Weekly Toll: Killed at work

Over the last week, two EMTs killed, a couple of logging deaths, storm-related fatalities, falls, shootings, vehicular incidents.  All in a day’s work. On average, over 100 workers are killed every week in the United States due to traumatic injuries suffered at work. More than 20 times as many die from occupational diseases, many due to exposure to hazardous substances many years before they died. 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. Nevertheless the accounts below gave you a taste of the preventable carnage occurring in workplaces across the country every day.

Man killed in Limestone County logging job incident

LIMESTONE Co., Ala. (WAFF) – A man has died after being struck by a tree Wednesday morning, according to Limestone County Coroner Mike West. He was identified as 43-year-old Wesley Thorpe from Frankewing, Tenn. which is about 17 miles north of Ardmore. The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office confirmed an industrial logging accident off of Reunion Road. Coroner West said the 911 call came in around 10 a.m.  A logging company was cutting trees in the area when the the accident happened. Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin did confirm the logging accident and said that OSHA was investigating.

1 dead, 3 injured in Gulf drilling platform explosion

Gulf of Mexico — One person is dead and three others injured following an explosion on a drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The explosion on Echo Platform, located about 12 miles off the coast of Louisiana, was reported shortly before 3 p.m., according to a BSEE release. The three injured are being treated at “an onshore medical facility,” the release states. The platform, operated by Houston-based Fieldwood Energy, was not in production at the time, the release states. The explosion damaged the platform, the release states, but resulted in no pollution to the surrounding area. The BSEE is investigating the cause of the explosion. Fieldwood issued a statement Thursday night saying, in part, that a contractor employee was killed and another contractor employee “seriously injured.”

Father of 7 killed while driving for Uber, family says

DURHAM, N.C. – An Afghan refugee who had just become a United States citizen was fatally shot while driving for Uber in North Carolina, according to his family. Ainzurgal Totakhil was born in Afghanistan, but his work in that country was to help Americans. His cousin, Yousaf Mangal, says for seven years, Totakhil did translation and logistics for U.S. soldiers. Ainzurgal Totakhil was a husband and father of seven with a baby on the way. His cousin says he was shot and killed while driving for Uber in North Carolina. Totakhil was working Dec. 30 when he was shot and killed, according to Mangal. Police say his body was found in his car on a street in Durham, North Carolina.

Man killed in industrial accident at Springfield business identified

SPRINGFIELD, OH — A Clark County man is dead after an industrial accident at a machine shop in Springfield Tuesday morning. Springfield police identified the man Tuesday afternoon as 63-year-old William Skeens. Police were called to the 200 block of Dayton Avenue at around 7:50 a.m. to investigate the reported industrial accident. Inspectors from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is responding to the site, a spokesperson for OSHA confirmed.

Farmer dies after getting trapped in grain bin, officials say

MT. VERNON, Ind. (WFIE/Gray News) – A farmer died after he got stuck in a grain bin Thursday afternoon in Indiana, officials said. According to the Black Township Fire & Rescue, crews were called to a farm in Mount Vernon shortly after 1 p.m. and were on the scene for nearly five hours. Fire officials confirmed the farmer died, despite several agencies’ efforts to save him. “The outcome of this event was not what everyone was hoping for, but no one gave up trying to do everything they could to help someone in need. We continue to pray for everyone involved,” Black Township Fire & Rescue wrote in a Facebook post. WFIE reports the coroner identified the farmer killed as 74-year-old Steven Grabert.

Lineman killed while clearing storm debris in Jasper County, his family says

JASPER COUNTY, Ga. — A third person has died after tornadoes, and severe storms moved through much of Georgia on Thursday. According to his family, 32-year-old Jesse Maxwell, a lineman with Georgia Right of Way,,three, was killed while working to restore power to his community. Family members say Maxwell was in a bucket truck in Jasper County when a limb kicked back and hit him in the head.

Public works employee dies while cutting trees in Normandy

NORMANDY, Mo. – A tree trimmer working for the City of Normandy died Monday after being struck by a fallen tree. Several public works employees were trimming trees at the edge of Hoelzel Park when one came down on one of the workers. The scene has remained untouched since the incident. The Missouri branch of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. Normandy’s public works director said off camera there were three witnesses, all of whom were shocked to see the result of what was a typical job gone horribly wrong. The tree, which was hollow, had been marked for removal. You can still see the wedge cut from the tree in preparation for its fall, which appeared to be in the predicted direction. Normandy Mayor Mark Beckmann said he was too choked up to speak on camera, but identified the employee as Harold Parker. Parker, 56, had been working for the city for about a year. Mayor Beckmann said everybody is so devastated that they’re going to do nothing right now except grieve. Once they get through that process, he said they’re going to debrief to determine exactly what happened to make sure this never happens again.

Worker dies in fall from roof at Massachusetts General Hospital campus

BOSTON, MA —- A worker is dead after they fell from the roof of a building at the Massachusetts General Hospital campus in Boston, according to city and state police. Massachusetts State Police officials confirmed the fall happened shortly before 12:30 p.m. Monday at 90 Blossom St., which is the address for the Gray/Bigelow Building at MGH. The Boston Police Department confirmed to NewsCenter 5 that the fall was fatal. The worker who died has not been identified by police. The worker appeared to fall approximately eight stories from the top of the Gray/Bigelow Building onto a lower roof on the building. It is unclear what type of work the person was doing. The circumstances of the fall also remain unclear.

California utility worker dies in crash while working to clear storm debris

MANCHESTER, Calif. – A utility worker died, and a second worker was critically injured, when they crashed on their way to clean storm debris and restore power in Northern California. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said they were called to a fatal rollover crash about 7:50 a.m. Saturday in the 4100 block of Mountain View Road in Manchester, according to the Press Democrat. Working as subcontractors to Pacific Gas & Electric, the two workers were headed to help communities in the North Bay recover from the last week’s storm, officials said. The driver, Edgar Castillo, 37, of Elk Grove was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.

Worker dies after partial collapse of Chicago building

CHICAGO, IL — A construction worker trapped under debris when a Chicago residential building partially collapsed has died, authorities said Thursday. It took nearly an hour for rescuers to pull the worker from several feet (meters) of debris after the Thursday morning collapse at a vacant, three-story building in the Bronzeville residential district south of downtown, the Chicago Fire Department said. The worker was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the worker was pronounced dead.The worker’s identity wasn’t immediately released. Officials were investigating the cause of the collapse.

‘Large door’ closes on woman later pronounced dead at steel facility

Charleston, SC — A “large door” hit a woman who was later pronounced dead, prompting an investigation in South Carolina, officials said. The “workplace accident” was reported at a Charleston-area Pegasus Steel facility on Thursday, Jan. 12. The 175,000-square-foot building handles fabrication and assembly duties, according to its website. Pegasus Steel didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for comment on Jan. 13. Charleston County deputies were called at about 3 p.m. to the Pegasus Steel location on U.S. Highway 78 in Ladson, roughly 20 miles northwest of Charleston. “A large door closed on a person, causing serious injury,” the sheriff’s office told McClatchy News in an email. “The individual was pronounced dead at the scene. There is no evidence of foul play.” The Charleston County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased woman as 53-year-old Jessica Birkmire. The Goose Creek resident “died from head trauma,” officials said. The S.C. Occupational Safety and Health Administration — a division of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation — is investigating the case.

GDOT worker killed during Thursday’s storms in Lafayette, says sheriff

LAFAYETTE, Ga. — A Georgia Department of Transportation worker was killed during Thursday’s storms in Lafayette, says Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson. The sheriff identified the victim as 40-year-old Sean Kornacki of Lafayette, Georgia. A deputy responded to a tree over the roadway on Georgia Highway 193 Thursday, Sheriff Wilson says. He says the deputy had his lights on to alert drivers. Shortly after, the sheriff says Kornacki worker arrived by himself. Kornacki got his chainsaw and went up an embankment to begin working on the tree, Sheriff Wilson says. The sheriff says the deputy returned to his patrol car while Kornacki worked. After some time, Sheriff Wilson says the deputy went to check on Kornacki. The chainsaw was still running and the deputy found Kornacki pinned under the tree he was trying to cut up, Sheriff Wilson says. The sheriff says Kornacki was killed instantly.

Industrial accident kills truck driver at Warren steel plant

WARREN, Mich. (AP) — A truck driver died at a suburban Detroit steel plant after he apparently fell between a truck and a trailer and was crushed, police said. The 61-year-old Shelby Township man died Thursday following the industrial accident at Super Steel Treating Company in Warren, The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens reported. Warren police said officers and fire crews were dispatched to the scene on a report that a truck driver had fallen. Police said a preliminary investigation shows the man, who wasn’t employed with the steel company, was apparently crushed when he fell and became trapped between a truck and a trailer on company grounds. After the man was freed, he was pronounced dead due to his injuries, police said. His name has not been released.

Worker dies after being crushed by falling pallet at FedEx facility, officials say

WEST FARGO, N.D. (KVLY/Gray News) – Officials say a man has died at a FedEx facility in North Dakota. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a fatality inspection has been started at a FedEx freight facility in the West Fargo area. KVLY reports the incident happened on Wednesday at a facility located at 2500 Third Ave. NW. Officials said a 29-year-old man was attempting to recoup shifted inventory on a pallet inside a trailer. He was trying to move the pallet so that a forklift could move it, but it tipped over and crushed him. OSHA reports its investigation remains ongoing.

Oil worker dead after falling into pit in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. — An oil worker from Texas has died after falling into a pit at an oil rig location in Bismarck, North Dakota. Daniel Navarrete, 42, reportedly fell through an open hatch into a pit at a Nabors Industries rig Thursday, Mountrail County Sheriff Corey Bristol said, according to The Bismarck Tribune. Other workers reportedly tried to help rescue Navarrete and had even drained the pit. Pits are usually used to collect “spent drilling fluids” as well as other materials, according to The Bismarck Tribune. Nabors Industries spokesperson Robin Davidson told The Associated Press that Devon Energy owns and operates the site in Bismarck. Davidson also said that they are working to support Devon Energy to learn and understand what happened. Devon Energy spokesperson Lisa Adams told the AP that they are “devastated” by Navarette’s death. Adams said Devon Energy is working with MCSO, OSHA, and Nabors. They have also shut down drilling operations. Navarette was a contractor, according to the AP. According to the AP, multiple other workers have died or have been injured in Mountrail County’s oil patch in the last few years. Last September, an oil rig reportedly exploded at a well site that was owned by Chord Energy. The explosion sent three people to a burn center.

Teen employee dies after shooting inside Burger King in Rochester

Rochester, N.Y. — A 19-year-old man is dead following a shooting inside a Burger King in the city on Saturday night. Police said they responded to the location on Lyell Avenue around 7:40 p.m. for the report of a person shot. Once there, officers found the victim, who was a Burger King employee, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Construction worker died after being hit by a train in Livingston

Livingston, TX — Polk County Today is reporting that a construction worker has died after being hit by a train in Livingston late Thursday afternoon. The report said it occurred shortly after 4:00 in the downtown area near First State Bank. According to the report, the worker, Gary Lee Brown, 56, of Leggett, was on a break and sitting on the railroad tracks. The report said he didn’t move out of the way in time and was struck by the train.
He was flown by medical helicopter to a Kingwood hospital where he was pronounced dead at 5:40pm.

Truck driver killed in crash on Florida Turnpike in Martin County

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A truck driver was killed in a crash on the Florida Turnpike in Martin County on Friday morning. Truck driver killed in crash on Florida Turnpike in Martin County (WPEC) The crash happened just before 6 a.m. near mile marker 133, shutting down all southbound lanes. A fatal crash involving three trucks shut down the southbound lanes of the Florida Turnpike near mile marker 133 in Stuart on January 13, 2023. Martin County Fire Rescue said one truck rear-ended another while driving at a high-rate of speed. A second truck driver went to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The third declined medical treatment.

Superior Grocer employee assaulted and killed identified

Bakersfield, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The Kern County Coroner’s Office has identified the Superior Grocer employee assaulted and killed as 54-year-old Juan Carlos Urvina of Bakersfield. Police said on January 1, 2023 at around 11:50 p.m., officers were called to a report of an assault at the Superior Grocer on 1115 Union Avenue. They found Urvina unresponsive with physical assault injuries. He was taken to the hospital where he died the next day. Police said 29-year-old Demetrius Ford Jr. assaulted Urvina after he tried to take pictures of Ford’s vehicle for hitting a parked car in the parking lot.

EMS provider, 25, dies after ambulance crash

BRINKLEY, Ark. — A Southern Paramedic Service ambulance was involved in a crash Tuesday morning, killing EMT Elizabeth Watkins, 25, who was driving, the agency announced on Facebook. The other EMT onboard, Jonathan Johnson, 27, was injured and transported to a Memphis hospital. The crash happened while the ambulance was being moved from their station in Hazen to Brinkley and is being investigated.

One man dead in Mercer County after “workplace accident”

OAKVALE, WV (WVNS) — MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) – A man was electrocuted while on the job in Mercer County Wednesday. The man electrocuted was identified by West Virginia State Police as 24-year-old Daniel McGrath of Beckley. State police say McGrath was installing fiber optic wire while working on a bucket truck near Kellysville Road in Oakvale. Phil Moye with AEP says the Mercer County 911 center contacted AEP in the early afternoon. They reported the incident and asked AEP to turn off the power to a utility pole in Oakvale. Moye says the AEP crew reports it appears a utility worker came into contact with a line on that pole. First responders could not move the body until AEP cut the power. Oakvale Volunteer Fire Department and Princeton Rescue Squad responded to the scene.

One Killed and Five Injured After A Convoy Of Highway Construction Vehicles West Of Bryan Is Hit By A Semi

Bryan, TX — A convoy of highway construction vehicles was struck by a semi Tuesday night on Highway 21 west of Bryan. One construction worker was killed and four others were injured after an eastbound semi struck the convoy of three semis and a pickup that was pulling a trailer. DPS Sgt. Justin Ruiz says there is a possible violation of the state’s law to move over or slow down, which applies to construction vehicles employed by TxDOT. The worker who was killed was seated in a trailer being towed by a pickup. He was identified as 21 year old Michael Gray of Cumby, which is located in Hopkins County northeast of Dallas.

BOISE TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN JEROME COUNTY CRASH

JEROME, Idaho –A 43-year-old truck driver was killed Monday morning on Interstate 84 in Jerome County when his truck went off the roadway and jackknifed. According to Idaho State Police, troopers responded at just before 10 a.m. to eastbound I-84 for a 2017 Freightliner that had gone off the roadway, jackknifed, then rolled killing the man from Boise. ISP said the driver had been wearing a seat belt. The crash remains under investigation.

Worker killed in accident at Kentucky stamping plant

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WKYT) – A worker is dead after what is being described as an industrial accident in Georgetown. Scott County Coroner Mark Sutton says it happened around 2 a.m. Monday at YS Precision Stamping on Corporate Drive.  The coroner says the victim has been identified as 52-year-old Bruno Nava of Frankfort. Sutton says he is unable to release any details about Nava’s cause of death, but we’re told the Georgetown Police Department is investigating.

Authorities ID 37-year-old Birmingham employee killed in hail of gunfire at Elyton Meat Market

Birmingham, AL — Authorities have released the name of a man shot to death at a Birmingham store on Wednesday. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Cortez Dekelvin Ware. He was 37, and lived in Birmingham. The shooting happened at 2 p.m. at the Elyton Meat Market on Center Street North and Third Avenue North. Ware collapsed on the sidewalk just outside the front door where he was pronounced dead at 2:16 p.m. Police marked at least 10 shell casings near Ware’s body. According to those who knew Ware and the suspect, both worked at the meat market. Ware was a longtime employee, and the suspect had only recently started working there. A shooting happened outside the Elyton Meat Market on Center Street North and Third Avenue North on Jan. 4, 2023. The two were involved in some kind of dispute on Tuesday. The nature of that dispute wasn’t immediately clear.

Alpena man killed by tow cable

ROGERS CITY, MI — An Alpena man died near Rogers City shortly before 6 p.m. on Wednesday after a tow cable used to pull a truck with a bulldozer let loose and crashed through his windshield and struck the man. The wife of the victim identified the man as 57-year-old Glen Tulgetske. The bulldozer was being used to help dislodge the truck when the cable somehow became disconnected from the dozer, Chris Flewelling, Presque Isle County undersheriff, said. According to Flewelling, Tulgetske was an employee of L&S Transit Mix Concrete Co., of Alpena, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident happened at a worksite near U.S.-23 and Williams Road and Flewelling said the case has been turned over to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which was slated to investigate the scene today.

One man dies after falling at least 20 feet from Huntsville construction site scaffolding

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – One man is dead after falling from a construction scaffolding in Huntsville on Thursday. Huntsville Police investigators identified the man as 59-year-old Toribio Perez. According to Don Webster with Huntsville Emergency Medical Services, the man died on an Old Monrovia Rd. construction site around 7:20 a.m. on January 5. Perez fell between 20-30 feet from scaffolding on the site. Investigators believe he suffered a medical emergency before his fall from the scaffolding. HPD is investigating the incident as “an industrial accident.” Police do not believe foul play to be involved. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the fall.

68-year-old dies trapped in freight elevator doorway

Los Angeles, CA — A man was found dead in the doorway of a freight elevator at a commercial building, California officials said. The 68-year-old man, identified as Francisco Orduno Mota by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, died after becoming trapped on the second floor elevator doorway at the back of a six-story building in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 4, according to an alert from the Los Angeles Fire Department. An autopsy for Mota is pending, according to the coroner’s office. Mota worked in the building, investigators told ABC 7 News. Los Angeles police and the California Division of Occupational Safety are investigating the incident.

‘Tragic’ workplace accident kills longtime Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum employee

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A longtime employee of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) died after an accident at the museum Wednesday afternoon. State officials tell us an investigation into what happened is now underway. A post on the TVRM’s Facebook page says George Walker was “involved in a tragic accident at the shop.” The post says “no other details are available” about how Walker was killed.

Security guard killed in SF; two teens arrested

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Two teenage males are in custody in connection to the death of a security guard who was shot and killed Wednesday night, according to police. Officers from the San Francisco PD Northern Station responded to the Kinokuniya Mall on the 1500 block of Webster Street in SF’s Japantown Wednesday around 5:07 p.m. Storm turns deadly when tree falls on home killing baby in Sonoma County.According to police, officers located an adult male victim who was a security guard suffering from a gunshot wound. Lifesaving aid was rendered and medics were summoned to the scene. However, despite lifesaving efforts, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Emmaus man dies after accident at construction job site

LEHIGH TWP., Pa. – An Emmaus area man died after an accident at a construction job site in Northampton County. Nicholas Varec, 36, was pronounced dead at the hospital around 2 p.m. Wednesday, a little more than an hour after the incident, said the Lehigh County coroner in a news release. Varec was involved in an accident at a job site in the 4100 block of Mountain View Drive in Lehigh Township, the coroner said. He was reportedly pinned between construction equipment and a trench box, which is used to prevent a cave-in. Authorities did not say what company Varec was working for.

Driver killed in collision with freight train in northeastern Minnesota

Industrial Township, MN — A commercial truck driver was killed in a collision with a freight train in northeastern Minnesota on Thursday. The incident happened around 10 a.m. in Industrial Township, St. Louis County, where the pickup driver failed to stop at a stop sign ahead of the railroad crossing. He entered the crossing and was struck broadside by a northbound train. The driver, a 56-year-old man from Culver, was pronounced dead at the scene. Nobody else was injured in the incident. The man’s identity will be released after his family have been notified.

Worker dies following incident at Vulcan quarry

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – One man died at a Sevierville quarry controlled by the Vulcan Materials Company Wednesday, according to officials with the company. John Ogle was injured while fixing a jaw crusher. He was taken to LeConte Medical Center, according to Sevierville spokesman Bob Stahlke. He later died from his injuries, according to Vulcan Materials Company Spokeswoman Denise Hallett. “Please keep John’s family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers,” Hallett said. “We are thankful to the service, professionalism and expertise of the local first responders who swiftly answered the call for assistance.” The company launched an investigation and is coordinating with the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

SD snowplow driver dies on job

Minnehaha County, SD — A Minnehaha County, South Dakota, snowplow driver has died on the job following an unexpected medical episode. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported that the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying the driver was helping a sheriff’s deputy clear around about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday when the driver suffered a medical emergency. The deputy tried to render aid and the driver was taken to a local hospital but later died, according to the sheriff’s office statement.

Employee shot, killed inside Maryland Heights Dobbs

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. (KMOV) – Shock and disbelief follows the shooting inside the Dobbs Tire and Auto in Maryland Heights Wednesday, which ended with a 52-year-old man dead. “It’s not normal,” Maryland Heights Resident Rick Sullivan shared. “It’s kind of crazy. I’ve lived here eight years. This isn’t something you expect to happen.” Maryland Heights police confirmed that the man was arguing with a co-worker before the fatal shooting at the business on Dorsett Road. When first responders arrived on the scene just before 11 a.m., they pronounced the man dead. He was later identified as Reginald Brandy, 52.

FedEx Truck Driver Killed in Crash on LBJ Freeway in North Dallas

Dallas, TX — The driver of a FedEx 18-wheeler died in a crash Wednesday afternoon that shut down eastbound lanes of Interstate 635 in North Dallas, authorities say. The driver of a FedEx 18-wheeler died in a crash Wednesday afternoon that shut down the eastbound lanes of Interstate 635 in North Dallas, authorities say. It happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. along the eastbound LBJ Freeway near Hillcrest Road. A Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman said several vehicles were reportedly involved, including a FedEx tractor-trailer that was left overturned. First responders said the driver of the 18-wheeler had died. No other injuries were reported, the spokesman said. It’s not yet clear what caused the crash.

Line Worker Electrocuted, Killed While Working On Power Line

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL — A line worker died after being electrocuted in an industrial accident on Wednesday morning, according to a Miami-Dade County Police Department news release. The subcontracted worker was electrocuted around 9:40 a.m. while servicing lines in the area of SW 107th Avenue and 162nd Street. The live wires made contact with his work vehicle, causing it to ignite, police said. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to extinguish the fire and to bring the victim to Jackson South Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The MDPD’s Homicide Unit is investigating the death of the worker, whose name hasn’t been released. Jorge Hernandez, 32, was a subcontracted line worker who was servicing local power lines.

Bronx auto shop worker slain by couple trying to steal his car as brother helplessly watches: ‘Shot right in front of me’

Bronx, NY — A Bronx auto shop worker was shot to death in front of his brother during a clash with a man and woman trying to steal his car by having it towed away, police said Wednesday. Aboubacar Toure, 34, died Thursday following an escalating physical confrontation at the auto body shop he runs at E. 167th St. and Park Ave. in Morrisania, cops said.

Truck driver killed after ‘vaulting the semi into a ditch embankment’ in Kansas

Salina, Kansas — A truck driver lost his life in a single vehicle crash in Kansas on Monday night. The crash occurred on Monday, January 2, near Salina, Kansas. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), “At approximately 9:15pm in Saline county, a Freightliner was traveling east on K-143. At the junction of Old 81, the driver failed to yield, vaulting the semi into a ditch embankment.” Thirty-six year old Fresno, California, resident Gurmeet S. Deol was the only person inside the truck at the time of the crash. He passed away at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash.

‘He was my hero’: Family mourns veteran shot, killed while working as Chicago hookah lounge bouncer

CHICAGO, IL — ABC7 spoke with Austin McAllister’s family today. They are completely devastated. The 38-year-old was killed here New Year’s Eve night, working as a bouncer at the Lyon’s Den Hookah Lounge, just trying to make an honest living. In heart-wrenching tears, the family of 38-year-old McAllister spent the first day of 2023 mourning the loss of their beloved brother.”He got hurt in Iraq to come home to Chicago and be killed, because he turned a patron away from the hookah lounge? He wasn’t out there partying. He wasn’t drinking. He was out there working for his kids and for himself,” said Denotra Allen, the victim’s sister. Austin was working as a bouncer at the Lyon’s Den Hookah Lounge New Year’s Eve night, when Chicago police said a suspect tried to force his way into the bar with a gun around 1:30am. There was an exchange of gunfire. Austin was shot multiple times and later died at the hospital.

Ski resort worker killed after falling from chairlift in Utah

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — An employee at a Utah ski resort died Monday after being ejected from a chairlift shaken by a tree that fell onto a lift cable, resort officials and police said. Representatives of Park City Mountain and the Summit County Sheriff said a 29-year-old resort employee fell at least 25 feet (7.6 meters) from the Short Cut chairlift into a deep ravine around 11:25 a.m. The Park City ski patrol attempted to treat his injuries and evacuated 10 others who also were on the chairlift. “We are all deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and we will be providing support for our employees as we grieve this devastating loss,” said Deirdra Walsh, the resort’s vice president and chief operating officer. Park City declined to identify the employee. The Summit County Sheriff planned on Wednesday to release the name of the accident victim, a resident of Millcreek, following the wishes of his family. Summit County Sheriff Captain Andrew Wright told KSL-TV that the man was a ski patroller who fell to terrain that was difficult to access. Ski patrol members took at least 20 minutes to reach the victim and dig him out of what deputies called “chest-deep snow” before attempting to treat him.

Pennsylvania Officer Killed, 2nd Wounded; Suspect Shot Dead

BRACKENRIDGE, Pa. (AP) — The man suspected of fatally shooting a Pennsylvania police chief and wounding another officer in confrontations during a foot pursuit near Pittsburgh was killed by police after a chase, authorities said. The officers were shot blocks apart Monday in Brackenridge, an Allegheny County town northeast of Pittsburgh. The suspect carjacked a vehicle, and when Pittsburgh detectives later spotted it, he fled, Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns said. The suspect crashed the vehicle after a car chase, ran into a wooded area and then toward a housing development, and fired at the pursuing detectives, who returned fire and killed him Monday evening, Kearns said. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the governor-elect, identified the slain officer in a tweet as Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire.

Remembering John Crow, Pascagoula EMT killed in accident on I-10

Pascagoula, LA — A paramedic from Jackson County was killed in a weekend accident in Louisiana. Thirty-six-year-old John Crow was from Pascagoula and worked for Acadian Ambulance Mississippi. According to Acadian, Crow was driving the ambulance that was involved in a two-vehicle crash on I-10 in St. Tammany Parish just before 1 a.m. Sunday. Another EMT and a patient in the ambulance sustained minor injuries. Acadian President Justin Back released a statement saying: “It is a tremendous tragedy when we lose a crew member in the performance of their duties or otherwise. Our team is dedicated to protecting and saving lives. This hits us all very hard. Our heartfelt prayers go out to John’s family and to our paramedic and our patient.” The accident is being investigated by Louisiana State Police.

Bryan truck driver killed in U.S. 24 crash

Providence Township, OH — A Bryan man was killed Saturday morning when the tractor-trailer he drove crashed on U.S. 24 in Providence Township, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported Kenneth F. Risner, 50, was pronounced dead at McLaren St. Luke’s Hospital in Maumee following the crash reported about 10:55 a.m. on the freeway’s westbound side just east of the Lucas-Henry county line, troopers from the patrol’s Toledo post said. Mr. Risner’s rig went off the roadway’s right side, entered a ditch, and struck a sign, troopers said. Impairment was not suspected in the crash, while it was not known if Mr. Risner wore a seat belt.