Today is Labor Day where we honor the important work that this nation’s workers do to make life in this country possible. Many do hard, dangerous jobs, and despite laws that are supposed to protect them, far too many continue to get injured and die in preventable incidents.
Here are how a few workers died last week: Trench collapse, heat, tire explosion, heavy machinery, vehicle incidents, 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.
2 Delta workers killed in tire explosion at Atlanta airport
Atlanta, GA — A tire of a Boeing 757 exploded early Tuesday during maintenance at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, killing two Delta employees and injuring a third, according to the company and local officials. The incident happened at around 5 a.m. on Tuesday when a tire exploded while being removed from a Boeing 757-232, which was parked at Delta’s Technical Operations Maintenance facility. Specific details about the circumstances of the incident were not immediately known but a statement from Delta Air Lines confirmed that two of its employees were killed. A third was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Mirko Marweg and Luis Aldarondo were killed in the explosion. Marweg’s remains were so injured the Clayton County Medical Examiner denied the family’s request to see his body, deeming him “unrecognizable,” his son Andre Coleman told the TV station. He also revealed that his father was identified by his tattoos and the lanyard around his neck.
Construction worker killed in trench collapse at project site in Scripps Ranch
SAN DIEGO, CA — A construction worker was killed Wednesday morning in an accident at a water construction site in Scripps Ranch after dirt and a pipe crushed the worker at the bottom of a dirt trench, officials said. Joel Olea Gomez of San Marcos was in a roughly 20-foot-deep trench that collapsed onto him about 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. According to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials, emergency crews were called to a water pipe construction site in the 11200 block of Hoyt Park Drive, near Scripps Ranch Boulevard, at around 4 a.m. for what was described as a trench rescue. SDFD officials said they were told a worker was about 20 feet down a trench with dirt and a concrete pipe on them. A co-worker that was also in the trench at the time was able to get out. Emergency crews arrived a short time later, but medics determined that the worker had died. Officials believe an unstable foundation led to the 4-foot-wide pipe falling on the worker.
Ariz. fire recruit dies after suffering heat-related emergency during training
PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. — The Rural Metro Fire Department mourns the loss of firefighter recruit Cody Treatch, who fell ill at the academy earlier this month and was hospitalized. On Aug. 14, during his second day of academy training, Treatch experienced a heat-related emergency and was transported to the hospital for treatment, Rural Metro Fire Chief Karl Isselhard told Tucson.com. His condition worsened over the week and Treatch died the morning of Aug. 23. “Our focus is on supporting the Treatch family and our personnel as we all mourn the passing of Cody and work through this difficult time,” Isselhard said.
Man dies while working at construction site in Bel Air
Bel Air, CA — A man was killed while working at a construction site in Bel Air on Tuesday. It happened at around 10:10 a.m., when firefighters were dispatched to a hillside residential construction site in the 10600 block of W. Chalon Road, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. They say that the man was gravely injured while working near heavy equipment at the site, possibly an auger and a skip loader. “Despite the quick response of LAFD crews, his injuries proved fatal,” the statement said. The man’s name and company that he was affiliated with have not been released.
San Diego police officer killed, another injured in fiery crash following pursuit in Clairemont
Clairemont Mesa, CA — A fiery crash in Clairemont Mesa following a pursuit left one San Diego police officer and the suspect dead, and another officer injured. NBC 7’s Jackie Crea reports. One San Diego police officer was killed and another is “fighting for his life” following a multi-vehicle crash in the Clairemont area that also left the suspect dead late Monday, officials said. The crash that involved at least four vehicles was reported at around 11:30 p.m. near the intersection of Doliva Drive and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, just west of Interstate 805. The incident began when police attempted to stop the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed along Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, but the driver failed to yield. A supervisor then called off the pursuit due to that speed, San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl said. Then, two officers in a police car “responded to that fleeing suspect,” Wahl said. That is when the suspect car collided at a high rate of speed into the side of the police car.
Beaufort County Coroners Office identifies body of construction worker found on Hilton Head
HILTON HEAD, Sc. (WTOC) – Tuesday, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference to discuss the disappearance and death of 60-year-old Stanley Kotowski. Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said during the search for Kotowski they were also investigating the death of a construction worker in that area. In the press conference, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said the construction worker was found less than a mile away from the body of 60-year-old Stanley Kotowski. Beaufort County Coroners Office identified the construction worker as 63-year-old Richard Blue from Allendale County. The coroner reports that he died Monday at 1:22 p.m. on the boardwalk path at the residence he was working at as a construction worker in Sea Pines.
Man dies in workplace accident in Tampa involving auger, officials say
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A man died during a work site incident involving an auger on Thursday morning, according to Tampa Fire Rescue. At 11:16 a.m. fire crews responded to the 5200 block of Adamo Drive in Tampa to find the man died from the accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident. No further details were released.
Fund started for Park Tavern worker killed in patio incident
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — An employee of The Park Tavern is reportedly one of two people killed Sunday night when a vehicle plowed into the crowded outdoor patio of the popular bar-restaurant in St. Louis Park. A GoFundMe account started by The Park Tavern says Kristina Folkerts was “a loving mother of 3 young girls and friend to many in the community.” The post accompanying the account says those who loved Folkerts are “at a deep loss” and thanked supporters for helping her family during a challenging time. Folkerts was one of two victims who did not survive when the vehicle, driven by a 56-year-old man, rammed through the patio area shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday. Three others were injured badly enough to be hospitalized. Security video and witness accounts say the driver tried to locate a parking spot before plowing into the crowd. One witness said the man bumped the rear of his vehicle before accelerating.
Worker dies after reported electrocution at Hancock County solar site
Surry, ME — A contract worker at a solar farm in Surry died Thursday morning after reportedly being electrocuted, though the cause of the death has still not been determined. Two workers were at the Nexamp site on Surry Road about 10:59 a.m. when one of them was reported as being electrocuted, according to Surry Fire Chief Bryan McLellan. Two firefighters performed CPR when they arrived at the scene, McLellan said. Despite life-saving measures, 52-year-old Edwin Kendall Jones of Washington, Maine, died at the scene. The Maine State Police are investigating the death. Nexamp is a Boston-based solar energy company.
Wells Fargo worker’s body found in cubicle 4 days after clocking in
Tempe, AZ — A Well Fargo employee in Arizona died at her office desk, but her body was only discovered four days after she last punched in for work, authorities said. The employee, identified as 60-year-old Denise Prudhomme, scanned into work at the bank’s corporate office in Tempe, just outside Phoenix, at 7 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 16. The following Tuesday, Aug. 20, building security informed Tempe police that a person had been found unresponsive in the office. When officers arrived they confirmed Prudhomme had died. While the Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to determine what led to the woman’s death, preliminary investigation indicates no “obvious signs of foul play,” police said in a statement.
Employee at food distribution center dies on the job
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – An employee at a food distribution center in South Memphis died on the job Thursday morning, police said. Memphis Police (MPD) said officers responded just after 6 a.m. to the death at 2314 S. Lauderdale St., the location of Riviana Foods Inc. They arrived to find a man had died while working there. Police ruled the death as “a workplace accident” and did not release further details.
Lawn service employee dies in mowing crash
WEST HEMLOCK TWP, PA — The coroner’s office is investigating after a lawn service employee was killed when the mower he was operating rolled over. The Montour County Coroner’s Office was called to investigate a deadly lawn mowing incident in West Hemlock Township, Montour County Wednesday around 9:30 a.m. The coroner reports that 42-year-old Corey Harner, from Bloomsburg, was operating a commercial zero-turn lawn mower on a slope when it slid off and overturned on the victim who was pronounced dead at the scene. The safety rollover bar was not in the correct position, investigators noted. The victim was an employee at Unger’s Lawn Service in Bloomsburg.
DC officer killed in accidental shooting remembered as professional, poised, and a go-getter
WASHINGTON DC — The Metropolitan Police Department is remembering the life of 51-year-old Wayne David, who died while trying to recover a gun during a chase. Chief Pamela Smith said the department is “hurting” as they investigate the circumstances that led to an accidental shooting that killed him. Investigators are still trying to find the person captured on a nearby surveillance camera who ditched a gun into storm drain near Eastern Avenue in Northeast late Wednesday afternoon. As David tried to recover the gun, it went off. The DC Police Union said he was shot in the head. Police said they initially tried to investigate a suspicious vehicle in the alley when this man darted from the vehicle and led them on a chase. Soon after throwing away the gun, Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll said the man escaped north on I-295 with the help of a motorcyclist.
Worker from Mexico killed in construction accident at Augusta apartments
Augusta, GA — A construction worker was killed Friday when he was struck by an excavator bucket while working on Lakeview Terrace on Gordon Highway in Augusta, authorities said. Adan Cruz Binzha, 28, was rushed to Doctors Hospital after the accident, where he was pronounced dead at 5:56 p.m. Friday, Coroner Mark Bowen said. Binzha is from Hidalgo, Mexico, and was living in Augusta while he worked, authorities said. His family mourned him online and linked to a GoFundMe page.
Tree Worker Dies On Job In Closter, Brought Down By Firefighters
Closter, NJ — Authorities were trying to determine how long a tree worker who died on the job in Closter had been suspended in the air. The worker was tethered in a harness nearly 40 feet up, supported by climbing ropes attached to several parts of the tree, when he apparently suffered a medical emergency outside a home on Anderson Avenue on Saturday, Police Lt. Vincent Aiello said. The homeowner, who’d dialed 911 around noon, didn’t know how long he’d been up there, Aiello said. Responding police officers shouted but couldn’t revive the worker from the ground, the lieutenant said. He was lowered to a rear lawn on Taylor Drive nearly 45 minutes later through the combined efforts of the rappel team of the Closter Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Corps and Closter and Demarest firefighters, responders said.
Phoenix construction worker shot and killed, another injured while on the job
PHOENIX, AZ – A Phoenix construction site became the center of a homicide investigation after a worker was shot and killed and another is fighting for his life. Phoenix Police say at around 8 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1, officers were flagged down by witnesses who said two men were shot near 39th Street and Thomas Road. “Preliminary information from the scene is the two victims were working on a construction project when an argument with the suspect took place. The suspect produced a firearm and the shooting took place,” said Phoenix Police Sgt. Mayra Reeson. 48-year-old Alan David Whitworth died at the scene and an unidentified 19-year-old man has critical injuries at the hospital.
Tenn. paramedic killed in ambulance crash
DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — A paramedic was killed and another was injured following a crash, WVLT reports. Two members of the Jefferson County Rescue Squad had just finished clearing a multi-vehicle crash on I-40 on Aug. 31 when their ambulance was struck by a tractor-trailer, according to the report. The ambulance, which had its emergency lights activated, turned in front of the tractor-trailer as it tried to access I-40 East at a small interchange, according to the preliminary report by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Both paramedics were transported to the UT Medical Center in Knoxville in critical condition where Assistant Chief Jeremy Sutton succumbed to his injuries, according to Jefferson County Rescue Squad. Sutton’s partner, Sarah Brooks, remains in the hospital where she is listed as stable, according to WVLT.
Semi-Truck Driver Killed, Two Injured in Fiery I-10 Collision Near Dysart Road, Impairment Suspected
West Valley, AZ — A devastating collision on I-10 near Dysart Road in the West Valley claimed the life of a semi-truck driver and left two other individuals injured early yesterday morning. According to a FOX 10 Phoenix report, the incident, which involved a speeding Chevrolet Corvette and a semi-truck, resulted in both vehicles catching fire soon after the crash, which occurred just after midnight on August 30. The Arizona Department of Public Safety has confirmed an impairment as a possible cause of the accident. The Corvette was reportedly moving at high speeds before it impacted at least one other vehicle. In the aftermath, the semi-truck and the Corvette were both engulfed in flames. A third vehicle, a Toyota Camry, was also involved but did not catch fire. The driver of the semi, whose identity has not been disclosed, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officer killed in pursuit identified as mother of 6
OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (KYTV/Gray News) – A police department in Missouri is mourning the loss of an officer killed in a crash during a pursuit on Saturday. The Osage Beach Police Department says another officer attempted to stop a high-speed driver on U.S. 54 near Passover Road around 1 a.m. on Saturday. The chase followed from U.S. 54 to State Highway Y to Midway Road to State Highway A. Officer Phylicia Carson joined the pursuit. She crashed her vehicle on State Highway A, and the patrol car caught fire. She died in the crash. Carson, who leaves behind a husband and six children, joined the police department in 2023.
Dallas police officer killed and two wounded in apparent ambush
Dallas, TX — The Dallas police chief said on Friday that a man intentionally set out to shoot police when he killed an officer sitting in his patrol car and wounded two others in a late-night ambush that set off a highway chase and ended with officers fatally shooting the attacker. The shooting on Thursday night brought fresh anguish and anger in a city where a gunman’s ambush on police in 2016 killed five officers. Chief Eddie Garcia said at a news conference that the suspect – 30-year-old Corey Cobb-Bey – approached officer Darron Burks while he was parked at a community center between calls, talking to him briefly and recording the encounter before pulling out a handgun and “executing” Burks.
Dump truck driver killed in rollover crash in Salt Lake City
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — A dump truck driver was killed in a rollover crash in Salt Lake City on Friday, according to Utah Highway Patrol. At around 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 30, a Mazda was heading westbound on I-80 at mile marker 107. The vehicle’s tire blew out, causing the car to crash into a dump truck. Both the Mazda and dump truck rolled into an embankment, causing a fire to spark. The driver of the dump truck was declared deceased at the scene. The Mazda driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.