How workers died last week: Heat, electrocution, drownings, shootings, wood chipper, bee attack, firefighting, 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.
Bruce high schooler dead following workplace accident
CALHOUN COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) – A Bruce High School student is dead following a workplace accident. Details around his death are not known at this time.THe Calhoun County School District said Friday, “a student who attended Bruce High School tragically lost his life in an accident while at work today.” Bruce High School posted to social media that Matthew Ware was a kind-hearted, respectful, and polite young man.
Fayetteville postal worker dies after spending hours in mail truck on 95-degree day
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. —Wednesday “Wendy” Johnson was 51 years old when she died at Cape Fear Valley Hospital in June. Family members said her death was heat-related and she began to feel weary on a hot day while working her job with the U.S. Postal Service. Johnson, who lived in Sanford, worked for the service for more than 20 years. Her son, Deandre Johnson, said Wendy was riding in the back of a postal truck on a 95-degree day. Wendy worked as a supervisor and would sometimes help with deliveries. On this day, she began to have complications. Postal workers said she was eventually found unconscious in the bathroom of a Fayetteville post office on Raeford Road. She was a supervisor at the post office on Southern Avenue. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the death as heat-related. The vehicles used by the office do not have air conditioning. One postal worker who didn’t want to be on camera said they call the postal trucks “easy bake ovens.” Johnson’s son said his mother would text family members about the heat inside the trucks. “She texted my aunt and said ‘yeah, I’m in the back of this truck and I’m hot,'” Deandre Johnson said. “Being in her situation, I don’t think she should have been in a truck in 95-degree weather and in the back of that truck it was like 102.”
Construction worker dies in Harlem
HARLEM, Manhattan, NY — A construction worker in Harlem was pronounced dead on Wednesday after an accident, according to officials. The 45-year-old man’s leg got caught on a rope that pulled him down to the ground, police sources told PIX11 News. It was not immediately clear where he was on the construction site when the accident occurred. The incident happened around 3 p.m. at 1505 Park Ave., according to police. Additional information regarding the victim’s identity and what led up to the accident was not available.
74-year-old township worker dies when mower flips into pond, coroner says
BUSHKILL TWP., Pa. — A 74-year-old Bushkill Township employee died in a lawn mower mishap Monday morning, according to the Northampton County Coroner’s Office. Louis Nagy was operating a riding mower when it happened at Albert Ponds Reserve along Albert Road, Coroner Zachary Lysek said. It is believed Nagy was cutting grass along the bank of the pond when the mower tipped over while he was seated on it, pinning him beneath the mower in the pond, Lysek said. The coroner’s office was called to the scene at 10:44 a.m. The cause and manner of death will be released once the investigation is complete, Lysek said.
36-year-old worker dies while setting up for Howard County Fair
HOWARD COUNTY, IN — A man died over the weekend after he and others were electrocuted while setting up for the Howard County 4-H Fair. According to the Howard County Coroner’s Office, 36-year-old Jose Julian Garcia Oropeza of Venezuela died at the fairgrounds after being electrocuted on Saturday. Oropeza was working with others setting up a food vendor when they were all shocked. Oropeza lost consciousnesses and despite life saving efforts by others at the fairgrounds and the Greentown Fire Station crews. This death investigation remains under investigation by the coroner’s office, Howard County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA).
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd: Worker Killed In Industrial Accident At Mosaic Plant In Mulberry
POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 29-year-old woman died in an apparent industrial accident at a Mosaic plant in the Bradley area south of Mulberry on Friday, July 12th. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd released preliminary details in a video statement on Saturday, identifying the victim as 29-year-old Jameka Williams, a process operator for Mosaic. According to Sheriff Judd, Williams was working on a piece of machinery when she slipped and fell into it. The exact circumstances leading to the incident remain under investigation. Emergency responders and Mosaic personnel worked throughout the day to recover Williams’s body from the machinery. Sheriff Judd expressed his condolences to Williams’s family and friends, noting that her aunt works in the Polk County Sheriff’s Office communication center. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is on-site and will conduct a thorough investigation into the accident. An autopsy is scheduled for later this week to determine the official cause of death.
Arkansas inmate dies from electrocution while working at Benton facility
BENTON, Ark. — An inmate at the Arkansas Department of Corrections in Benton has died after reportedly electrocuting himself while working the grounds of the facility on July 12, according to a news release from the agency. Nathan Boursh, 42, was a part of the grounds crew at the Benton Work Release Unit. While working the grounds on Friday, witnesses said Boursh tried to use a metal pole he found near a pond to retrieve a fishing lure that was wrapped around an electrical power line, the agency said. When the pole touched the power line, the department said Boursh was electrocuted. The agency said life-saving measures were immediately performed on Boursh until he was transported to a hospital in Saline County. “Despite the efforts, Boursh was pronounced dead in the ER at 12:29 p.m.,” the release said.
Owner of Springfield coffee house dies while fighting fire in Montana
Springfield, MT — Juliana Turchetti, the pilot with a warm smile who spent her mornings in Springfield running the Aviatori Coffee House on North Logan Street, died while combating the Horse Gulch Fire in Montana on July 10. Turchetti was 45. Turchetti was a Brazilian aerial firefighter with Dauntless Air. According to the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Turchetti was while in-flight maneuvering to scoop water on Wednesday when she lost control of the aircraft. Her plane crashed into a mountainside and landed in Hauser Lake Reservoir near Spokane Bay where she died. Turchetti’s plane was contracted to the U.S. Forest Service to scoop water over the flames.
Worker death at Chattanooga’s Pilgrim’s Pride plant
Chattanoga, TN — A death at Pilgrim’s Pride in Chattanooga is under investigation by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA). Chris Cannon, a spokesperson for the Department of Labor and Workforce, confirmed the death to Local 3 News in an email on Monday. Cannon also said on Monday that TOSHA received a report about the worker’s death and sent an investigator to the facility to look into what led to it. However, on Tuesday, Cannon clarified in an email that the investigation has not yet included an on-site visit by TOSHA. Cannon also said that all of the information gathered so far shows the worker likely died from non-work related issues.
Worker dies in Yellowstone shootout
Yellowstone, WY — An incident that unfolded in Yellowstone National Park on the night of July 4 resulted in the death of a park worker and the injury of a law enforcement ranger. The confrontation began when rangers responded to reports of an individual making threats with a firearm at Canyon Village, a bustling area in the central part of the park. According to National Park Service, the situation escalated into an “exchange of gunfire between the subject and law enforcement rangers.” The deceased has been identified as Samson Fussner, a temporary worker employed by Xanterra Travel Collection, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colo. Fussner was set to end his employment on September 15, 2024.
Memphis Police still searching for woman who shot and killed Church’s Chicken employee
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis Police are looking for a woman who allegedly shot and killed an employee at Church’s Chicken on Park Avenue on Monday, July 8, 2024. According to the Memphis Police Department (MPD), officers responded just after 9 p.m. to a shooting at the fast food restaurant in Orange Mound. The officers arrived to find an employee had been shot, police said. The heated verbal dispute began over what police confirmed to be over an order. Police said the worker, who family identified as Anitra West, was working the drive-thru window of the restaurant when a woman with purple hair driving a teal compact SUV argued with the employee at the window. Anitra West was shot and killed by a customer at a Church’s Chicken in Memphis, according to her ex-husband. After the SUV drove off, police said West went outside of the restaurant to get some air. Just moments later that SUV came back, firing shots and hitting West. West was taken to the hospital, where she died.
Pool cleaner finds family’s 52-year-old housekeeper dead in the pool
Bexar County, TX — A maintenance worker discovered the body of a housekeeper, and authorities are now investigating her drowning death, Texas law enforcement said. Deputies responded just after 8 a.m. July 3 to reports of a drowning at a San Antonio home, according to a preliminary report from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. TOP VIDEOS Top Videos 00:18 00:45 Garage explosion in Pierce Countyover the weekend An employee who arrived to clean the pool found the woman dead in the pool, authorities said. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. The Bexar County Medical Examiner identified the victim as 52-year-old Cristina Rodriguez, the Laredo Morning Times and WOAI reported. She was a housekeeper at the residence where she drowned, the sheriff’s office reported. Rodriguez had not been seen since 3 p.m. on July 2, according to authorities.
Employee found dead on department store roof in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. — An investigation is underway after an employee was found dead on their store’s roof early Thursday morning. A spokesman for the Orlando Fire Department said their units and police were called to the Bealls on East Colonial Drive around 8:20 a.m. for a wellness check. When firefighters arrive, they found the employee dead on the roof of the store. The Medical Examiner’s office said a cause and manner of death has not yet been determined. It’s not clear why the employee was on the roof, or how long they were there for.
Firefighter dies during early morning water rescue
COLUMBIA, MO — A Boone County firefighter died Monday morning during a swift water rescue effort. Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Tobben, 42, drowned while the Boone County Fire Protection District was conducting rescue efforts Monday at Bear Creek near Rangeline Street and Big Bear Boulevard in northern Columbia. The rescue was one of many in a joint effort between the Columbia Fire Department and BCFPD. The departments were dispatched beginning around 3:45 a.m. Monday. Around 4:30 a.m., a boat driven by Tobben transporting one Columbia firefighter and two civilians, lost power.The boat began to drift in the strong current, was swamped with water, and flipped over. All passengers were thrown off the boat. Tobben made an attempt to grab a tow line, but did not resurface and drowned as a result of the boat capsizing. Tobben was found deceased a short distance away from the boat, and was pronounced dead at the scene by Boone County Medical Examiners around 8:53 a.m.
Security guard is shot to death in Mississippi, and 3 teenagers are charged in the killing
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A security guard at a Mississippi convenience store and gas station was shot to death Monday, and three teenagers are charged in the killing. Roy Love, 60, was providing security at M&M Food Express in south Jackson, according to the city’s police chief, Joseph Wade. Love approached three teenagers at about 1:30 a.m. and asked them to leave, Wade said. “They subsequently attacked him. They took his weapon, and they fired upon him with their weapon,” Wade said at a news conference. The chief said video footage showed the deadly encounter and that Love never drew his weapon. Two of the teenagers ran away after the shooting and one left on a bicycle, Wade said.
Man dies while working on Alaska fishing boat
Southwest Alaska — A man who went to high school in north suburban Round Lake Beach has died while working on a fishing boat in Alaska. Authorities said 21-year-old Corwin Wheeler became tangled in his fishing gear and dragged off the boat into the water in southwest Alaska. It happened on Friday.
Electrocuted Verizon worker identified in Montgomery County
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Police released the name of a utility worker who died Tuesday after he was electrocuted in Ashton. Montgomery County Department of Police (MCDP) said Wednesday that the man was Osmar Daniel Chavarria, 39, of Frederick. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews went to the 200 block of Ashton Rd. where Chavarria, a Verizon employee, was in a truck, working near power lines. That’s when Chavarria was electrocuted. Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) crews arrived at the scene to de-energize the lines so that emergency personnel could safely provide care to Chavarria. Maryland Occupational Safety and Health was contacted.
N.J. cemetery worker killed in tree-chipping accident
Flemington, NJ — A 22-year-old cemetery worker died Wednesday in Flemington while working with tree-chipping equipment, officials said. Eonias Mateo-Perez, of Flemington, was pronounced dead after police were called to the St. Magdalen Cemetery at about 6:20 p.m., the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating. The cemetery had no safety violations dating to 2010, according to OHSA online records.
Golf course worker killed in horror bee swarm attack
Tuscon, AZ — A golf course worker has died in a horrific bee swarm attack in Arizona while mowing the lawns. Rick Messina, 57, a groundskeeper who had been working for the course’s agronomy team since July 2022, was mowing in the area when he was stung, El Conquistador Golf, located in Oro Valley, just north of Tuscon, Arizona, said in a statement to USA TODAY. “It appears Rick was attacked by a traveling swarm of bees,” the company said. The tragic incident occurred in late June near hole 8 at one of the golf courses El Conquistador operates, Pusch Ridge Course.Someone called authorities regarding the bee attack incident at 7.17am on June 24, Darren Wright, a spokesperson for the Oro Valley Police, told the outlet. Messina was then taken to a local hospital, where he died three days later on June 27. On the day of the attack, professional beekeepers came to the resort to inspect all 45 golf holes on the property; however, they found no hives or bee activity and gave the property the all-clear.
Search underway for shooter after Harris Co. deputy killed in ambush
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A manhunt is underway in Houston for the gunman who ambushed and killed an on-duty deputy overnight, authorities said. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez identified him as Deputy Fernando Esqueda — a five-year veteran with the department in the Violent Person Task Force. According to Chief Deputy Mike Lee, deputies heard a call at about 10:10 p.m. Wednesday regarding an aggravated assault at a Little Caesars Pizza on Wallisville Road. A suspect came in to pick up a pizza, but became upset because the order was incorrect. That’s when he verbally assaulted the clerk, pulled out a gun, and pistol-whipped the employee before taking off, Lee said. Officials said Esqueda, who was one of the many detectives working overtime to keep everyone safe after Hurricane Beryl, responded and notified his team members over the phone that he spotted what he thought was the vehicle. “During that phone conversation, our deputy apparently was ambushed,” Lee said.
Truck driver killed on I-44 at Joplin
Joplin OK — The driver of a semitruck was killed at 9:50 a.m. Tuesday when his eastbound rig left the Interstate 44 roadway in Joplin, struck some median cables and rolled over. The crash at the 13-mile marker of I-44 left the cab of the truck in the median and its trailer blocking both eastbound lanes. Joplin police released the name of the victim, Mario A. Guerrero Suarez, on Wednesday following notification of his family.
Semi driver killed, teen charged in Mission multi-vehicle accident
MISSION, TX, (June 29, 2024) – A June 29 collision that ended with a semi-truck crashing into a residence in Mission claimed the life of one person and left another facing criminal charges. Anastacio Martinez Jr. lost his life on June 29 when he crashed into a house after a vehicle collided with the semi-truck he was driving along West Expressway 83 in Mission. According to the Mission Police Department, the driver of a Fiat attempted a lane change in the 2600 block of West Expressway 83 and collided with a tractor-trailer at approximately 9 a.m. After impact, the truck careened across the frontage road, traveled through a parking lot, and slammed into a home. The driver of the truck, 51-year-old Anastacio Martinez Jr., tragically died at the site of the crash.
Vacaville officer killed in crash while making a traffic stop
Vacaville, CA –A Vacaville police officer was killed in the line of duty after being hit by a vehicle while making a traffic stop on Thursday morning, police said. The driver was taken into custody, believed to be under the influence of drugs. Matthew Bowen started working at the department on June 13, 2023 and was previously a police officer in Concord. “He has served with the highest level of dedication and honor, and his loss is deeply felt by the Department, the City and the community,” the department said in a statement. “He is survived by his wife, two sons, parents and brother.” The intersection of Leisure Town Road and Orange Drive has been closed while officers investigate, police said. There is no estimated time of reopening for the road. The westbound freeway onramp is also closed near where the crash happened.