antorino & Sons in Huntington, and other workers, were in the front yard of the home on Beech Place at about 12:50 p.m. when the hole gave way and collapsed into itself, police said. A second worker fell into the hole but got out as the dirt poured in. Immediately after the collapse, other members of the crew frantically tried to dig Sinnott out of the pile. First responders from several fire departments soon arrived to help.
Private EMS agency employee crushed to death between 2 ambulances
PHILADELPHIA, Pa — A private EMS agency employee was crushed to death between two ambulances Saturday. One ambulance was transporting a patient and the other rig’s crew was on site to assist, Fox29 reported. EMS workers were preparing to unload a patient from the first ambulance, and the driver got out. That’s when the rig began to roll backward. The EMS provider got back in the ambulance to stop it from rolling but his foot hit the gas pedal, making the ambulance drive backward quickly and crushing Nisha Jaia Renee Dash, 32. Philadelphia Fire Department paramedics transported her to Einstein Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Worker who fell from truck in Lincoln died days later
Lincoln, NE — A worker who fell from a truck last month while trying to retrieve a cellphone died several days later. Angel Cortez was among a team of four subcontractors repainting city fire hydrants Aug. 23. According to police, he dropped his phone near 80th Street and Old Cheney Road while riding on the back of the slow-moving truck, lost his footing as he stepped off to try to retrieve the phone and fell and struck his head. The 24-year-old was taken to a local hospital via ambulance and at the time was reported to be in critical condition. Lincoln Police Capt. Todd Kocian said Cortez died Aug. 29. According to police reports, Cortez was from Houston.
Tractor-trailer driver dies in crash on I-95 in Laurel
BALTIMORE, MD — A 63-year-old man driving a tractor-trailer died early Wednesday morning in a crash on I-95 in Laurel, Maryland State Police said. Troopers responded to the crash around 4:40 a.m. to I-95 North south of Gorman Road. Investigators believe a tractor-trailer driven by Jonathan David Leiner, of Hampstead, N.C., rear-ended a second tractor-trailer that was parked on the right shoulder of the road. Leiner was declared dead at the scene, police said. The driver of the parked tractor-trailer is uninjured.