How workers died last week: 18-year old electrocuted and 17-year old killed delivering UberEats, heat, falls, machinery, grain bin, vehicle incidents, forklift, drowning, and 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.
City employee found dead in cooling tower at City Hall
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A city employee was found dead inside a cooling tower at City Hall on August 16, 2024, according to authorities. Officers were dispatched to 1201 Leopard St. around 7:21 AM after receiving a trauma call. Upon arrival, they discovered the deceased female at the bottom of the A/C cooling tower. The Corpus Christi Fire Department was contacted to assist in retrieving the body from the structure. The investigation is ongoing to determine how the woman entered the location, according to the Corpus Christi Police Department. The woman was identified as 33-year-old Ashia Lopez.
Teen Worker killed, another burned after being electrocuted at Kan. airport
GREAT BEND, Kan. — A 16-year-old Wichita teen has died after being electrocuted Tuesday morning while working at an airport in central Kansas. The teen was identified as Ivan Joel Mollins. A second person, 24-year-old Allistar Jose Sanchez of Wichita, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office said. First responders were sent to an accidental electrocution call at 8:15 a.m. at the Great Bend Municipal Airport. A roofing company was working on the main hangar near the terminal building. Mollins and Sanchez had been in a bucket on an aerial boom when they touched high-voltage power lines, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Sanchez was able to get onto the roof of the hangar and then get down to the ground. Mollins was unresponsive in the bucket by 8:48 a.m. when authorities were able to get the power shut off and reach him. Both men were taken to the Great Bend Regional Hospital. Mollins died at the hospital. Sanchez, who received serious burns, was then flown to a Wichita -area hospital, the sheriff’s office said.
Palm Bay mother mourning loss of son killed while delivering food on scooter
PALM BAY, Fla. — Palm Bay mother is mourning the loss of her son, who was killed by a speeding teen driver while delivering Uber Eats. “I just know it’s going to hurt for as long as I live,” said Melony Gaines, the mother of 23-year-old Nathaniel Soueidan. She received a call that something was terribly wrong while her son was out delivering on his scooter. “Yeah, I got the sad news of what happened, and that’s terrible for someone to speed that much and just take somebody else’s life without even realizing that they were going too fast,” she said. “But the fact that they just hit my son and left the scene.” Palm Bay police report that a 17-year-old driver was going more than 90 miles per hour down Capador Street when he lost control, drove up on the sidewalk, and ran over Soueidan, killing him.
Industrial worker killed after he was electrocuted, fell 3 stories working at Philadelphia home
PHILADELPHIA, PA — An industrial worker is dead after he was electrocuted and fell three stories from a scaffolding structure in Kensington Saturday morning, Philadelphia police said. Police said the man was 30 years old and had been working at a home on the 2200 block of East Cambria Street at the time of the industrial accident. Authorities did not immediately provide the man’s name. Investigators said the accident happened at around 8:18 a.m. and medics pronounced the 30-year-old dead at 8:26 a.m.
UPS delivery driver dies from heat in Central Texas
BELL COUNTY, Texas — The United Parcel Service (UPS) confirmed to 6 News on Thursday, Aug. 15 that an employee in Central Texas has died. Coworkers of 37-year-old Luis Grimaldo allege on social media that his death was heat-related and hope to bring awareness to the conditions they work in during the summer heat, though the company stated there was “no indication of heat stress”.
Worker dies after being hit by backhoe during demolition of N.J. home
Union County, NJ — A worker died on Monday after he was injured by heavy machinery during the demolition of a house in Union County, New Jersey, officials said. The man was on the site of a property on Mountain Avenue, Scotch Plains, around 3:30 p.m. when he was struck by the bucket of a backhoe, police said in a news release. He suffered severe head trauma as a result, authorities said. The man was pronounced dead at Overlook Medical Center, officials said. His identity is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. The incident appears to be accidental, according to police. An investigation is ongoing.
Worker dead after electric shock on ladder at Cape Coral home
Cape Coral, FL — A tree trimming service worker died from their injuries after suffering an electric shock at a Cape Coral home Sunday afternoon. According to the Cape Coral Fire Department, a worker was unconscious at the top of a ladder when firefighters arrived at the scene on SW 27th Avenue. “I probably say he was up in that tree for probably about 20 minutes,” Anthony Kramer, a neighbor who lives along SW 27th Avenue, said. Kramer said the tree was just within arm’s reach of power lines. Cape Coral Fire Department Battalion Chief Ian Milliken told NBC2 that firefighters had to use their ladder to go 20 feet in the air to cut off the worker’s climbing belt and then bring him down. “Once we got him to the ground, we were able to start rendering care to him,” Milliken said. He was in critical condition, and then he was transferred to the Gulf Coast Hospital.”
Truck driver killed in crash between 2 semis on I-15
IRON COUNTY, Utah — One person died early Sunday morning after a crash between two semi-trucks on Interstate 15 in southern Utah. Utah Highway Patrol said the crash happened around 3:30 a.m. on I-15 near milepost 85, which is just north of Parowan and Paragonah. Both trucks were traveling north in the right lane when one of the trucks approached the other from behind, UHP said. Then, for an unknown reason, the semi in the back rear-ended the first. This sent the rear semi off the right side of the road, and it rolled. The driver of the truck that rolled died at the scene. It was not immediately clear whether the driver of the semi that was rear-ended had any injuries.
Lake Charles man killed in Louisiana pipeline explosion; investigation underway
PLAQUEMINES PARISH, La. (WVUE) – A pipeline worker who went missing after an explosion near South Pass, Louisiana, was found dead, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The incident occurred on Saturday evening, prompting a search operation. The Louisiana State Police Emergency Services Unit (LSP ESU) reported that the explosion, which took place shortly after 8 p.m. in a marsh area near Venice in Plaquemines Parish, resulted in the death of 40-year-old Joshua Nichols from Lake Charles. When the explosion and fire occurred, Nichols had been operating a mud boat near a natural gas pipeline. His body was recovered by the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office on Sunday morning near the site of the explosion. The Coast Guard’s New Orleans Sector initially received information about the explosion, triggering a joint search effort involving boat and aircrew units. The cause of the explosion is still being investigated.
Bath man dies after being crushed by falling wall at Clark Specialty machine shop
Bath, NY — A Bath man is dead after a workplace accident Tuesday in a machine shop in the village. The Bath Police Department identified the victim as Gerald C. Cleveland, no age given. Shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday, officers were dispatched to Clark Specialty at 36 Delaware Ave. for an urgent welfare check, according to Bath police. Clark Specialty does custom fabrication for a variety of metals and plastics, according to its website. Responding officers investigated a report of a man being crushed by a wall and determined Cleveland was dead at the scene. As a result of their investigation, police determined a different individual was cleaning scrap metal in the shop from a fire that occurred in March of this year. Investigators believe a piece of heavy equipment accidentally hit a cement wall, causing it to become unstable. The wall subsequently fell on Cleveland, causing fatal injuries, police said.
San Diego NASSCO employee dies on site
SAN DIEGO, CA — An employee at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) died Monday after an accident involving a heavy piece of machinery at the shipyard, family members said. J.C. Adame, a father of four and grandfather of six, was beloved by his coworkers. Adame’s daughter Isabelle Adame said the family is struggling to understand what happened when meeting with FOX 5 and KUSI at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary. “I just want the answers. I want to know what happened to him,” Isabelle said. According to information from family members, J.C. Adame died after sustaining injuries from a heavy piece of machinery. “They told us that all of his coworkers tried to lift it up themselves off of him, so I know he will be missed and loved,” Isabelle said.
Man dies in grain bin in southwest Minnesota
REDWOOD FALLS, MINN. – A man at his southwestern Minnesota farm became trapped in a grain bin and died, authorities said Wednesday. The incident occurred early Tuesday morning at the farm near Lamberton, Minn., the Redwood County Sheriff’s Office said. Emergency responders called to help search for a missing person found Eric Kronback dead inside the bin. Kronback, 61, suffered fatal injuries while attempting to remove a small amount of grain from the bin, authorities said in a statement Wednesday. His death is deemed accidental, the statement from the sheriff’s office said.
Man, 57, killed in forklift accident at recycling plant in Schuylkill
AUBURN, Pa. – The Schuylkill County Coroner’s Office says a 57-year-old man was killed in a forklift accident at a recycling plant Tuesday afternoon. The deputy coroner was called to Cougle’s Recycling on 800 Market Street in Auburn. It’s not clear what led up to the accident at this point, or if anyone else was hurt. The victim has been identified as Pedro Morales, 57, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania State Police at Schuylkill Haven, Morales was pronounced dead at the scene. The authorities have ruled the death accidental, although an investigation into the circumstances is still ongoing.
Man working with roofing company dies after fall at CT residence
Clinton, CT — A roofer fell off a home in Clinton on Monday and died, police said. Emergency crews at 8:21 a.m. responded to a home on Fox Hill Drive on a report of a fall from a residential roof involving serious injuries, according to Sgt. Spencer Mangs of the Clinton Police Department. First responders found a 37-year-old man suffering from injuries. Crews performed life-saving measures on the man before he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Mangs. The victim has not been identified. Police said their preliminary investigation found that the owners of the home had hired a roofing company to do work at the residence.
Employee crushed to death in Lost Hills almond orchard
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — An employee was killed after they were crushed at a Wonderful Co. almond orchard in western Kern County Monday morning. The Department of Industrial Relations said Cal/OSHA received a report that an employee in Lost Hills was crushed between stationary equipment and a mobile wagon. The statement from the Department of Industrial Relations said the employee died at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, August 12.
Gregorio Guerrero Killed in 18-wheeler Accident in Harris County, TX
Harris County, TX — August 10, 2024, Gregorio Guerrero was killed following an 18-wheeler accident at around noon along Grand Parkway. Authorities said in preliminary statements that the crash happened along Highway 99 east of the Hardy Toll Road, just outside Spring. According to officials, Gregorio Guerrero was driving a Ford F-350 along the highway. In circumstances which aren’t clear right now, authorities say an 18-wheeler crashed into the back of Guerrero’s pickup. This then pushed Guerrero’s vehicle into a forklift. As a result, Guerrero was killed. A passenger in Guerrero’s vehicle and a person on the forklift were both taken from the scene for medical treatment.
Dump truck driver, 44, killed in NW Marion County crash
Marion County, FL — A 44-year-old Dunnellon man was killed in a Tuesday morning vehicle crash in northwest Marion County, according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release. The man, whose name was not released by the FHP, was driving a dump truck loaded with dirt northbound on County Road 225A when, for an unknown reason, he crossed the center line, went off the road, and struck a concrete barrier wall. First responders pronounced the man deceased on scene, according to the release.
Huntsville dump truck driver killed in single-vehicle Decatur wreck, police say
Decatur, AL — A Huntsville man died Tuesday after the dump truck he was driving left the road and overturned in Decatur, authorities said. Decatur police, Decatur Fire & Rescue and Decatur-Morgan EMS were dispatched to Highway 31 near Alabama State Route 20 on a report of a single-vehicle wreck around 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, Decatur police said Tuesday night. Authorities said it appeared the dump truck, which was hauling gravel and being driven by 56-year-old Herman Gavin Burwell, was traveling north on the highway when the vehicle left the road and overturned. Burwell was taken to Decatur-Morgan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Volunteer Firefighter Dies Responding to Rt. 9 Crash near Georgetown
GEORGETOWN, DE – The Delaware State Police have confirmed a volunteer firefighter has died responding to a crash on Route 9 (Lewes Georgetown Highway) at the intersection of Asphalt Alley near Georgetown Tuesday evening. Police say a Chevrolet Malibu was driving east on Rt. 9 behind a Toyota Camry. According to investigators, the Malibu attempted to pass the Camry, but sideswiped the other car as it re-entered the eastbound lane. The Malibu then veered off the road and stuck a utility pole, police say. Following the crash, Thomas Wilson Berry III stopped to help the drivers. While he was assisting the driver of the Malibu, police say the utility pole snapped and brought down multiple electrical wires, killing Berry. Late Tuesday evening, Sussex County officials identified the victim as a volunteer firefighter responding to the crash. Thomas Wilson Berry III stopped to assist a driver following the crash two miles east of Georgetown, according to Sussex County officials. Berry was 23.
Los Angeles County firefighter expecting first child dies from duty-related cancer
Palmdale, CA — A Palmdale firefighter who was expecting his first child in a few months succumbed to a duty-related cancer over the weekend, authorities said. Firefighter-Paramedic Dustin Roberto, 34, of Goodyear, Arizona, died Saturday surrounded by loved ones, according to fire officials and family. The death came within two months of his diagnosis with neuroendocrine cellular cancer, loved ones reported via a GoFundMe.com page first established to aid in his battle against the disease. The death came within two months of his diagnosis with neuroendocrine cellular cancer, loved ones reported via a GoFundMe.com page first established to aid in his battle against the disease.
Victim of Iowa golf course drowning identified as worker
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Investigators now say the man who drowned at in a pond at an Iowa City Golf Course was an employee. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says it found the body of 38 year-old Christopher Plowman, 38, of Tiffin, on Wednesday in a pond at Pleasant Valley Golf Course in Iowa City. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed Plowman was an employee of the golf course. First responders say Plowman was trapped under a piece of maintenance equipment for an unknown length of time and was already dead by the time rescuers pulled him from the water. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating how the drowning happened.
Reno County worker killed in crash, three others injured
Pretty Prairie, NV — An employee of the Reno County Public Works Department was killed in a single-vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon, while three other workers were seriously injured. The crash was reported northwest of Pretty Prairie and the Kansas Highway Patrol said it happened on Pretty Prairie Road just east of High Point Road. A truck went off the road twice, overcorrected and then went out of control and rolled. The employee who was killed was identified as 49-year-old David Serviss of Arlington. The other employees were two men from Buhler, ages 28 and 35, and a 25-year-old South Hutchinson man. They were taken to hospitals in Hutchinson and Wichita.
Duke Energy lineworker dies at northwest Charlotte construction site
CHARLOTTE, NC — A Duke Energy lineworker for Duke Energy died late Wednesday afternoon near Harland Street and Wandering Creek Drive in northwest Charlotte, a spokesperson with the energy company said. The Occupational Safety and Health Division of the North Carolina Department of Labor said it is looking into the lineworker’s death. Channel 9′s Hannah Goetz spoke with the founder of the LineLife Foundation, an organization that offers support and resources to power line families when disaster strikes. “We have an accident, on average, every four days and we lose a lineman every two weeks — in the United States alone — so the numbers are staggering,” said Anne Marie Olivieri, adding, “I started seeing there were so many accidents … something has to be done, this is ridiculous.”
Ind. firefighter dies from injuries received in 1995 fire engine crash
WAYNE TOWNSHIP, Ind. — The Wayne Township Fire Department announced the passing of former firefighter Rodrick Shane Lambert, who succumbed to injuries sustained nearly 30 years ago while on duty. The department stated that Lambert died due to paralysis and other injury complications from a May 1995 incident when the fire truck he was in overturned.
Worker killed in accident on wind energy construction site in Natrona County
Natrona County, WY — A worker died Aug. 5 when the crane he was operating toppled at a wind farm construction site in remote Natrona County, state and local officials say. The victim, John William Hoffpauir, Jr., 55, of Houma, Louisiana, was working as a crane operator at the Cedar Springs wind energy construction site north of Casper and Glenrock under the control of Blattner Energy at the time of the accident. Hoffpauir was a Blattner Energy employee, a spokesperson for the company told WyoFile. The Natrona County coroner has not made public the cause of death, and a spokesperson for the Wyoming Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the agency isn’t releasing details until it completes an investigation.
Truck driver killed in Adams County crash
ADAMS COUNTY, Miss. — A Smithdale man died Thursday in a crash in Adams County. The crash was reported about 9:30 a.m. Thursday on Highway 84, near McNeil Road, according to a news release from Sgt. Craig James, with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. James said Robert Berryhill III, 49, was driving a 2025 Western Star eastbound on the highway, when the truck ran off the road and crashed into a creek embankment. Berryhill was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash is under investigation.
New Bedford firefighter dies while on duty
New Bedford, MA — New Bedford Fire Department announced Thursday that a firefighter has died while on duty. According to officials, Matthew E. Forand suffered a medical emergency and died during the night while he was on duty at Fire Station 9. “On behalf of the New Bedford Fire Department and all our members, I want to express our most heartfelt condolences to Matt’s family and loved ones, especially his two children,” New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger said in a statement. The 45-year-old firefighter completed the New Bedford Firefighting Academy in 2006 and was recognized multiple times for his commitment to the job, according to Kruger.
One deputy killed, another wounded in Smyth County shooting
Smyth County, VA — North Carolina man accused of killing a deputy and wounding another in Smyth County on Friday has been charged with murder. Timothy Wayne Goodman, 65, was charged with aggravated murder in connection with the death of Smyth County Deputy Hunter Reedy. He is also charged with four counts of attempted aggravated murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. A 27-year-old deputy and father of three was killed and another deputy was wounded in a shooting on Friday, according to authorities. Smyth County Sheriff Chip Shuler confirmed the shooting in a press conference late Friday night.
Contractor found dead inside Wise County Courthouse
Wise County, TX — A contractor working on the Wise County Courthouse restoration project was found dead inside the building Friday morning. Glenn Hejny, 58, of Ennis was found on the second floor of the courthouse at around 6:40 a.m. Friday. His body was located as the superintendent of the project arrived back to the work site. Decatur Police Department’s preliminary investigation indicated Hejny died from an apparent head injury sometime Thursday night, Decatur Police Chief Delvon Campbell said. Campbell said Hejny was alone at the time of his death. “He was working late, he was the last one there,” Campbell said. “It looks like he fell from his ladder.” Campbell said this appears to be a workplace accident and there no so signs of foul play. Decatur Police Department is working the case as an unattended death. Hejny is the owner of Hejny Contracting, Inc., the company tasked with crafting and installing the custom windows of the courthouse.
Georgia deputy killed in shooting during domestic dispute call by suspect who took his own life
HIRAM, Ga. — A Georgia sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed while responding to a reported domestic dispute in what police said was an ambush on officers by a suspect who took his own life. Two deputies responded to a call shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday and immediately were fired upon from a home in a subdivision in Hiram, Georgia, Major Ashley Henson of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office said during a briefing. The male suspect also fired “a hail of bullets” at other officers but only one was shot, Henson said. Deputy Brandon Cunningham, 30, died at a hospital from a gunshot wound, Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge confirmed during the briefing. “Tonight, we’ve lost a hero,” Gulledge said, adding that “it’s going to be a tough time for all of us and all of our guys.” The suspect, who was not immediately identified, died of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Henson said.