How Workers Died Last Week: Tree trimming, Falls, toxic chemicals, suicide, shootings, stabbing, machinery and vehicle incidents, 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.
Fatal accident at Wisconsin pallet manufacturer
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. — A 57-year-old worker at a Wisconsin-based pallet company was killed in an industrial incident Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Outagamie County Coroner’s Office in Wisconsin says Francis L. Wolfinger died in the incident. Local news station, Fox11, reported that the Grand Chute Fire Department was called to Konz Wood Products, 616 N. Perkins St., around 3:40 a.m. Tuesday. When they arrived, paramedics found Wolfinger on the floor with traumatic injuries. According to the report, the fire department said that he was not entrapped or entangled in any machinery. Wolfinger was taken to the hospital, where he died.
Worker dies after warehouse fall in Hazle Township
HAZLE TWP., Pa. – A man has died after a workplace accident in Luzerne County. Joseph Forty, 41, was pronounced dead Monday at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest, said the Lehigh County coroner in a news release. An autopsy Wednesday showed the Hazleton area man died of trauma to his head and torso from falling 20-25 feet onto a concrete floor in a warehouse, said the coroner. The fall happened Friday around 1:15 p.m. at 100 Maplewood Drive in Hazle Township, which is the address for Norpel’s processing facility. Norpel, short for Northern Pelagic Group, produces pet food proteins at the plant.
Man dies in industrial accident at Irwindale business
Irwindale, CA — A repairman working inside an oil tank at an Irwindale business that makes lubricating and metal fluids died this week. The medical examiner’s officer identified him as Scott Outland, 54, of West Covina. A caller reported a man not breathing at Jonell Oil Corp., 13649 Live Oak Lane, at 11:39 a.m. Monday, Irwindale Sgt. Michael Arias said. The man died at the scene. The tank, which has a capacity of 3,000 gallons, is used to mix motor oil, Sgt. Diego Cornejo said. The blades that mix the oil were going to be repaired so the tank was empty. Outland, an independent contractor, used a chemical cleaner to wipe the area of excess oil, Cornejo said. He may have been overcome by fumes, the sergeant said.
Fatal accident at Wisconsin pallet manufacturer
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. — A 57-year-old worker at a Wisconsin-based pallet company was killed in an industrial incident Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Outagamie County Coroner’s Office in Wisconsin says Francis L. Wolfinger died in the incident. Local news station, Fox11, reported that the Grand Chute Fire Department was called to Konz Wood Products, 616 N. Perkins St., around 3:40 a.m. Tuesday. When they arrived, paramedics found Wolfinger on the floor with traumatic injuries. According to the report, the fire department said that he was not entrapped or entangled in any machinery. Wolfinger was taken to the hospital, where he died.
Worker dies after warehouse fall in Hazle Township
HAZLE TWP., Pa. – A man has died after a workplace accident in Luzerne County. Joseph Forty, 41, was pronounced dead Monday at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest, said the Lehigh County coroner in a news release. An autopsy Wednesday showed the Hazleton area man died of trauma to his head and torso from falling 20-25 feet onto a concrete floor in a warehouse, said the coroner. The fall happened Friday around 1:15 p.m. at 100 Maplewood Drive in Hazle Township, which is the address for Norpel’s processing facility. Norpel, short for Northern Pelagic Group, produces pet food proteins at the plant.
Man dies in industrial accident at Irwindale business
Irwindale, CA — A repairman working inside an oil tank at an Irwindale business that makes lubricating and metal fluids died this week. The medical examiner’s officer identified him as Scott Outland, 54, of West Covina. A caller reported a man not breathing at Jonell Oil Corp., 13649 Live Oak Lane, at 11:39 a.m. Monday, Irwindale Sgt. Michael Arias said. The man died at the scene. The tank, which has a capacity of 3,000 gallons, is used to mix motor oil, Sgt. Diego Cornejo said. The blades that mix the oil were going to be repaired so the tank was empty. Outland, an independent contractor, used a chemical cleaner to wipe the area of excess oil, Cornejo said. He may have been overcome by fumes, the sergeant said.
Construction worker dies after falling more than 20 feet at Buckeye Lake home
Buckeye Lake, NJ — A construction worked died Monday Dec. 4 after falling more than 20 feet while renovating a Buckeye Lake home. Anthony Perry, 41, died at Licking Memorial Hospital Monday afternoon after being transported from a Buckeye Lake job site, Licking County Deputy Coroner and Chief Forensic Pathologist Dr. Jeff Lee said Friday. Buckeye Lake Fire Chief Keisha Amspaugh said the department was dispatched to a North Bank Road home between Elmhurst Lane and Cottage Street on Monday at 2:51 p.m. after a man fell more than 20 feet. Amspaugh said the existing home is undergoing a renovation and Perry was on a lift prior to the fall.
Minnesota grocery store clerk dies after customer impales him with a golf club
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Minneapolis store clerk died after a customer beat him and impaled him with a golf club, police said. The 66-year-old clerk was attacked Friday at the Oak Grove Grocery, a small neighborhood store in a residential area near downtown Minneapolis. A 44-year-old suspect is jailed on suspicion of murder. Police responded to a call just before 1 p.m. and found the victim behind the counter “with a golf club impaled through his torso,” according to a news release from Minneapolis police. The clerk died at a hospital. Police are still investigating to determine what prompted the attack. O’Hara said it appeared that the suspect had collected some items from the store for purchase and taken them to the counter. “It appears he then went behind the counter and then began to assault and bludgeon the individual behind the counter in a very grotesque way,” O’Hara said. Neighbors told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the employee, identified as Robert Skafte was a longtime fixture at the grocery store.
Bay Area 7-Eleven security guard killed while trying to stop theft
Oakland, CA — Oakland police said they were called to the convenience store on the 2300 block of Harrison Street near Lake Merritt at 10:15 p.m. Friday. They learned that the security guard had noticed someone allegedly stealing items from the store. When he confronted them, the suspect pulled a gun and shot the guard, police said. Paramedics arrived and tried providing medical treatment, but the guard died at the scene. The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle before officers arrived. Police said Sunday the victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification to next of kin. Neighbors who spoke to KTVU remembered the man as a kind presence in the store. “He was a nice man, a giant man, pretty tall. He would talk to everyone who came in. He would look out for people all the time,” one told KTVU.
3 UNLV faculty members were killed in the Las Vegas campus shooting
Las Vegas, NV — A gunman who opened fire at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Wednesday killed three faculty members and left one injured, the university said. On Thursday, the university identified two of the victims as Patricia Navarro-Velez, 39, of Las Vegas and Cha-Jan “Jerry” Chang, 64, of Henderson, Nev. — both professors in the business school. On Friday, the Clark County coroner’s office identified the third person killed: Naoko Takemaru, 69, of Las Vegas, who oversaw UNLV’s Japanese Studies program. UNLV said another faculty member, who was not identified, remains hospitalized.
Tree trimmer dies while working on Indy’s north side
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — An employee for a tree trimming service died on Thursday morning while working on the city’s north side. According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, emergency crews were called to the 9000 block of Pickwick Drive shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. The police run was listed as a death investigation. Police radio chatter indicated that a tree service employee had fallen and died while working in the residential area on Pickwick Drive, though the specifics of the worker’s death have not been confirmed. A representative of OSHA confirmed that the agency did receive a report of a worker fatality. The employee worked for Maple Tree Service, according to OSHA.
Semi Truck Driver Killed in Johnson County Crash Early Friday Morning
Johnson County, IA — A semi truck driver is dead after an accident Friday morning in Johnson county. Investigators say the driver veered off the road, went into a ditch, hit a tree, after which the semi caught fire. The crash happened around 4:30am Friday morning at the 236 mile marker of I-80. The driver was 55-year-old Eric Smith of Arizona.
Truck driver killed in accident at Michigan landfill
Riverview, MI — A truck driver died Thursday in what is being described as a “tragic accident” at the Riverview Land Preserve. Those who live near the city’s landfill, located at 20863 Grange Rd., or those who drove by there during the late morning and early afternoon posted on social media that the landfill was closed and that there were numerous emergency vehicles on site. Riverview city officials did not return requests for information but Police Chief John Allen issued a brief press release confirming that a truck driver was killed in his vehicle.
Worker gets trapped in machinery at firewood processing facility in central Minnesota and dies
Little Falls, MN — A worker was trapped in machinery at a firewood processing facility in central Minnesota and was killed, officials said. The incident occurred about 10:25 a.m. Wednesday at Minnesota Firewood along 233rd Street roughly 7 miles north of Little Falls, according to the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office. Hector Gonzalez Zelaya, 39, of Little Falls, was found trapped in the processing machinery by coworkers. Sheriff’s deputies and other emergency responders arrived and took life-saving measures but were unsuccessful. Gonzalez Zelaya died at the scene, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Cashier stabbed to death in store’s self-checkout area
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA/Gray News) – A woman is dead after a stabbing at an Indiana Kroger self-checkout, and police said a suspect is in custody. Police said they were first called to the Waynedale Kroger around 10:30 a.m. Thursday after a man threatened staff. They say the man left the store and later returned, fatally stabbing a cashier before taking off. Police said they believe 30-year-old Jermard J. Lewis of Fort Wayne returned to Kroger solely to attack the cashier, identified in court documents as Perla Nieto. Court documents say around 11:05 a.m., Lewis walked into the store and went straight toward Nieto, who was working the self-checkout station. She had her back to Lewis when he pulled her toward him, reached around and started stabbing her, documents said. As Lewis was assaulting Nieto, he pulled her to the ground and continued to stab her, according to the affidavit.
MAN KILLED IN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT AT SOUTHERN MINNESOTA BUSINESS
Mankato, MN – Authorities in Mankato were called Thursday to the scene of a fatal industrial accident. The Mankato Public Safety Department says police officers and firefighters responded to a commercial building shortly after 9:20 AM and found him unresponsive man on the roof. Reports indicate he was performing repairs when he was fatally injured. A news release indicates the emergency personnel at the scene could not immediately get to the victim and had to wait until a crew from Xcel Energy confirmed it was safe. The man was already dead when the emergency responders reached him. Mankato Public Safety identified the deceased as Bruce Frank Plonsky, 62, of Cannon Falls.
Widow blames suicide of LA County sheriff’s deputy on excessive overtime
Los Angeles, CA — The widow of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who killed himself last month has filed a $20 million claim alleging her husband suffered from deep depression after he was forced to work exhaustive, mandatory overtime for a dozen years at a jail facility. The claim, filed Friday, Dec. 8, against the county, blames the Sheriff’s Department for the death of Deputy Arturo Atilano-Valadez, who died from a gunshot wound at his home on Nov. 7. He is among eight current or former Sheriff’s Department employees to die by suicide this year, according to the agency, the largest sheriff’s department in the nation. “What has happened to my family is going to continue to happen to any other deputies forced to work (in the jail) all the time,” Michele Atilano said at a news conference. “My husband is just one of many, many who are sick and are being forced to work in the jail all of the time.”
Longview tire shop worker killed, suspect charged with murder and theft
LONGVIEW, Wash. (KATU) — Longview Police say 48-year-old Brian Whatley has been identified as the victim of a homicide that occurred in a parking lot behind the Superior Tire in Longview. Officials say Whatley was fatally stabbed while waiting in the parking lot to begin his work shift at the tire shop. On Friday, December 8, detectives from the Longview Criminal Investigations Unit contacted Gilbert Platt, a person of interest identified during the morning phase of the investigation, officials said.
Police investigate after 1 person shot and killed at Lodi business
LODI, CA — The search is on for a suspect who authorities say shot and killed an employee at a local business in the Lodi area on Friday. The Lodi Police Department (LPD) said officers initially responded shortly after 2:10 p.m. to a report of an active shooter on South Sacramento Street. The identity of the victim is not yet known, but investigators said he worked at Holz Rubber Company. Police said there were upwards of 100 employees at the company’s warehouse, which is described on their website as a 7-acre manufacturing plant when the shooting happened there. Multiple witnesses were being interviewed and police said there were cameras in the facility. CBS13 witnesses officers canvassing nearby homes to retrieve doorbell camera video, if available.
A suspect stole a cop car, killed an officer and one other in Waltham, Massachusetts, officials say
Waltham, MA — A man is in custody in Massachusetts after striking and killing a Waltham police officer and a National Grid utility worker with a car and then stealing another officer’s car on Wednesday, officials say. Two other National Grid utility workers were injured in the crash. The suspect, identified as Peter Simon, 54, of Woodsville, New Hampshire, has been charged with two counts of manslaughter and armed robbery. According to the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, Simon was driving a pickup truck eastbound on Totten Pond Road in Waltham when he pulled to the side of the road and suddenly turned back into the roadway in an attempt to execute a U-turn. Simon then continued driving for approximately a quarter mile before fatally striking Waltham police officer Paul Tracey, 58, of Waltham and the utility worker, identified as a 36-year-old Roderick Jackson of Cambridge. Tracey was working police detail on a National Grid work site at the time of the crash.
Son of US Sen. Kevin Cramer crashes during police chase, killing North Dakota sheriff’s deputy
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The 42-year-old son of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer crashed into a North Dakota sheriff’s vehicle during a police chase, pushing it into a deputy and killing him, according to authorities and the Republican senator’s family. Ian Cramer, of Bismarck, was arrested and jailed following Wednesday’s crash, and charges are pending, the North Dakota Highway Patrol said in a news release. The name of the Mercer County deputy who was killed was Deputy Paul Martin.
Man stabs security guard to death, injures another guard at Center City Macy’s, police say
Philadelphia, PA — A security guard was killed and another guard was injured in a double stabbing at the Center City Macy’s store, police said. A suspect was later arrested at a SEPTA station in Kensington. NBC10’s Deanna Durante has the latest on the investigation. The ordeal began Monday around 10:45 a.m. at the Macy’s on 13th and Market streets. Police said an unidentified man was trying to steal hats from the store and was caught by security guards who took back the merchandise. The suspect left the store and then returned 15 minutes later, stabbing one of the guards, a 30-year-old man, in the neck, police said. A second security guard, a 23-year-old man, tried to intervene and was stabbed in the face and arm, according to investigators. The guard, Eric Harrison, 27 was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:19 a.m. The 23-year-old guard is in stable condition.