How Workers Died over the past few weeks: Crushed, electrocuted, shot, suicide, explosion, 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.
1 worker dies after explosion at defense weapons plant
CAMDEN, Ark. (AP) — One person has died after an explosion at a defense weapons plant in Arkansas, the facility’s operators confirmed Thursday. The explosion happened Wednesday at the General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems’ plant in Camden, about 86 miles (138 kilometers) south of Little Rock, a company spokesperson said. The person who died was initially reported as missing. Two other people were injured in the blast. One was airlifted to an out-of-state hospital, and the other has since been released from an area hospital in Camden where they were treated, the company said. The company initially called it an “incident involving pyrotechnics” but later confirmed it was an explosion. General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company. The Camden plant houses more than 880,000 square feet of manufacturing and storage space, and it supports military programs such as the Hellfire and Javelin missiles and various mortar munitions, according to the company’s website.
18-year-old dead after being hit by falling tree in Westmoreland County
NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. — An 18-year-old has died after being hit by a falling tree in Westmoreland County on the Fourth of July. North Huntingdon police said officers responded to Winchester Road in the area of the Trafford Sportsmen’s Club at about 11:40 a.m. Thursday. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office identified the 18-year-old as Jacob Lazar of Irwin. Lazar was cleaning up fallen trees from a recent storm with other volunteers when he was struck, according to the coroner. The coroner’s report said the tree slipped from an excavator bucket and hit him in the head. Mike Zigarovich, owner of Mike Zigarovich Tree Service, said he was working not far from where the man was killed. “The tree business is one of the most dangerous occupations in the country, statistically. And professionals get killed, as well as people who are not professionals that help out and volunteer. It’s just a very dangerous thing to be doing,” Zigarovich said.
Silver Spring, Md., contractor dies after what appears to be electrocution in Williamsport
Williamsport, MD — Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) is investigating an incident Wednesday in Williamsport in which a contractor from Silver Spring, Md., died after he was apparently electrocuted, authorities said. Sgt. Carly Hose, spokesperson for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed on Friday that the 47-year-old man working for a contractor’s company died at Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown on Wednesday. Hose said witnesses reported to police that he had been working on a house in Williamsport and was electrocuted. MOSH is handling the investigation, Hose said.
Truck Driver Killed
Dallas, TX — At approximately 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 6, 2024, the driver of a tractor trailer was taking the exit from northbound SH-121 to eastbound I-635 when he failed to make the curve. The truck crashed into the guardrail on the left side of the road, then overturned in the median. The driver, a 62-year-old man from Plano, was already deceased when officers arrived on scene. “It appears both speed and a flat tire contributed to the crash,” says Grapevine PD.
Union Pacific railroad worker killed in Melrose Park early Saturday
Melrose Park, IL — A worker for the Union Pacific Railroad is dead, after police say his body was crushed in Melrose Park early Saturday morning. In a statement from UP, the incident happened around 2 a.m. while the worker was putting the train away. The worker had to be extricated. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the death.
Worker killed in drainage pipe incident
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A man is dead following an industrial accident in Port St. Lucie on Monday, police said. The Port St. Lucie Police Department said emergency crews responded to the area of Southwest Becker Road between Southwest Village Parkway and Range Line Road at approximately 11 a.m. Police said a man was performing maintenance in an underground drainage pipe when he was “suddenly pushed out of the pipe from below ground, through the opened roadway grate, and came to rest on the roadway.” The worker, Austin Falcon-Rodriguez, 24, of Port St. Lucie, received “severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Central Maine man dies after retaining wall collapses during construction
BROWNVILLE, Maine — A Glenburn man has died after investigators say a retaining wall collapsed while he was working on it. The Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office received the report of the collapse at around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, and was called to Brownville. Crews from the sheriff’s office and local fire department found 67-year-old Stephen Lane injured. Efforts to resuscitate Lane failed, and he was pronounced dead.
Accident Kills Victim Pinned Between Shipping Container, Building Wall In Newark
Newark, NJ — Police in Newark are investigating an accident that killed a man pinned between a shipping container and a building’s wall Tuesday, June 25. Firefighters were called to a business on the 200 block of Frelinghuysen Avenue around 3:55 p.m., Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said. Newark Firefighters and members of the Newark Police Emergency Services Unit moved the container, freeing the victim, who was pronounced dead at 4:50 p.m. The incident remains under investigation, but foul play is not suspected, police said. It was not immediately clear whether or not this was an industrial accident.
Longview fast food restaurant worker killed in attempted robbery
LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – Early on Wednesday morning, a restaurant employee was shot and killed during a robbery, police say. According to police, at around 12:40 a.m. Wednesday the power went out at Taco Bell at 2553 Judson Rd. in Longview. The employees went outside. While they were in the parking lot, an unknown person walked up and attempted to rob the employees, then shot one of them and stole a vehicle to get away. The victim died at the scene. The stolen vehicle was recovered nearby. Longview PD is actively working on the investigation, with the help of the Texas Rangers. A person of interest has been identified this afternoon, though their identity has not been revealed.
Two people killed in Pewaukee construction zone crash
Waukesha County, WI – The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office confirms two people have died and one other person is injured but expected to survive. Waukesha County Sheriff’s officials tell WTMJ a truck driver rear-ended a female driver on Capitol Drive near Pewaukee Road. That female driver died from her injuries. The truck then continued westbound and struck two construction workers at the Pewaukee Road-Capitol Drive intersection. A 46-year-old male construction worker died at a hospital, while a 47-year-old worker is expected to survive. The driver of the truck sustained non-life threatening injuries. As of 1:45pm, the intersection of Pewaukee Road and Capitol Drive has reopened to traffic.
Mississippi man dies while working on tractor
Lincoln County, MS — Officials are trying to determine if heat played a factor after a Mississippi man died while working on a tractor Thursday morning. Lincoln County Coroner Blake Wallace confirmed to The Brookhaven Daily Leader that James Smith, 74, died while on a tractor outside a residence on MS-550 in Lincoln County. Wallace said trauma did not cause the death but a medical condition might have. It is not known if the heat played any factor in the death.
Hillsdale County deputy killed in shooting; suspect dead after police standoff
HILLSDALE COUNTY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – A Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was injured in a shooting on Thursday has died. Authorities say the suspect has died after a standoff. The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the area of Beecher Road and Lamb Road in Jefferson Township in Hillsdale County, when deputy Bill Butler was assisting another deputy during a traffic stop. Michigan State Police says the suspect, Eric Michael Fiddler, was later found at about 6:15 p.m. near the intersection of Culbert and Osseo streets in Hillsdale County. Butler was a 12-year veteran of the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office and an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran. He is survived by his wife and three children. This is the second fatal shooting in a week involving a sheriff’s deputy.
Tree trimmer electrocuted while cutting branches near power line in Hudson
HUDSON, Fla. – A tree trimmer was electrocuted while cutting branches near a power line in Hudson on Thursday, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies along with the Pasco County Fire Department responded to the death investigation on Maria Drive and Sea Ranch Drive area. They said the man died from an apparent electrocution while trimming trees. Fire officials said the worker was cutting branches near the power line when the bucket in the truck he was using became energized.
Connecticut DOT worker killed on the job
Wallingford, CT — A state Department of Transportation employee was struck and killed while he was on the job in Wallingford on Friday morning, according to state officials. Andrew DiDomenico, 26, of Meriden, was killed while working on the Wharton Brook Connector, the on-ramp to Interstate 91, according to Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto and Connecticut Employees Union Independent President Carl Chisem. State police said he was working alongside the shoulder of the exit 13 on-ramp, policing trash for mowing crews, when a vehicle when off the road and hit him around 9:17 a.m Friday. DiDomenico died at the scene.
Rehrig Pacific employee killed in industrial accident at Dinwiddie facility
DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — An employee was killed in an industrial accident at a facility in Dinwiddie County early Thursday morning. According to a spokesperson for Dinwiddie County Fire and EMS, units responded to Rehrig Pacific, located on Weakley Road, for an industrial accident at around 2:15 a.m. on Thursday, June 27. The accident resulted in the death of an employee. No other injuries were reported. According to the spokesperson, the details of the incident are not available at this time. Rehrig Pacific is a manufacturer of sustainable solutions for both logistics and delivery solution partners, including environmental waste and recycling, supply chain and direct store delivery, according to the company’s website.
Landscaper dies after hitting powerline on Johns Island
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. – A landscaper has died after being electrocuted on Johns Island. Deputies with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) responded to the intersection of Bear Swamp Road and Saint Hubert Way on Friday morning after receiving reports of two individuals who had been electrocuted while working in the area. Officials said one of the individuals was on a 6-to-9-foot metal ladder while trimming trees while another held the ladder. One of the workers hit electrical wires overhead while trimming the trees. Both landscapers were taken to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) for treatment; however, one of the two died. The Charleston County Coroner’s Office will identify the victim when appropriate. The condition of the other worker was not provided.
Texas Chick-fil-A confirms two employees killed in shooting
Irving, TX — The man wanted for murdering two people inside a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Irving Wednesday afternoon is now behind bars, FOX 4 News Dallas-Ft. Worth reports. The owner of a Texas Chick-fil-A confirmed that two employees were killed Wednesday in a shooting incident in Irving. The suspect has been identified as Oved Bernardo Mendoza Argueta, 37. Oved Bernardo Mendoza Argueta, a 37-year-old citizen of El Salvador, is charged with capital murder of multiple persons after a shooting at a Chick-fil-A in the 5300 block of North MacArthur Boulevard in Irving, police announced.
Worker dies after being pinned under machining equipment in Bellevue
BELLEVUE, Ohio (WTVG) – A worker at a facility in Bellevue was killed when they were pinned under industrial machining equipment. According to the Bellevue Fire Department, first responders were called out to Precision Automotive Plastics for a crane accident around 7:30 a.m. on June 27. They found an employee pinned under the molding equipment and pronounced them dead at the scene. The employee was extricated hours later around 3:00 p.m. due to safety concerns and tactical challenges, according to the fire department. The fire department did not release the name of the employee who died.
62-year-old employee killed, 2 injured at carwash vehicle crash in Fairfax
FAIRFAX, VA. – A fatal vehicle crash left one pedestrian dead and two injured in Fairfax. Officers responded to the area of the 10800 block of Fairfax Boulevard, Flagship Carwash investigating a private property vehicle crash involving a vehicle that struck three employees. According to police, after exiting the carwash bay in their vehicle, a customer struck a nearby car on the lot before hitting a group of employees. All three employees suffered from injuries and were transported to Fairfax Hospital. The victim has been identified as 62-year-old Martha Clemencia Nguyen of Fairfax, who died as a result of her injuries.
Man drowns in pond after lawnmower pinned him underwater, officials say
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) – A man in Missouri died after the lawnmower he was driving flipped and pinned him underneath the water of a private pond. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said that around 2:40 p.m. on Friday, first responders were called to a private area with reports of a drowning. When officials arrived, they said 20-year-old Brent L. Carroll had been driving a Bad Boy Rouge Lawnmower for work and was at the highest point of an embankment in the area. Troopers said that the mower lost traction and began to slide sideways down the embankment toward a private pond. The left rear tire dug into the ground at the edge of the pond which caused the vehicle to flip onto its top inside the pond, KCTV reported. First responders said Carroll was pinned underneath the surface of the water.
Tow truck driver killed in accident at Simi Valley landfill
Simi Valley, CA — A tow truck driver was killed in an industrial accident at the Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center on Monday, authorities said. The incident was reported around noon at the facility along the north side of Highway 118, according to Ventura County Fire Department reports. A semitrailer that had been hauling a load of gravel had the trailer tip over, Patterson said. The tow truck had been summoned to the landfill to get the trailer upright. While the tow truck driver was trying to right the trailer, he went to the side opposite where he was pulling from, Patterson said. Something gave way and the trailer fell back on top of him, crushing him to death, he said. No details about the driver, including his age and city of residence, were immediately available. It’s the second fatality in less than a week involving a truck driver getting crushed by equipment. On Friday, a Los Angeles man who had parked his big rig in the lot at Pacific View mall in Ventura was crushed between the rig’s two trailers, authorities said. The landfill in Simi Valley is operated by WM, formerly Waste Management.
Worker dies after being struck and pinned by trailer at plant off Stratford Road
Clemons, NC — An employee of Divert Inc. died Friday when he was struck by a trailer and pinned between the trailer and a loading, authorities said. Joshua Kaleb Mullis, 30, of Mapleton Street in Clemmons was killed about 1:47 p.m. in the parking lot of the facility at 3760 Kimwell Drive, police said. The N.C. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Division has been notified and is looking into Mullis’ death, said Erin Wilson, a spokeswoman for the state labor department. Rayshon Lamont Seymore, 49, of Kernersville, the driver of the truck and trailer, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, police said. Seymore was not injured and has not been charged. “The tragic vehicular accident that took place is currently under investigation, and any related information will be released by the local authorities,” a Divert spokesperson said. “The Divert team extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of our colleague,” the spokeswoman said.
N.C. officer dies by suicide while on duty
CHARLOTTE, N.C. —An officer died Monday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound near Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said. Brent Simpson was a K-9 officer who had worked at CMPD since 2006, according to the department. Before that, he served in the Navy as an operation specialist with the Military Police, according to CMPD. Police Chief Johnny Jennings called it a “very sad” day for his department at a press conference. He stressed the importance of talking about mental health. He asked for respect for the officer’s family. “Very sad day for our department which also stresses the fact of the importance that we talk about every day, when it comes to the mental health of our officers and the fact that they see and do things that normal people don’t see and do,” Jennings said. “And that takes its toll.” In late April, four law enforcement officers were killed and four others injured in a mass shooting in east Charlotte.
Farm worker dies in ‘freak accident’ while repairing silo damaged by tornado
DECATUR COUNTY, Ga. (WALB/Gray News) – A farming accident in Georgia has left one dead, according to officials in Decatur County. According to Chief Wendell Cofer, of the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, officials were called out to the Rentz Farm Supply on Tuesday morning at around 10 a.m. A worker was inside a grain silo helping to repair a roof that had been damaged from a tornado when a large metal piece suddenly fell inside. That worker was pronounced dead at the scene. “He was a loyal employee, from what I understand, a great employee in just a freak accident,” Steve Clark, an investigator with the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, said. Clark said a company from Cairo was at the farm to replace a grain bin’s roof. There were several workers assisting outside the bin while two were helping from the inside. “He and two other individuals were in the bin. One was on a ladder. The other one was holding the ladder. This individual at that point and time really had nothing to do. He was just in there helping out,” Clark said. The workers were using a beam to support the roof, but that beam came falling down. Investigators said it struck the worker in the head and shoulder.
Tow truck driver killed in crash into Hueytown home
HUEYTOWN, Ala. — A man driving a tow truck was killed early Wednesday when his truck crashed into a house in Hueytown. It happened around 3:20 a.m. in the 200 block of Forest Road, according to police. The coroner’s office later identified him as Franklin Eugene McMillin, 56, of Hueytown. Police and the fire department arrived to find that the tow truck, which was hauling a pickup truck on its bed, had left the road, striking the home. McMillin was pronounced dead at the scene.
Employee at Zeus plant in Calhoun County dies in workplace accident, coroner says
CALHOUN COUNTY, S.C. — The Calhoun County Coroner has confirmed to News19 that a worker at Zeus Industrial in Calhoun County died following an accident at the facility. Coroner Donnie Porth said Tuesday that 56-year-old Timothy McCormick died on June 26 at Lexington Medical Center. According to Porth, around 1 a.m. on June 24 emergency officials got a call of an accident at Zeus’s location on 15th Street in Gaston. The call stated the person had been critically injured. Porth said EMS responded to the scene and were able to revive McCormick and take him to Lexington Medical Center for treatment. McCormick died two days later, however. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the accident. Zeus is a polymer extrusion and catheter design company with locations in Columbia, Gaston, and Orangeburg in the Midlands. It makes products for medical, automotive, aerospace, fiber optics, energy, automotive and fluid management markets. The company had been family owned but last year it was sold to EQT Private Equity.
Cleveland Police officer killed in shooting
CLEVELAND, OH — The Cleveland Division of Police is mourning the death of a 27-year-old officer Jamieson Ritter, who was shot and killed early Thursday morning. The shooting happened overnight when officers responded to the 1500 block of East 80th for a man wanted for felonious assault. When police attempted to arrest the man, Chief Todd said he “produced a firearm and began firing multiple shots.” That’s when Ritter was struck. The suspect has been identified as 24-year-old De’Lawnte Hardy. He was arrested and charged with aggravated murder.
San Antonio fast-food worker dies in shooting after argument with customer
San Anotnio, TX — A San Antonio Sonic employee died in a shooting Sunday night that police said occurred following an argument with a customer, KSAT reports. The incident happened around 9:40 p.m. at the Sonic on the 5500 block of Babcock Road near the Medical Center, according to the TV station. Police told KSAT the worker, a male in his 30s, and a female customer got into an argument. During the heated discussion, the customer shot the man, according to authorities. Police haven’t yet identified the worker, who died at the scene, according to KSAT. SAPD officials told KSAT they don’t have a positive ID on the suspect or the make or model of the getaway car. However, they’re reviewing surveillance footage and also are investigating whether the woman had a prior relationship with the shooting victim.