Workers crushed under semi-trailer, under mobile home and by thousands of pounds of dirt in an unprotected trench. Shootings, falls, vehicle incidents, trapped in equipment. 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.
Iowa principal who risked his life to protect students during shooting has died
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa principal who put himself in harm’s way to protect students during a school shooting earlier this month died Sunday, a funeral home confirmed. Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory confirmed the death of Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger. Marburger was critically injured during the Jan. 4 attack, which began in the school’s cafeteria as students were gathering for breakfast before class. An 11-year-old middle school student was killed in the shooting, and six other people were injured. The 17-year-old student who opened fire also died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. The day after the shooting, the state Department of Public Safety said Marburger “acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students.”
Car wash employee killed after becoming trapped in equipment; OSHA investigating
Weaverville, NC – One person is dead after getting trapped in equipment inside a Buncombe County drive-thru car wash, police said Sunday, Jan. 14. Weaverville Police Chief Ron Davis said Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, that a female employee of ZIPS Car Wash in Weaverville was killed Saturday, Jan. 13, after becoming entrapped in equipment inside the car wash. The victim was identified as Carolina Franks, 26, of Buncombe County. OSHA is conducting an investigation, police said. Weaverville Police Chief Ron Davis said Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, that a female employee of ZIPS Car Wash in Weaverville was killed Saturday, Jan. 13, after becoming entrapped in equipment inside the car wash.
Amtrak train conductor dies after falling from train in Westerly
WESTERLY, R.I. (WPRI) — An Amtrak conductor has died after falling from a train in Westerly on Saturday afternoon. Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey told 12 News, it happened as the train was heading southbound approaching the Westerly station on the Friendship Street side. The conductor was preparing to stop the train when something happened causing her to fall and become caught underneath the train, according to Lacey. Chief Lacey said the conductor, a 26-year-old woman from Massachusetts, was killed as a result. The Rhode Island Medical Examiner was called to the scene.
Man, 68, dies following industrial accident in Leeward Oahu
HONOLULU,Hawaii – A 68-year-old man died Saturday following an industrial accident in Leeward Oahu, police officials said.According to police records, the man reportedly fell off some scaffolding Tuesday afternoon on Komohana Place in Kapolei. The records say the worker was rushed to the hospital. He died the following Saturday. HPD has classified the case as an unattended death.
Bay Shore employer of man killed in trench collapse had safety violations
Suffolk County, NY — The man killed when a trench collapsed as he installed cesspool rings outside a Head of the Harbor home was employed by a Bay Shore masonry company previously fined $10,000 for six safety violations, according to OSHA records. Lauro Pacheco, 38, of Bay Shore, was working Monday at a residence on Piper Lane in the excavated dirt trench when it collapsed. Rescue workers responded about 2:25 p.m. and Pacheco was pulled from the trench — estimated by Suffolk County Police to be between 18 and 32 feet deep — several hours later and pronounced dead. A project manager and other representatives of Darius Masonry Inc., which employed Pacheco, did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday. Pacheco’s death is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which arrived at the collapse Monday night.
Man Dies After Getting Crushed Underneath Mobile Home in Ohio: ‘Horrific for All’
Toledo, Ohio — A 37-year-old died and a 61-year-old man was severely injured in an accident involving a mobile home in northern Ohio on Monday, authorities said. “A Toledo company was preparing” to remove the mobile home when the air jacks filed, crushing the two men who were beneath it, according to the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office. When first responders arrived at the site in Hopewell Estates in Fostoria shortly after 11 a.m. local time, they found the younger man “appeared to be deceased.” Pieter J. Antoine Hamilton, 37, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other victim suffered internal injuries and was transported via Toledo Life Flight helicopter to an area hospital, authorities said. Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were contacted by local authorities, the sheriff’s office said.
‘Proud’ plow truck driver and Waseca native was man fatally injured at MnDOT facility
Waseca, MN — A worker died at this MnDOT facility in Waseca. Family members have identified the man who suffered fatal injuries several days ago at a Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) facility in Waseca as a lifelong resident of southern Minnesota community, officials said Friday. Brian C. Sommers, 35, died Tuesday afternoon in a work-related incident at the site in the 1500 block of S. State Street, according to his online obituary. As of Saturday, any specific circumstances surrounding Sommers’ death have yet to be disclosed by the county, MnDOT or police.
Fla. Dad Who’d Recently Started Job as Pizza Delivery Driver Killed in Alleged Robbery: ‘Trying to Make Ends Meet’
West Palm Beach, Fl — An alleged robbery attempt in West Palm Beach, Fla., resulted in the death of a father who’d taken a second job as a pizza delivery driver to support his children, authorities say, according to multiple reports. The West Palm Beach Police Department told WPTV that the incident happened just before 1 p.m. on Tuesday after Domino’s pizza delivery driver Tommie Anderson III, 33, dropped off a pizza at a home around the central Palm Beach area. Police allege three people — Marcus T. Williams, 29, Avianna Williams, 25, and Elijsha Wingfield, 25 — approached Anderson and shot him while trying to rob him, according to WPBF and The Palm Beach Post, which cite arrest reports. When police arrived on the scene, they found Anderson bleeding from his neck and arm from gunshot wounds, according to WPTV. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was ultimately pronounced dead.
Worker dies in accident at Ellwood Engineered Castings in Hubbard
Hubbard, OH — A person has died after an incident at Ellwood Engineered Castings in Hubbard. According to the release, a team member died at the facility during a routine operation while working an overnight shift early Saturday morning. “ELLWOOD Engineered Castings expresses our deepest sympathies to the team member’s family following this terrible incident. We are working to provide support to the family during this difficult time,” said Pat Callihan, ELLWOOD Engineered Castings President. The company is not releasing the victim’s name out of respect for all those involved.
Alabama truck driver killed in White Pine hit-and-run
WHITE PINE, Tenn. (WATE) — An Alabama man has been identified as the victim of a hit-and-run in White Pine, according to police. White Pine Police Department said a man was found dead in the parking lot of a Pilot Travel Center on Roy Messer Highway Friday night around 6:32 p.m. The man was identified as Gary M. Clark, 64, of Prattville, Alabama. According to Police, Clark was a truck driver. Investigators determined that Clark parked his tractor-trailer in the trucking parking lot behind the Pilot Travel Center. After exiting his truck, Clark walked toward the travel center and was run over by another tractor-trailer that was driving through the lot.
Person dead after industrial accident in Davidson
DAVIDSON, N.C. (WBTV) – A person was killed in an industrial accident in northern Mecklenburg County on Friday, officials said. The incident happened around 11:35 a.m. at Trane Technologies on Beaty Street in Davidson, Medic said. Medic said the person died at the scene from traumatic injuries.It is not yet clear how the accident happened or what the person was doing when it happened.
Clerk, 2 possible guests killed in Minnesota hotel shooting
Cloquet, MN –A shooting at a small-town Minnesota hotel killed an employee and two possible guests, including the suspect, authorities said today, one day after an active shooter alert was issued. An employee at the Super 8 in Cloquet, Minnesota, called police shortly after 6:30 p.m. Monday to say they had found another employee who looked like she had been attacked, Cloquet police Chief Derek Randall said at a news conference Tuesday. Police arrived within three minutes and found a 22-year-old clerk with a gunshot wound inside the hotel. She was transported to a hospital but later died, Randall said. Officers also found a 35-year-old man from Deer River, Minnesota, with multiple gunshot wounds dead inside a vehicle in the hotel parking lot. And, they found a 32-year-old man from Ramsey, Minnesota, dead outside on the hotel’s property with evidence suggesting he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and a handgun was next to him, Randall said.
‘Tragic accident’: Worker dies at Sarasota condo construction site
Sarasota, FL — A construction worker died after a “tragic accident” at the Peninsula Sarasota construction site on Tuesday. Construction crews broke ground at the site at 1300 Main Street in May. A representative from Cotton & Co., a real estate advertising agency, was not able to give details on the cause of death. Since January 2000, Gault Family Companies, the developer group behind the project, has had no prior inspection violations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Since December 2018, six people have died in Sarasota work-related incidents, according to data from OSHA.
Truck driver dies when loaded trailer falls on him during repairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man died Tuesday morning in an industrial accident at a logistics company in the Lackawanna area of Jacksonville, police said. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Steve Rudlaff said officers were called to the Lineage Logistics company on Dignan Street just before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and found a man trapped under the bed of a semi-trailer. Rudlaff said paramedics also responded, but the man, who is believed to be in his 30s or 40s, had already died. According to Rudlaff, it appears the man, a truck driver for Abaco Freight, was working alone under the semi on the air slide when the bed of the truck dropped down over the tires and pinned him under the trailer. Rudlaff said the trailer was fully loaded and the man was leaving the property when he stopped to make the repairs. A witness later found him trapped under the trailer. The victim has since been identified as Jason Barrett.
USIC Utility Locator Worker Dies After He Was Struck by a Car on Main St Near Coyne Station Rd in Huntley
Huntley, IL — A USIC utility locating service worker, Joseph Zephries, age 20, of Huntley has died at Northwestern Huntley Hospital after he was struck by a car while he was working on Main Street near Coyne Station Road in Huntley. The driver of the vehicle, a 27-year-old Chicago man, remained at the scene and has fully cooperated with police, according to the Huntley Police Department. The Chicago man was driving a 2023 Kia Forte eastbound on Main Street when the compact car struck Mr. Zephries. As an employee of USIC (US Infrastructure Corporation) Joseph Zephries was working on the south shoulder of the road assigned to utility line location.
Mark Marshall, 60, Jasper
Jasper, IN — In loving memory of Mark Marshall, who passed away at the age of 60 on January 7, 2024. Mark died at home from complications from a workplace accident that he suffered just before Christmas. Mark truly loved his work. While with INDOT, he oversaw the construction of the southern Indiana phase of I-69. Working for VS Engineering, he oversaw the revitalization of downtown Huntingburg. He was incredibly proud of both.
NIH worker dies after falling through storm grate on Bethesda campus, agency says
Bethesda, MD — A federal worker fell through a storm grate on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland, Wednesday and died, the agency said. A federal worker fell about 30 feet through a storm grate on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland, Wednesday and died, the agency said. Akwasi Addae, an electrician at the NIH, was 45 years old, an NIH spokesperson said. A death investigation is underway. Addae was doing repairs on the exterior of a building about 12:30 p.m. when he fell through the grate and into an air handling intake shaft, the spokesperson said.
26-year-old Menards employee dies after falling 20 feet at Michigan store
Orange Township, MI — A Michigan man is dead after an apparent workplace accident at a Menards store, according to officials. The 26-year-old employee fell a distance of about 20 feet while using an elevated platform machine, landing on the concrete floor below, the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. First responders headed to the store in Orange Township at about 8:42 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, according to the sheriff’s office. TOP VIDEOS Top Videos 00:09 01:30 Breaking down Panthers GM Scott Fitterer’s firing, fates ofkey free agents “Paramedics and firemen treated the man on scene before transferring him to Sparrow Ionia Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased,” officials said in the news release. Investigators said safety equipment was functioning properly but was “likely not used appropriately.”
Massage Parlor Worker Was ‘Brutally Attacked and Stabbed’ Multiple Times, But Police Don’t Know Who Did It
Salt Lake City, UT — Utah authorities are investigating the fatal stabbing of a woman who was killed last week in the massage parlor where she worked. On Jan. 4, officers were called to A+ Massage in the Salt Lake City suburb of Midvale, where they found a deceased woman, whom they described as a victim of a “brutal and tragic homicide,” the Unified Police Department said in a statement shared to Facebook. The victim has since been identified by police as 45-year-old Yuping Jiao, a Chinese immigrant and massage therapist at the parlor, according to KUTV, KSTU, and KSL-TV. According to KSTU, police said the victim was “brutally attacked and stabbed multiple times,” and authorities believe it happened between the hours of 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Chicago store worker, father of 3 fatally shot during robbery attempt
CHICAGO, IL — A South Side convenience store employee was shot and killed just after getting off from work on Tuesday evening, Chicago police said. Police said the shooting happened in the alley of 300-block of East 79th Street, outside Half Moon Grocery, just after 10:15 p.m. There was sadness, grief and outrage as Half Moon Grocery owner Rami Kanaan talked about the murder of 43-year-old Shadi Mohammad Suleimen Almomani, his longtime friend and employee. “They just took my brother’s life over what? Over money!” Kanaan said. “It’s not worth it.” Almomani was killed as he left work during what police said was an attempted armed robbery.
Construction Worker Killed By Machinery On Route 280
Newark, NJ — A 58-year-old construction worker was fatally struck by machinery early Wednesday, Jan. 10 on Route 280, authorities said. Jose Rosales-Cumbicos, of Newark, was struck around 6:25 a.m. on the westbound side of the highway in Newark near milepost 13.4, New Jersey State Police Trooper Troy McNair said. Rosales-Cumbico died as a result of his injuries, McNair said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said it is investigating the incident.
Fatal Tractor-Trailer Collision on I-87 Claims the Life of New Jersey Truck Driver
Orange County, NY — In the early hours of January 10, a tragic event unfolded on Interstate 87 in Orange County, New York. A fatal collision between two tractor-trailers claimed the life of a 42-year-old New Jersey truck driver named Jose L. Payano. The unfortunate incident involved a Peterbilt tractor-trailer driven by a 30-year-old man from Albany. The man, later identified as Sean M. Haley, was driving his truck when he sideswiped a Volvo bobtail tractor that was parked on the right shoulder of the highway. At the time of the accident, Payano was outside his vehicle for reasons yet to be determined. After the Albany driver’s tractor-trailer struck Payano, it rolled over, blocking all southbound lanes of the highway. The impact was fatal for Payano, who succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Auto parts store employee killed in East St. Louis
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – The search is on for a gunman who shot and killed an auto parts store worker in East St. Louis. The Illinois State Police is assisting the East St. Louis Police Department after Dantrell Smith was fatally wounded at the O’Reilly Auto Part Store near the corner of 25th and State streets around 7 p.m. Sunday. Smith was 33. Smith was a loyal employee, according to shoppers who frequented the store.
Pizza delivery man shot, killed during robbery
MILWAUKEE, WI — A Milwaukee pizza delivery driver was shot and killed on the job shortly after 10 on Wednesday night. Milwaukee Police say a robbery happened in the 4400 block of Sherman, and the victim died at the scene. The Medical Examiner’s Office identified that victim as 33-year-old Antoine Gee. According to a co-worker, Gee was delivering pizza for Domino’s when he was killed.