Last week: Workers crushed by trees and stone slab, killed by mass shooter, hit by cars, killed by forklift, electrocuted and stabbed. 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.
3 children, 3 adults killed in shooting at Tenn. private school
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Three children and three adults were killed in a shooting at a private Christian grade school in Nashville on Monday, and the female shooter also died after being shot by police, authorities said. The violence occurred at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school for about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade. Police said the shooter appeared to be in her teens and was armed with two assault-type rifles and a pistol. The killings come as communities around the nation are reeling from a spate of school violence, including the massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, last year; a first grader who shot his teacher in Virginia; and a shooting last week in Denver that wounded two administrators. School staff killed were Head of School Katherine Koonce, 60, Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher and janitor Mike Hill, 61.
Vermont worker dies after being crushed by stone slab
MILTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A Vermont man who was crushed by a stone slab at his workplace has died, according to the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The incident happened on Wednesday at Surface Creations of Vermont, a family-owned custom countertop business in Milton. Emergency crews responded at about 2:30 p.m. to reports of a 28-year-old man from Swanton being crushed by a slab of stone. Milton police said they believed the slab could have weighed upward of 2,000 lbs. Police said the worker was breathing when he was taken to the hospital and was alive when he arrived. But Thursday, VOSHA officials said he has died.
Construction worker dies after getting entangled in equipment in Fort Worth, police say
FORT WORTH, Texas — A construction worker was killed in an apparent equipment accident in Fort Worth on Wednesday morning, police said. The incident happened around 4:45 a.m. near Northeast Loop 820 and North Railhead Road in north Fort Worth, according to a police report. Police officials said it was a “construction related accident” in which a worker got entangled with a piece of heavy equipment. The worker, who has not been identified, died at the scene. Wednesday’s incident is at least the fourth construction-related death in North Texas this month.
Worker killed at job site outside of Dr. Pepper facility at SCLA in Victorville
VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) — A contractor working at a job site outside of the Keurig/Dr. Pepper warehouse located at Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in Victorville died following a workplace accident Wednesday morning. The San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as 57-year-old Craig E. McIntosh, a resident of Prescott, AZ. On March 29, 2023, at about 8:10 am, Victorville City Fire responded to the 18100 block of Gateway Drive regarding a CPR in progress. Firefighters arrived at the scene and reported it was an obvious death and pronounced the individual deceased. The group of contractors had been working at the location since the beginning of the week and were using machinery to excavate the ground. The circumstances of what exactly occurred that resulted in the man’s death are currently unknown.
Worker killed by forklift at Baton Rouge polymer facility
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – A man lost his life while working at a Baton Rouge plant, Wednesday, officials say. According to the East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office, Billy Hebert, 67, was killed after a forklift fell on him. He was reportedly working at KTN Louisiana LLC on Thomas Road when the incident occurred.
Biltmore employee killed after tree falls during strong winds
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A Biltmore employee was tragically killed after a tree fell during high winds Saturday evening, April 1, in Asheville. A spokesperson for Biltmore confirmed the employee’s death in an email to News 13 on Sunday, saying the tragic event is “devastating to all of us on the Biltmore team and we all feel the weight of this heartbreaking event.” The spokesperson said assistance is being offered to the employee’s family and to everyone impacted by the events. No other information regarding the incident or the employee will be released by Biltmore at this time.
Employee who died in industrial accident at Cudahy car dealership identified
CUDAHY, Wis. — Cudahy police say an employee of Ewald Venus Ford died in an industrial accident Wednesday afternoon. Police said it happened about 3:25 p.m. at Ewald’s Venus Ford. The victim was identified Thursday as 42-year-old Nicholas Jozefowski of Johnson Creek. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Cudahy police said the victim was doing electrical work prior to being found unresponsive. The medical examiner’s report says Jozefowski was switching out overhead lights when he was found down on a scissor lift by a co-worker. A wire was hanging from the ceiling above him, and he had burns to his hands and face, the report says.
Dubuque man killed in Richland Co. logging accident
RICHLAND CENTER, Wis. — A 54-year-old man from Dubuque, Iowa, died in a logging accident in Richland County Wednesday evening, the county’s sheriff’s office said Thursday. The accident happened around 5 p.m. Wednesday. In a news release, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office said an Iowa County dispatcher received a call about the accident on County Highway OO, which they transferred to a Richland County dispatcher. A witness told officials the victim was hit in the face by a broken hydraulic line while working on a log skidder. An investigation later found the victim was removing pressure hydraulic accumulators when one of them, still under pressure, caused an accumulator to come loose and hit the man’s head. According to the release, first responders from Muscoda and Avoca got to the scene to find the victim “wedged along the tire and the engine compartment of the log skidder.” The victim was taken to Richland Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The sheriff’s office identified him as Joseph Abitz.
Mansfield firefighter killed, officer injured by a drunk driver
MANSFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The Mansfield Police Department is asking for prayers after a firefighter was killed and a police officer was injured after being hit by a drunk driver Saturday morning. The department posted on Facebook that the pair were parked “well off the roadway” when they were struck on the side by the driver. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the crash happened around 12:45 a.m. Saturday on Business Route 60 just south of U.S. Highway 60 in Mansfield. Officer Michale Bryson, 39, and Firefighter Justin Sanders, 31, were parked on the side of the road when the driver of a pickup truck crossed the center of the road and hit Bryson and Sanders. Sanders was in the passenger seat and died at the scene. Officer Bryson was taken to a Springfield hospital in serious condition. Sanders also worked as a Wright County EMT with radio number 573. According to a Facebook post from Mercy Emergency Medical Services, Sanders was participating in a ride-a-long when the crash happened. According to the crash report, the 21-year-old driver of the truck sought his own medical treatment and only had minor injuries. The driver was arrested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on pending charges of driving while intoxicated-death of another person, first-degree assault, careless and imprudent driving, and no seat belt.
Transportation worker dies after being hit by vehicle while controlling traffic in Curry County
CURRY COUNTY, N.M. (KFDA) – A worker with the New Mexico Department of Transportation has died after being hit by a vehicle yesterday morning. According to the release, at around 11 a.m. New Mexico State Police investigated a crash on state road 209 near milepost 6 north of Clovis. 58-year-old Gerald R. Woodard was the NMDOT employee who was hit while providing traffic control for a crash involving a semi and a vehicle. Officials say NMDOT crews were using cones and trucks with flashing red and blue lights and flags. The investigation continues to state that a 2014 Dodge Ram driven by a 69-year-old man, failed to follow the traffic pattern and collided with a 2020 NMDOT Ford pickup. Woodard was in the bed area of the truck at the time of the collision.
Truck driver killed in collision with dump truck
SOUTH BAY, Fla. (CBS12) — A man is dead after colliding with a dump truck in South Bay. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, 43-year-old Efrain Betancourt was driving north in a semi truck on U.S. 27 South and approaching the entrance to Star Quarries, a construction site, on Wednesday, March 29. Meanwhile, a Freightliner Dump Truck pulled out of the site, also traveling north on U.S. 27 South. Betancourt’s truck hit the rear end of the dump truck, which caused the dump truck to travel over the median before coming to rest on the western shoulder of the road. Betancourt’s semi truck then jackknifed, causing the trailer of the truck to roll over the cab of the semi, crushing it and Betancourt inside. Betancourt was pronounced dead on scene.
Cincinnati-area police officer, second driver killed in Hamilton County crash Friday morning
SPRINGFIELD TWP., Hamilton County, OH — Two people, including a Cincinnati-area police officer, were killed in a crash while the officer was responding to another call, according to police. Springfield Twp. Officer Tim Unwin, a 2-year veteran of the department was identified as the officer killed in the line of duty, Springfield Twp. Police Chief Rick Bley said during a news conference Friday morning. Unwin was 31-years-old, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office told our news partners at WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. A second driver, identified as William Dunson, 50, of Cincinnati, was also killed in the crash, according to police and the coroner’s office.
Truck Driver Killed, 2 Miami Police Officers Hospitalized After Crash
Miami, FL — A box truck driver was killed and two Miami Police officers were hospitalized after a crash. The two officers were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where they were in stable condition, Miami Police officials said. The civilian who was driving the box truck was initially said to be in critical condition but police later confirmed that they had died. Their identity wasn’t released. The truck belongs to C.O.D. Supply, a party, restaurant and cafeteria in Hialeah. Representatives with the company said they couldn’t believe what happened and were waiting to learn more about the investigation.
Worker killed after driver rear ends garbage truck in Northern Michigan
EMMET COUNTY, MI — A garbage attendant was killed Thursday after he was hit by a driver while outside of his truck. According to the Emmet County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the scene around 8 a.m. for reports of a two-car crash. When police arrived on the scene they discovered a garbage truck was parked on the side of Intertown Road between Anderson and Cemetery roads. The truck attendant was determined to have been near the rear of the vehicle when an eastbound driver in a pickup truck hit the back of the garbage truck and struck the worker. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the pickup truck was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment before being released. The garbage truck attendant has been identified as Brent Irons Jr., 34, of Wolverine.
Yard Tractor Operator Dies in Vehicular Accident
San Juan, PR — Information coming to Blueoceana Company this morning reveals that a yard tractor (in the local colloquialism: a “brute”) operator was killed last night (between 9:00/10:00 PM) at the Pier E terminal, Puerto Nuevo, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our present understanding is that Sr. Gabriel Rosa, 32, a member of ILA Local Union 1740, was operating a yard tractor with a laden bombcart trailing, when he collided with a bombcart trailing behind another yard tractor within one of the Puerto Nuevo terminal’s main traffic lanes. Confirmed reports allege that Sr. Rosa was propelled through his yard tractor’s windshield and suffered severe traumatic injuries.
Alabama police officer killed, another wounded in shooting
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — An Alabama police officer has died and another was critically wounded after being shot by a man who was captured after barricading himself inside an apartment, authorities said. A woman called 911 on Tuesday afternoon and reported that she had been shot, Huntsville Deputy Police Chief Michael Johnson told news outlets. Officers arriving at the scene found the shooting victim, whose injuries were not life-threatening. The suspect fired at the two officers, hitting them both, and barricaded himself inside an apartment. The officers were transported to a hospital, where one died from his injuries and the other underwent emergency surgery and was in critical condition, city officials said in a news release. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall identified him as Officer Garrett Crumby, a three-year veteran of the Huntsville Police Department.
Firefighter who survived the 2013 West explosion killed on the job Tuesday
West, TX — A firefighter who survived the 2013 blast that leveled a large part of the McLennan County town of West has been identified as the one who was killed on the job Tuesday. DPS officials say Eddie Hykel was part of the crew working a car fire on I-35 near Tokio Road just south of West. He was killed when a big rig crashed into a fire truck and two DPS squad cars parked to protect the fire crew at work. But the impact was so dreadful that one of the vehicles was sent careening into Hykel who died at the hospital
Subcontractor dies working on construction at Belmont Abbey College
Belmont, NC — A framing subcontractor died Friday from their injuries while working on the construction of new halls at Belmont Abbey College, a spokesperson with the college confirmed Tuesday. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident. “Our community is praying for the worker and his family. We ask for respect for their privacy at this time,” the college stated.
Dump truck driver killed in multi-vehicle crash on Route 78 in Springfield Township
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A fatal crash shut down part of Route 78 in Springfield Township for most of Tuesday afternoon. It happened just before 1 p.m. in the eastbound lanes near Exit 49B. New Jersey State Police say a dump truck collided with a tractor trailer and a pickup truck. Authorities say the driver of the dump truck was killed. It’s unclear what caused the crash.
TOW TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN CRASH ON I-40 NEAR EARLSBORO
EARLSBORO, Okla. – The Oklahoma Highway Patrol responded to the scene of a crash on I-40 Tuesday night were one person was killed northwest of Earlsboro. OHP said 27-year-old Kyle McCullough declared dead at the scene by the Earlsboro Fire Department alongside the road at around 9:30 p.m. Family members of McCullough said he was a tow truck driver working the scene when another vehicle struck him.
Man dies after tree falls on him at Nashua worksite
Nashua, NH —An adult male died after a tree fell on him as part of a “worksite incident” on Prescott Street in Nashua, police said. Nashua fire and police and American Medical Response arrived at the site of the incident at 8:44 a.m., according to a news release. “A crew was clearing some trees and one happened to fall on the gentleman,” said Nashua police Lt. Joshua Albert. The name, age and hometown of the man was not released as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. The man was brought to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is heading up the investigation at this point.
Lincoln woman allegedly killed two maintenance employees with vehicle at apartment complex
LINCOLN, Neb. — A 27-year-old woman allegedly struck two maintenance employees with her vehicle, killing them at a Lincoln apartment complex on Monday, according to authorities. Around 1:22 p.m., officers responded to two pedestrians struck by a vehicle near The Lodge Apartments, located near South 48th Street and Old Cheney Road, according to Lincoln police. Authorities said a woman, identified as Taylor Bradley, allegedly “purposely located” the victims, who were identified as two men in their 40s, in a grassy area near the clubhouse and hit both of them with her vehicle. The two men, who were maintenance employees at the apartment complex, were pronounced dead at the scene, Lincoln police said. The victims were identified as identified as 42-year-old Chris Karmazin and 45-year-old Ronald Gonzalez.
Security guard killed, 2 customers wounded in shooting outside Prince George’s Co. nightclub
Hyattsville, MD — Police in Prince George’s County, Maryland, say they are looking for at least two suspects in a Tuesday morning shooting outside a nightclub that left a security guard dead and two other people wounded. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz identified the man who was killed as 28-year-old Alex Lynch, of Landover, Maryland, and said a $25,000 reward is being offered for information. The shooting happened about 12:40 a.m. Tuesday at the Area Code Gentlemen’s Club, formerly known as Mustangs, on Chillum Road in the unincorporated area of Hyattsville. The police chief said Lynch was working as an unarmed security guard outside the business when at least two suspects opened fire outside.
Knightdale worker killed in stabbing at business; co-worker in police custody, officials say
KNIGHTDALE, N.C. (WNCN) — A Raleigh man is in custody after his co-worker was killed in a stabbing early Tuesday in Knightdale, officials said. The incident was reported around 6:15 a.m. as a “fight in progress” outside a Spectrum Drive business, according to a news release from Knightdale officials. When police arrived at the business they found Delevious Tejuan Gilbert, 49, who had stab wounds and was unconscious, officials said. Efforts were made to save his life, but he was taken to WakeMed’s trauma center where he was pronounced dead. Officials said Tuesday that they believe the deadly stabbing stemmed from a dispute Monday between the victim and a 43-year-old male co-worker.
North Syracuse firefighter dies after suffering from cardiac arrest during January fire
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A firefighter from the North Syracuse Fire Department has died after suffering for months from a cardiac arrest event during a residential fire on January 13. The North Syracuse Fire Department reported with the deepest regret and heartfelt sorrow on Saturday, March 25, the Line of Duty Death of Past Chief Peter Dromms. According to the North Syracuse Fire Department, Past Chief Dromms started with the department on November 7, 1967, and held various positions during his 55 years of service.
Coroner identifies 23-year-old FedEx truck driver killed in West Ashley collision
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Charleston County Coroner has identified the FedEx driver who was killed in a collision in West Ashley on Friday. Tyler Tumolo, 23, of Summerville, died at the scene following a motor vehicle collision on the 2100 block of Henry Tecklenburg Drive on the morning of March 17.