How Workers Died Last Week: electrocutions, heat, lawn mowers, forklift, farming, shootings, 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.
Tragic accident leaves 23-year-old from Union dead, family asking for help to support his new family
MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – A logging accident occurred Monday afternoon in Lauderdale County. This accident claimed the life of 23-year-old Josh McGee, of Union. According to Lauderdale County Coroner Stella McMahan, his body was released to the funeral home for arrangements. Please keep this family in your prayers as they go through this extremely tough time.
Forklift fatality victim named
WINCHESTER, VA — The 67-year-old man killed while working at National Fruit Product Co. on Monday was just two months from retirement, according to his wife. Boyd Abrell had worked at National Fruit for about 20 years, his wife, Myra Abrell, said Tuesday. “He was a truck driver [there] first,” she said. “He got tired of being away from home all the time, so he decided to come off the road and be what they call a yard jockey, and move the trailers around and load the trailers.” A city police news release on Monday described the incident as “an industrial forklift accident.” National Fruit, based at 701 Fairmont Ave., produces apple products under the White House label. President and CEO David Gum asked for prayers Monday for Abrell’s family and co-workers. He had five children, two stepchildren, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren who called him “Pappy Boyd,” Myra Abrell said Tuesday.
Man dies in workplace accident at Michigan automotive manufacturing facility
JACKSON COUNTY, Michigan — A 36-year-old man died after an equipment malfunction at a Michigan automotive manufacturing facility, just days before the facility was scheduled to begin the closing process, officials said. On Monday, deputies responded to Dexter Stamping at 1013 Thorrez Road in Jackson County after receiving a report of a dead employee. The worker, a die setter, was transporting and lifting a die with a crane when the swivel bolt broke, according to the Labor and Economic Opportunity. This caused the corner of the die to strike the ground and the top half to separate, crushing the man. The incident report revealed that the swivel bolt wasn’t fully threaded into the die. The incident happened just days before the facility was scheduled to close permanently.
Beloved postal worker shot and killed on Chicago’s South Side
CHICAGO, IL — A postal worker was shot and killed in the West Pullman neighborhood on Friday. Police said the shooting happened around 11:40 a.m. in the 12100 block of South Harvard Avenue. The postal worker was in front of a home when an unknown man walked up and shot her, then fled in a vehicle. The woman was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center with multiple gunshot wounds, and was pronounced dead. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified her as Octavia Redmond, of Chicago. People who live in West Pullman said Redmond, 48, was beloved in the neighborhood.
Man crushed by pipe, killed on Pegasus Drive in industrial incident
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Kenneth Jay Sanders, 53, of Manteca, Calif. was crushed by a pipe, and killed while he was at work in an industrial incident, said the Kern County Coroner’s Office. The incident happened on July 17, at around 8 a.m. in the 3600 block of Pegasus Drive. Sanders was said to be working at the time he died. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CAL/OSHA) and Kern County Fire were the investigating agencies.
Coroner confirms Anderson County employee electrocuted to death while working on HVAC system
ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. — A man has died after being electrocuted Thursday morning in Anderson County, South Carolina, according to the coroner’s office. The Anderson County Coroner’s Office identified the man as 23-year-old Tristan Garrett Stone of Anderson, Thursday afternoon. The electrocution happened on Vanguard Road at a facility owned by the Anderson Regional Joint Water System. ARJWD told WYFF News 4 that Stone had been an employee for three months, and he was working on an HVAC system. “He is a very talented individual, very well respected among his staff and his supervisors and management. We were very happy to have him on our staff,” said Jeff Caldwell, the water system’s deputy director.
Man dies in workplace accident at Rocky Mount water treatment plant
Rocky Mount, NC — A man died Sunday afternoon after falling into a pumping station at a water treatment plant in Rocky Mount. According to a representative for the city, the man was performing work on an electrical junction box around 6:15 p.m. at the water treatment plant on Leaston Road when he was shocked and fell into the water at the pumping station. The man, identified as 19-year-old Trace Christman, died on the scene. “The tragic loss of [Trace] Christman, a young employee, is deeply saddening,” Rocky Mount City Manager Keith Rogers said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Christman family and the greater Rocky Mount community.”
North Charleston Public Works employee dies after shooting and car crash
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C (WCIV) — (UPDATE, 4 p.m.) – The North Charleston Public Works employee who was shot Thursday morning died at a local area hospital, North Charleston Police Department spokesperson Harve Jacobs said Thursday. Da’Twan Gatling, 26, from North Charleston, died on Thursday from a gunshot wound. Police think that when the driver was shot and attempted to flee the area, they lost control of the vehicle on Dorchester Road. “It is believed that he was shot in the area of Bayfield court and attempted to flee the area. And once he reached Dorchester Road is where he lost control of the vehicle,” said Deputy Chief Angela Johnson with NCPD. Police say the worker was collecting trash when the shooting occurred. NCPD said the employee was the sole person in the vehicle.
Man Killed in Farming Accident on E Chadwick Rd
Victor Twp., MI – Authorities have confirmed that one man lost his life as a result of a fatal workplace accident that occurred in Clinton County on Tuesday evening, July 16. The Clinton County Sheriff’s office was called to the scene at around 415 p.m. Official reports indicate that a 62-year-old man was working on a Bobcat skid steer at a location in the 9000 block of East Chadwick Road. For unknown reasons, the man became pinned under the load bucket of the machine. The victim sustained fatal injuries as a result of the accident. He was pronounced deceased by authorities. At this time, the incident is under investigation.
City worker dies after incident while mowing grass outside Del City Water Treatment Plant, police say
DEL CITY, Okla. — Police say a city worker died after an incident while mowing grass outside the Del City Treatment Water Plant on Thursday. Police told KOCO 5 that they received a call around 11:10 a.m. about an incident outside the water treatment plant along Southeast 44th Street between Sunnylane and Sooner roads. They said the worker was mowing when he somehow lost control and became pinned underneath it. He died at the scene, according to police. The victim’s identity has not been released.
Man dies after lawn mower falls off trailer and pins him to ground
JESUP, Iowa – Authorities in Iowa say a man died Thursday afternoon after a lawn mower rolled off of a trailer and pinned him to the ground. According to the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a reported equipment accident in a neighborhood involving a man who got pinned under a lawn mower. he sheriff’s office said the man was trying to put a commercial-grade lawn mower onto a trailer when it tipped over and rolled, landing on top of him. Rescue crews worked quickly to get the man out from underneath the lawn mower, but he ultimately died from the injuries he sustained. Authorities did not immediately identify the man killed as they said his family needed to be contacted.
NH man dies after pickup truck backs on top of him
MIDDLETON, N.H. — An untimely death investigation is underway in New Hampshire after authorities say a man was struck and killed by a truck. Troopers responding to 101 Access Road in Middleton just after 2 p.m. for a report of a man stuck under a dump truck found that a 2012 Ford F-550 pickup had rolled backward on top of 53-year-old William Miners III of Madison, according to New Hampshire State Police. Officials say Miners III had succumbed to his injuries by the time crews arrived at the scene. It’s unclear if the truck belonged to the victim. Police say the incident appears accidental, although all aspects remain under investigation. Multiple agencies assisted Troopers at the scene, including members of the Wakefield Police Department, Wakefield Fire Rescue Department, the New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Crowell’s Towing & Repair.
DALLAS STORE EMPLOYEE DIES FOLLOWING ARMED ROBBERY, SUSPECT CHARGED WITH CAPITAL MURDER
Dallas, TX — Tragedy struck a Dallas community earlier this month, as an early morning robbery escalated to violence, resulting in the death of a local store employee. Last Monday, Dallas Police were summoned to a convenience store in the 300 block of S. Marsalis Avenue after a report of an aggravated robbery at approximately 5:45 a.m., as reported by the Dallas Police Department. An initial investigation found that Inayath Syed, a 52-year-old employee, was shot by a woman later identified as 29-year-old Aleigha Horn. After shooting Syed, Horn took property from the store and fled the scene on foot.
Seaboard Foods employee dies in vehicular accident at Oklahoma plant
GUYMON, OKLA. — The Guymon Police Department and Seaboard Foods confirmed that a vehicular accident led to an employee dying at the Guymon, Okla. pork processing facility. The incident occurred in the trailer lot area of the plant according to the company. The police stated that around 12:30 a.m. on July 12, officers received a 911 call to the Seaboard plant. Before arriving on scene, a second 911 call was placed regarding the crash. An adult male, who was the pedestrian, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Guymon Police. The incident remains an ongoing investigation. The employee killed was not identified. Seaboard said it expressed its deepest condolences to the employee’s family and friends during this difficult time.
Semi truck driver killed in rollover crash on I-80; Kedzie Avenue closed in Hazel Crest
HAZEL CREST, Ill. – A driver died Tuesday morning after a semi-truck rolled over on Interstate 80 in Hazel Crest and fell onto the roadway below, Illinois State Police said. Troopers responded to the crash around 4:36 a.m. The truck was traveling eastbound when it left the roadway, went down an embankment, and overturned onto Kedzie Avenue, police said. The driver and sole occupant was pronounced dead at the scene. All lanes of eastbound I-80 at Kedzie were closed, and Kedzie Avenue was closed in both directions under the interstate.
Clinton County man killed in Woodward Township crash Tuesday morning
Woodward Township, PA — The driver of an empty tri-axle logging truck was killed when his northbound vehicle went off Route 220 in Woodward Township and traveled 50 to 70 yards into heavy brush, striking numerous trees, just south of the city-township line at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, state police confirmed. Township firefighters said the driver was in cardiac arrest when they arrived on the scene. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr. pronounced the driver dead at the scene. There was no evidence of traumatic injuries to the man’s body, and it appears that he suffered a fatal heart attack, Kiessling said, adding that the driver was from Clinton County and was in his early 60s.
Young Oregon firefighter dies after routine fitness test
KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. – The Fremont-Winema National Forest is releasing the name of the wildland firefighter who died last week during a routine preparedness activity. NBC5 News first reported on the firefighter’s death last Thursday. According to the forest service, 27-year-old Daniel Foley was assigned to the Bly Ranger District. Daniel collapsed following the successful completion of a Work Capacity Test or pack test. Members of the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Oregon Department of Forestry performed life saving measures until an ambulance arrived. Daniel was then taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Under incident information provided by the Fremont-Winema National Forest, the incident type has been categorized as “medical or exertion or heat.”
McCook city employee killed in crash; Texas man arrested
HITCHCOCK COUNTY, Neb. (KSNB) – Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested a Texas man following a deadly crash in southwest Nebraska. Around 6:55 a.m. CT Thursday, the Hitchcock County Sheriff’s Department along with NSP responded to a crash involving two semi-trucks and trailers at the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 25. The Preliminary investigation shows a semi-truck and trailer traveling northbound on Highway 25, north of Trenton failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection with Highway 6. The semi collided with another semi-truck and trailer traveling westbound on Highway 6. The driver of the westbound semi, identified as Wayne Cook, 42, of McCook, was pronounced dead at the scene. The City of McCook stated in a press release that Cook was an employee with the city’s solid waste transfer station and was hauling trash from McCook to the J Bar J landfill south of Ogallala.
Daytona Beach jewelry store employee slain
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A Daytona Beach jewelry store employee was killed Friday in a shooting that left the 83-year-old suspect wounded, police said. Daytona Beach police said the double-shooting was reported at Volusia Gold & Diamond at 536 W. International Speedway Blvd. Three employees were inside the shop when a person entered and shot an employee, according to Daytona Beach police Chief Jakari Young. The shooting followed a brief verbal altercation, a news release states. The shooting followed a brief verbal altercation, a news release states. Another worker returned fire, striking the shooter.
‘We lost a cherished family member’: Bright Wood responds to workplace death
Madras, OR — A worker was killed in a workplace incident at the Bright Wood millwork plant in Madras Wednesday. Madras Police Chief Tim Plummer confirmed to Central Oregon Daily News that someone died while on the job at the plant. Plummer could not go into much detail about what happened. Bright Wood released a statement saying it is focusing on saying it is focusing in supporting the worker’s family and investigating the accident. It said it was not releasing details on the accident Thursday, but says it is working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to determine the cause.
Melvindale police shooting suspect still on the run
MELVINDALE, Mich. (FOX 2) – A manhunt continues Monday for the man accused of shooting and killing Melvindale police officer Mohamed Said on Sunday. Michael Lopez, 44, fled on a green bike after the shooting. According to police, Said was responding to a suspicious person call at a gas station near Oakwood and Dix around 11:30 a.m. when he spotted Lopez with several bags but no vehicle. Police said the officer went to check to see if Lopez was homeless and needed help, but Lopez ran away. Said chased Lopez, and there ws a brief struggle. When Said Tased Lopez, he pulled out a gun and shot the officer, police said.
Truck driver killed in crash on I-10 East
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The driver of an 18-wheeler is dead following a a major traffic crash on I-10 East Monday morning. The Baton Rouge Police Department confirmed it happened around 8:30 a.m. on I-10 East on the Mississippi River Bridge, just past the Highland Road exit ramp. DOTD traffic cameras showed the 18-wheeler dangling from a portion of the highway. Police said the driver of the 18-wheeler reportedly lost control of the truck and crashed into the guardrail. The driver died at the scene, according to Baton Rouge Police. Premliinary reports reveal the 18-wheeler was jack-knifed and the driver was ejected. The driver has not been identified.