How workers died last week: Heat, electrocution, falls, fire, explosions, coal mining, helicopter crash, vehicle incidents, stabbing, shootings. 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.
Heatstroke death of Baltimore worker during trash collection prompts calls for workplace safety
BALTIMORE, MD — Elected officials and union leaders in Baltimore are calling for safer and more humane working conditions for the city’s public works employees after a man collapsed and died from heatstroke last week while collecting trash during hot summer weather. Critics say the recent death of Ronald Silver II, 36, is a tragic result of longstanding problems within the agency, including an abusive culture perpetuated by supervisors and a lack of concern for basic health and safety measures. “These men and women are doing the jobs that none of us wishes to do. They’re picking up trash,” Baltimore City Councilmember and former public works employee Antonio Glover said during a news conference Tuesday morning outside City Hall. “And I’m here today to say that we can no longer treat our men and women like the very same thing they pick up — trash.” City officials had previously said that Silver died late Friday afternoon after experiencing “a medical situation that required immediate assistance while he and his fellow crew members were riding in their truck.” Temperatures in the Baltimore area climbed to about 100 degrees (38 C) on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Missouri man killed in industrial accident in Morris, Illinois
MORRIS, Ill. – A 33-year-old man from Trenton, Missouri, died in an industrial accident at Ritchie Brothers, an equipment auction facility located off Gore Road in Morris, Illinois, according to the Grundy County Coroner’s Office. Steven W. Hurst was loading a dump truck onto a transport trailer when the incident occurred. A preliminary investigation suggests that Hurst became entrapped between the trailer and the truck he was loading. At the time of the incident, Hurst was alone, leaving the exact circumstances unclear. An employee of Ritchie Brothers freed Hurst, who was then transported to Morris Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Hurst was employed by a transportation company based in Tennessee. The Grundy County Coroner’s Office, along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), is further investigating the incident.
A beloved South Grand convenience store employee was killed by customer
ST. LOUIS, MO — A South Grand Boulevard convenience store closed its doors on Wednesday to honor a beloved 62-year-old employee who witnesses say was shot and killed by a customer. A fellow Kaiser’s Grand Mart employee, Karen Bellah, said trouble started when her co-worker, Mack Wagner, asked to check the customer’s bag as a security precaution. Bellah told the Post-Dispatch that the victim, who had worked at the store for eight years, had tried to get a customer with a “man purse” to empty his bag, as per store policy. When the man refused, the two argued for a moment, said Bellah, who witnessed the whole incident. Wagner pulled out his pepper spray just as the man pulled a gun and shot him, she said. Bellah said she tried to stop the bleeding while another co-worker called the police. By the time they got there Monday afternoon, Wagner was unconscious. He died at a hospital a few hours later.“Crime in this part of the city is getting a lot worse,” he said. “My kids are traumatized.”
Semi-truck driver killed in crash on I-80 east of Lovelock
Lovelock, NV –Nevada State Police troopers are investigating a semi-truck crash that killed one person on I-80 east of Lovelock late last month. NSP says the crash near mile marker 135 in Pershing County happened around 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 28. NSP says a Western Star work truck was heading west on I-80 in the right lane, when both truck and trailer went off the road and hit several road signs. After it then hit a metal culvert, NSP says the truck went left and then overturned, spilling cargo. NSP says the unidentified driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, died on scene. The driver was the only person inside the truck.
Two killed in Bel Air, Md., house explosion, officials say
Bel Air, MD — A homeowner and the utility worker who came to check on an electrical problem in their house in Bel Air, Md., are both believed by officials to be dead after the house exploded early Sunday morning. The worker, a 35-year-old contractor for Baltimore Gas & Electric, has not been named. The second victim has yet to be identified but is believed by investigators to be the 73-year-old owner of the home on Arthur Woods Drive, the state fire marshal’s office said. The home was for sale. Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire said earlier in the day that it was unclear whether anyone else was inside the home at the time of the explosion. But using dogs trained in tracking human scent, investigators located the second body inside the rubble late in the afternoon
Tampa International Airport construction worker killed in accident
TAMPA, Fla. — A construction worker died in an accident Wednesday morning at Tampa International Airport, officials said. The accident happened just before 8 a.m. near the Blue Arrivals lanes, located on the south side of Level 1 of the main terminal, airport officials said in a news release. The victim, an equipment operator, was reportedly working on the airport’s Airside A Shuttle Guideway Refurbishment Project before construction equipment fell off the track with him inside. On Friday, the airport issued an update identifying the man killed as 29-year-old Cesar Hernandez Donu. He died from his injuries at the scene, according to airport officials.
Rockford auto mechanic killed in workplace accident
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Kurt’s Service Center on 1510 Cunningham Street tragically lost 55-year-old Dennis Modloff, an auto mechanic, in a workplace accident involving a hydraulic vehicle lift. According to the Winnebago County Coroner, around 10:30 a.m., Modloff was working beneath a Jeep parked on top of the hydraulic vehicle lift when the rear axle’s jack stand moved. This event caused him to be pinned between the lift’s ramp and the Jeep. At 11:10 a.m., another employee found Modloff and called 911. Rockford Fire and Rockford Police both responded to the scene but determined he was beyond resuscitation. Winnebago County Coroner’s staff pronounced him deceased at 12:10 p.m. Following an autopsy, the coroner said the preliminary results showed Modloff died of blunt trauma to the head.
Truck driver killed in I-26 crash
Laurens County, SC – An Anderson truck driver was killed Wednesday afternoon in a crash on I-26. South Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper Brandon Bolt said the tractor-trailer, a 2022 Kenworth, struck a disabled vehicle and pedestrian changing a tire near mile marker 55 around 2 p.m. Laurens County Chief Deputy Coroner Patti Canupp identified the deceased as Mark Anthony Bigby, 64. Bolt said the Kenworth was going westbound on I-26 when it traveled off the right side of the road and struck a 2022 Ford pickup and the person attempting to change a flat tire. The tractor-trailer then hit a guardrail, went down an embankment and caught fire. Bigby was the lone occupant of the tractor-trailer.
Log truck rollover claims life of Murfreesboro man, 70
Hempstedt County, AR — An early morning accident Wednesday in rural Hempstead County claimed the life of a Murfreesboro man. Kenneth Davis, 70, of Murfreesboro, was driving a 2017 Peterbilt loaded with logs on state Highway 355 between Saratoga and McNab. Davis drove the southbound vehicle off the roadway, and the vehicle overturned, according to a preliminary fatal crash summary report filed by Arkansas State Police. Davis was pronounced dead at the scene by Hempstead County Coroner David Peters at 4:50 a.m.
Employee dies at Mississippi energy facility
CRYSTAL SPRINGS, Miss. (WJTV) – An employee died at a Mississippi energy facility on Thursday, August 1. According to officials with Hitachi Energy, the employee was servicing equipment at the company’s facility in Crystal Springs. “We have been in close contact with local authorities regarding this tragic event and are fully cooperating and assisting with the investigation. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. Our thoughts are with them at this very difficult time,” said officials with Hitachi Energy. Crystal Springs Police Chief Tony Hemphill identified the employee as 53-year-old Rodney Smith, of Crystal Springs. The Copiah County coroner said an autopsy will be conducted to determine Smith’s cause of death. Crystal Springs police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also responded to the scene.
Jockey dies at Neshoba County Fair
NESHOBA COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A jockey died at the 2024 Neshoba County Fair. According to Neshoba County Coroner Myron Williams, 52-year-old Jarrod Deschamp, of Kiln, died on Wednesday, July 31. Williams said Deschamp died due to respiratory complications.
Firefighter dies in the line of duty in while battling Kansas house fire
Wichita, KS — A firefighter in Kansas has lost his life in the line of duty while battling a house fire in Wichita, according to the Wichita Fire Department. The incident occurred on Thursday at approximately 3:22 p.m. when the currently unnamed firefighter was battling a house fire in Haysville, Kansas. “The Wichita Fire Department and the City of Wichita are extremely saddened to announce that at approximately 3:22 PM while operating at a mutual aid fire in Haysville, one of Wichita’s bravest was injured in the line of duty, and later succumbed to their injury,” the statement said. “The Wichita Fire Department is working to ensure family members are all appropriately notified.”
Fort Edward man killed in crash with logging truck
Fort Edward, NY — A Fort Edward man has died after hitting a logging truck in Johnsburg. The crash happened around 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. Tyler Sellingham, 28, was traveling east on State Route 8, near State Route 28, when he crossed into the other lane and hit the truck, investigators said. No other details have been released yet.
Memphis Police Officer killed following crash with driver who had been shot
MEMPHIS, Tenn.–A Memphis Police Department officer (MPD) has tragically died following a multiple vehicle crash in the city. MPD issued a statement on the Friday morning crash, reporting just after 3am officers responded to a crash on Mississippi Boulevard and Danny Thomas Boulevard involving a gray Nissan and a police squad car. Once on scene, officers found three males injured, two of them MPD officers and the driver of the Nissan. All three were transported to the hospital where the driver of the Nissan and one of the officers were pronounced dead. The second officer is in critical condition. FOX13 spoke to a sister of a Memphis Police officer who died after a crash Friday morning. The sister said the officer was her brother, 34-year-old Demetrice Johnson
Construction worker, 41, killed by SUV driver on Washington Bridge
NEW YORK — The NYPD’s Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad is investigating after a construction worker was fatally struck by an SUV driver on the Washington Bridge last week. At approximately 10:21 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, police responded to a 911 call of a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian struck in the vicinity of Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights. Upon arrival, officers observed 41-year-old Herb Henry Alesna, a construction worker, lying on the roadway, with trauma to the body. EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.
Death reported at Tesla facility in Austin leads to OSHA investigation
AUSTIN, Texas — Authorities are investigating following reports of a death at the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin. Officials with Austin-Travis County EMS said they were called out to the Tesla facility Thursday morning for what they described as an adult patient in cardiac arrest. The person was taken to the hospital in critical condition. At that same time, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies were also called out to the Tesla facility regarding a “deceased person.” Details on the incident are limited, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) confirmed that it has opened an investigation into the incident and will not release any more information until the investigation is complete. Currently, there is no known cause of death and it’s unclear if the person was an employee or a contractor at the facility.
Man killed in accident at transfer station
Tracy, CA — A man died at the Tracy Material Recovery and Solid Waste Transfer Inc. site on MacArthur Drive on Tuesday in apparent work-related accident. The South San Joaquin County Fire Authority, which responded to the 2 p.m. report of a person run over by a tractor, confirmed that a worker at the transfer station died at the scene. The San Joaquin County Coroner’s office identified him as Carlos Perez De La Torre, 48, of Stockton. The transfer station is where Tracy Delta Disposal brings waste from homes and businesses in Tracy to be sorted, with some transferred to trucks heading to the landfill, some separated for recycling, and some directed to the composting operation at the site. It’s unclear where in the operation the accident happened, and no details were available on the circumstances of the accident.
JPD community service officer killed while on duty
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Police Department is in mourning after a community service officer was killed and another severely injured after a suspected DUI driver crashed into them while they were on traffic control. Long Pham was with another community service officer when they were conducting traffic control Saturday night in the area of Monterey Road in South San Jose when a driver struck the officers. Both were taken to a hospital where Pham died. The second officer remains in critical condition but is expected to survive. Officials said the driver was arrested at the scene and alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the crash.
Worker killed in unspecified accident at Evraz steel mill in Pueblo. Here’s what we know
Pueblo, CO — A worker was killed in an accident Friday morning at the Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel rail rolling mill in Pueblo. An Evraz spokesperson confirmed the worker’s death in a statement emailed to the Chieftain. The company’s statement did not detail how the worker was killed. The worker’s death is the second to take place at Evraz in less than 10 months. A contractor at the site, 32-year-old Pierre Warford, of Amite, Louisiana, was killed Oct. 20, 2023, when a crane overturned at the Evraz long rail mill project.
Worker dead after falling from scaffolding at Boston theater
Boston, MA — A construction worker died Friday after falling from scaffolding in Boston’s theater district. The man, who was not identified, fell from scaffolding at the Emerson Majestic Theatre around 12:45 p.m., The Boston Globe reported. A Boston police spokesperson said the incident is under investigation. The fall happened in an alley by the theater, located at 19 Tremont St. Officials have not released information about how the victim fell.
A Trenton Man Died In An Accident In Illinois
Grundy Count, IL — A Trenton man died Monday in an accident loading equipment on a truck. Thirty-three-year-old Stephen Hurst of Trenton died in Morris, IL. The Grundy County, Illinois coroner’s office called the death an industrial accident. Hurst was loading a dump truck on a trailer to transport the truck and became trapped between the truck and the trailer.
2 Army Contractors Killed in Aviation Accidents at Fort Novosel, Fort Belvoir
Fort Novosel, Al and Fort Belvoir, VA — Two contractors died in separate aviation-related accidents this week while on the job at Fort Novosel, Alabama, and Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Army spokespeople confirmed to Military.com on Thursday. An Army contractor died Wednesday afternoon when the AH-64 Apache helicopter he was teaching a student to fly crashed at Fort Novosel, the base said in a press release. The Apache crashed during “routine flight training” around 1:40 p.m. local time, killing the instructor pilot and injuring his student. Dale County Coroner John Cawley identified the deceased instructor as Daniel Munger, 46, of Enterprise, Alabama. He was medically evaluated at the crash site and later pronounced dead, the Army said. Munger was an Army veteran who retired at the rank of chief warrant officer three.
West Virginia coal miner killed in power haulage accident
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A coal miner was killed on the job in northern West Virginia earlier this week, Gov. Jim Justice announced Friday. William “Joe” Crandall was killed in an incident at Arch Resource’s ACI Tygart Valley Mine in Taylor County, West Virginia, on Monday. Crandall is the second worker to die as a result of a mine accident in the last month in the coal-producing state. A 33-year-old woman died in July after being injured at the Wyco Surface Mine, near the border of Raleigh and Wyoming counties. Monday’s accident involved power haulage, which is equipment such as shuttle cars, scoops, locomotives and front end loaders, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. More here.
Truck driver killed after semi crashes off I-75 into canal during Tropical Storm / Hurricane Debby
Tampa, FL — A truck driver died Monday when his semi-truck crashed and flipped into a canal after jumping a guardrail on Interstate 75 in Tampa amid the heavy rains and high winds of Tropical Storm (now Hurricane) Debby. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said truck overturned and fell into the Tampa Bypass canal adjacent to I-75 early Monday morning. Tropical Storm/Hurricane Debby brought high winds, heavy rains and flooding to part of Florida including Tampa, Pinellas County and southwest Florida. The HCSO dive team found the driver dead Monday.
Worker dies after being hit by dump truck in Harford County
JOPPA, Md. — Maryland State Police are investigating after a person was killed in a work zone in Harford County Tuesday morning. Mineshbai Patel, from Laurel, Maryland, was struck and killed by a dump truck backing up in a work zone on the southbound lanes near Mountain Road, snarling traffic for hours. He died at the scene. Troopers arrived at the southbound I-95 area near Mountain Road for reports of a crash involving a dump truck. Initial findings show the dump truck was backing up in a work zone when it struck the worker. One lane of southbound I-95 was closed during the investigation.
Walmart worker stabbed to death inside store in ‘random’ attack
Lake Elsinore, CA — A man stabbed a 65-year-old Walmart worker to death in Lake Elsinore, California, in a random attack, deputies say. Getty images/iStock photo A 65-year-old woman died in a “random” attack while working at a Walmart store, California sheriff’s officials told news outlets. Deputies responding to a 911 call at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5, found Jessica Morales, of Menifee, with multiple stab wounds in the Lake Elsinore store, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Florida tire shop employee dies after tire ‘exploded’ while he was filling it with air: deputies
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida tire shop employee died after a tire “exploded” while he was inflating it on Monday afternoon. Deputies were called to the A-Expert Tire and Automotive Service at 8794 Alico Road in Fort Myers around 12:50 p.m. for reports of a “possible death,” the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. When officials arrived, medics said the employee, Richard Vallini, was inflating a tire when it exploded and struck him. He suffered “severe” head trauma from the explosion and was pronounced dead, LCSO said. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies spoke with an employee who witnessed the incident. He said he saw Vallini filling large tires with air before he went inside the shop. The witness returned shortly after to help Vallini relieve air pressure from the tire when it suddenly blew off the rim and struck Vallini in the head. Deputies said the tire also hit the witness in the leg before he yelled for help. Another employee called first responders as the witness held towels against Vallini’s head.
In line of duty, southern Minnesota firefighter dies hours after 2 emergency calls
Mapleton, MN — Firefighters from around the state are expected to gather this weekend for the funeral of a southern Minnesota firefighter who died in the line of duty hours after answering two emergency calls last week. Timothy Royce, 58, responded with fellow Mapleton firefighters to a traffic crash and then a medical call Thursday. He died early the next morning from an apparent heart attack, Fire Chief Ben Froehlich for the 22-member volunteer department said Wednesday. “Everything he was involved in, he was the go-to guy,” Froehlich said, “and not just the Fire Department but work and church.” The chief said Royce joined the department in 2001, though he knew him before then. “He was just in my wedding this past October.” Royce’s full-time job was as a butcher at Dietz Foods in the town of roughly 1,800; his co-workers there found him dead Friday morning, Froehlich said. The timing of Royce’s death so soon after the emergency calls classifies it as in the line of duty, said Eden Prairie Chief George Esbensen, a board member with the statewide foundation responsible for the Fallen Firefighter Memorial at the State Capitol. A final confirmation by Minnesota and U.S. agencies would free up survivor benefits for Royce’s heirs. Esbensen said firefighters are more prone to sudden death than the rest of the U.S. population, partly from “getting jolted out of bed” at a moment’s notice for an array of emergencies. “It takes a toll over a long period,” he said.
Construction worker dead after falling off scaffold in north Harris County
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A construction worker is dead after an incident in north Harris County, officials report. Constable Mark Herman reports constable deputies were called to the 23100 block of Birmingham Grove Lane after a constriction worker fell off a scaffold. The 56-year-old worker was pronounced dead at the hospital. Emergency Medical Services and Fire Department officials are at the scene. Precinct 4 constable deputies are investigating the deadly fall.
Caterpillar contractor from Michigan dies at Peoria Proving Ground facility
MORTON, Ill. — A 36-year-old Kingsford man died Wednesday of compressional asphyxia after being trapped under an electrical control box at Caterpillar’s Peoria Proving Ground in Illinois’ Tazewell County, according to a coroner’s report Justin Perry, a contractor at the facility, was pronounced dead at the site at 11:15 p.m. Wednesday by Coroner Charles R. Hanley. Authorities were notified at 8:52 p.m. of an incident at the proving ground, the Peoria Journal Star reported. The case remains under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tazewell County Coroner’s Office, the newspaper said.
Truck driver killed after tractor-trailer slams into guardrails, rolls down embankment on I-395
Griswold, CT — A truck driver was killed Thursday morning after his tractor-trailer struck multiple guardrails and rolled off an embankment on Interstate 395 in Griswold. Troopers responded to a one-vehicle crash around 8:36 a.m. on Thursday at I-395 South between Exits 28 and 24, according to the Connecticut State Police. A Freightliner utility truck driven by 42-year-old Timothy Murray of Ashby, Massachusetts, was traveling southbound on I-395 in the right lane. Ahead of the tractor-trailer, the right lane was closed with traffic diverted to the left lane due to construction, state police said. The tractor-trailer reportedly drove onto the right shoulder, struck a metal beam guardrail, re-entered the right lane then drove back into the shoulder where it struck another guardrail, according to state police. The tractor-trailer then rolled over to its right side and down an embankment where it came to a rest on its left side, state police said. As a result of the crash, Murray sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to state police.
20-year-old power company employee dies after touching live wire
PRENTISS, Miss. (WLBT) – A man died while inspecting power poles on Ray Street in Prentiss Tuesday afternoon. The 20-year-old victim was identified as Jayton Stahlhut by the Jefferson Davis County coroner, Dedra Johnson. Stahlhut died after touching a live wire while working, according to the Prentiss Police Department. Stahlhut was a worker contracted with a company named EXO.
Summit police officer killed, 2 McComb officers wounded
SUMMIT, Miss. — The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation released the name of the suspect accused in a shooting that killed Summit police officer Troy Floyd and wounded two McComb officers. According to MBI, officers were working a police checkpoint near West Railroad Avenue in Summit when a passenger in a passing car opened fire, hitting and killing the Summit police officer. Two McComb police officers arrived and engaged in a shootout with the suspect, who was shot and killed. Bailey Martin, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, identified the suspected shooter as 25-year-old Usher Leonard. Both McComb officers were also injured but are expected to recover.
Worker’s death at California federal prison investigated for possible fentanyl exposure
Atwater, CA — A worker at a federal prison in California has died and investigators are examining whether he was exposed to fentanyl shortly before his death, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Marc Fischer, a mailroom supervisor at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, California, died Friday after he reported feeling ill earlier, the people said. They said he was taken to a local hospital and was pronounced dead later in the evening. Investigators are examining whether he was exposed to a substance authorities believe was fentanyl while he screening mail at the prison, the people said. The people could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Fischer’s cause of death remained unknown Saturday and it was unclear whether the potential exposure may have contributed. Briefly touching fentanyl cannot cause an overdose, and researchers have found that the risk of fatal overdose from accidental exposure is low.
Deputy killed, another injured in Smyth County, Va. shooting
SMYTH COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — One deputy was killed and another was injured in a shooting Friday evening in Smyth County, Virginia. In a press conference late Friday, officials confirmed that Smyth County Sheriff’s Office deputy Hunter Reedy, 27, was killed. A second deputy named Michael Fedorchuk was also shot, and he was released from an area hospital on Saturday afternoon, according to an update from Virginia State Police (VSP).
Ark. paramedic, civilian killed in ambulance crash
LAKE CITY, Ark. — The Arkansas Department of Public Safety has released the names of the victims from an ambulance crash in Lake City on Aug. 9. Janet Chapman, 67, of Blytheville, and Paramedic Mark Gibson, 56, of Paragould, were killed, KAIT reported. Authorities reported that Chapman was driving east on Highway 18 and crossed the center lane, colliding head-on with an ambulance from Emerson Ambulance Service, driven by Cherie Gibson. Cherie Gibson, and Phyllis Moore, were injured in the crash.
Sun River Electric Co-op lineman dies in workplace accident
GREAT FALLS, MT — The Sun River Electric Cooperative announced on Saturday, August 10, 2024, that an employee died on Friday morning. The worker has been identified as 28-year old Lucas Fowler. The co-op said that the lineman died in a “workplace accident.” No other details have been released at this point. The Sun River Electric Cooperative, based in Fairfield, says an investigation is underway.
Workplace death under investigation in Granville County
Granville County, NC — A workplace death is under investigation Saturday in Granville County. According to Sheriff Fountain, a man died in a work-related accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been notified and is investigating the incident.
Fort Worth police officer killed on I-35W while investigating fiery crash
FORT WORTH, Texas – A Fort Worth police officer died at the hospital Monday morning after being struck by a vehicle at a crash scene. Sgt. Billy Randolph was helping at the scene of a fiery crash on southbound Interstate 35W at Sycamore School Road. That initial crash happened around 2:30 a.m. An 18-wheeler hit a wall while exiting the freeway and caught on fire. The driver of the 18-wheeler made it out with only minor injuries.
Florida deputy killed, 2 deputies wounded in shooting, authorities say: “They were ambushed”
Eustis, FL — A Florida sheriff’s deputy was killed and two other deputies wounded in what authorities called an ambush shooting inside a home. The three deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office were responding to calls of a physical disturbance at a home in Eustis, Florida – a rural part of the county – on Friday night. John Herrell, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department, told CBS News that the deputies separated the involved parties and then were asked to check on a home a few houses down. Two deputies went a few houses down the street from the caller and found a door that appeared to have been kicked in. “When the deputies entered the home, there was a lot of gunfire,” Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said during a news conference at the scene. One deputy was shot and trapped inside while the other retreated. More officers arrived and formed a team to enter the house and retrieve the deputy, but were met with “a hail of gunfire” and another deputy was struck, Grinnell said.The male deputy who was the first shot and trapped inside did not survive, he said.
Suffolk construction worker dies after medical emergency in 15-foot trench
SUFFOLK, Va. — A man has died after experiencing a medical emergency at a Suffolk construction site Thursday afternoon. Around 1:15 p.m., Suffolk Fire & Rescue crews were sent out to Second Avenue and Pitchkettle Road for a report of an unconscious person. They found a construction worker at the bottom of a 15-foot-deep trench box in an area where contractors were repairing utilities in a roadway. According to Suffolk Fire Chief Mike Barakey, paramedics started advanced life support treatment down in the trench while the department’s Technical Rescue Team executed a rope rescue to get him out. Barakey said the paramedics continued advanced life support care on the man all the way to the hospital, where he later passed away.
Braun Northwest employee dies after being run over by a coworker while working under a vehicle
Chehalis, WA — An employee at Braun Northwest Inc. in Chehalis was struck and killed by another employee while working under a vehicle Friday morning. The deceased employee’s identity had not been released as of Friday afternoon. “There was an incident involving two employees, one was under a vehicle while the other did not know and unfortunately ran him over,” Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Special Services Chief Gabriel Frase told a Chronicle reporter at the scene. Braun Northwest Inc. is an ambulance manufacturer and medical supply store located at 150 Northstar Rd. in Chehalis.
Valley HVAC technician dies on the job, leaves fiancee, 3 children behind
SURPRISE, Ariz. — A Surprise family is mourning the death of their loved one after he died in an unexplained accident at work. Family members said 30-year-old Drew Damon Cook was just 10 days away from his 31st birthday when he died. Jana Bartlett, Cook’s future mother-in-law, said on Tuesday her son who worked with Cook at Cool Blew A/C, rushed to tell her Cook had been in an accident.
Foreman dies after being electrocuted while tree trimming in Battle Creek
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WILX) – A foreman died in Battle Creek on Saturday while tree trimming. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) reported that a 50-year-old foreman was tree trimming from a broom truck on Aug. 3 when a tree limb contacted a power line, electrocuting the foreman. MIOSHA said this is the 16th reported Michigan worker death of 2024.