How workers died last week: Suffocated in a farm silo and confined spaces, electrocuted, shot, stabbed, hit by vehicles and trapped in a freezer. Three more public employees killed, two in non-OSHA states. 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.
Two workers trapped in South Dakota silo are believed killed by toxic gas
Volga, SD — Two workers who became trapped inside an 80-foot farm silo that they were repairing in eastern South Dakota have died, presumably killed by toxic gas. The accident occurred shortly before noon on Saturday at a rural farm in the small town of Volga, the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post on Monday. The victims were working on a damaged roof above a nearly full 80-foot-tall silo. Larry Dalzell, a 51-year-old from central Tennessee, and Randi Vandekieft, a 41-year-old from central Georgia, were both recovered from the silo and later pronounced dead. The sheriff’s office said the two were “believed to have been overtaken by toxic gas.” It’s unclear how the two became trapped in the silo. The Brookings County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the deaths.
Fulton County employee killed, another injured in crash involving work vehicle in Sandy Springs, officials say
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A Fulton County Public Works employee was killed, and another was left injured after they were struck by a work vehicle while at a worksite. County officials said the workers were responding to a sewer issue in Sandy Springs on Monday morning when they were hit. One employee was taken to Grady Hospital but later died from their injuries. One other employee was also injured but has since been released from treatment and is expected to recover. There is no word on what led up to the crash. William “Will” Ray Wilson worked for the Department of Public Works for more than eight years as a senior crew supervisor. Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts described him as a beloved friend and colleague.
Kahoka man dies after being electrocuted at work
CLARK COUNTY, Mo. (WGEM) – A Kahoka, Mo., man died on Tuesday in a work-related incident. Clark County Coroner Edwin Wilson confirmed 22-year-old Carson Birck died by electrocution. He was taken to Scotland County Hospital where he was pronounced dead. According to his obituary, he was recently hired as an apprentice lineman for the City of Kahoka. The City of Kahoka announced that it “has initiated the process of hiring an independent third-party safety expert to investigate the accident and complete a review of and provide recommendations related to the City of Kahoka’s safety practices.”
1 dead, 1 injured in crash involving City of Columbia vehicles.
Columbia, SC — A fatal crash involving two City of Columbia Public Works vehicles has left one person dead and another injured, the City of Columbia announced. The crash happened at the intersection of Farrow Road and Craven Street in the Eau Claire neighborhood in the northern part of the city around 2:45 p.m. Friday. One driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The injured driver was taken to Prisma Health Richland Hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Oxnard man dies while working on a Ventura County farm during heat wave
Oxnard, CA — During a dayslong heat wave last week, an Oxnard man died while working on a farm in the Oxnard Plain, officials said. Oscar Pimentel, 43, was working in a field on Sept. 7 when he collapsed, according to initial reports. Agencies are still investigating whether heat was a factor in his death. Christine Cardona-Threadgill, board president for the nonprofit Friends of Fieldworkers, said that while it is not yet clear whether Pimentel’s death was heat related, the Ventura-based group was concerned about local fieldworkers throughout last week’s scorching temperatures. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office said Pimentel’s cause of death is still pending, and an investigation could take 90 days, officials said. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health told The Star that the agency is investigating a fatality and has opened an inspection involving Del Sol Harvesting Inc., an Oxnard-based farm labor contractor.
Man dies after being found unresponsive in Fairbault manhole
FAIRBAULT, Minn. — A man is dead after being found unresponsive in a manhole in Fairbault. The Fairbault Fire Department said they responded Friday morning to a report of the man unresponsive in the manhole on the 1900 block of Second Avenue Northwest. Firefighters went into the manhole and placed oxygen on the man before taking steps to get him out of the confined space. He was then taken by ambulance to a nearby helicopter. According to Fairbault officials, firefighters tested the air inside the manhole and found extremely high levels of hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide — and low oxygen levels. The Fairbault Police Department, Rice County Sheriff’s Office and North Memorial Ambulance also responded to the incident. City officials say a Minnesota duty officer contacted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It’s unknown at what point during the response and rescue efforts the man died or how he was found.
Workplace accident leads to man’s death at Triumph Foods
St. Joseph, MO — A man was pronounced dead at Triumph Foods early Friday after he was run over by a truck. According to the St. Joseph Police Department, the incident occurred around 6:48 a.m. “One of them was driving what’s commonly known as a shag truck,” said Sgt. James Tonn with the police department. “And the other was helping him back up. The one who was helping him back up got in behind him and unfortunately, the driver of the truck didn’t realize it and ran him over.” There are more details surrounding the accident that can’t be revealed at this time, police confirmed, but nothing appears to be criminal. “We did, by normal procedure, get breath and blood from the driver of the vehicle,” Tonn added. “Nothing showed up in his breathalyzer and blood is being sent to the lab. We’re expecting it to be negative, but we have to wait on that before we talk to the prosecutor.” The man pronounced dead at the scene has been identified by police as Aaron Ruelas, of Texas, born in 1984.
Tree trimmer electrocuted while working in backyard of home
FAIRWAY, Kan. (KCTV/Gray News) – A man has died in Kansas after suffering an electric shock while trimming trees. First responders said they were called to a home in Johnson County for reports of an electrocution report just before 2:15 p.m. Authorities said crews found a 30-year-old man working as a tree trimmer in a harness nearly 10 feet off the ground when they arrived at the scene. Firefighters rescued the man who was in cardiac arrest and attempted resuscitation efforts. However, those efforts were unsuccessful, and the worker was pronounced dead.
Employee Found Dead atop Chaney Enterprises Silo
Hollywood, MD — On the night of Thursday, September 5, 2024, emergency responders were called to Chaney Enterprises in Hollywood, Maryland, following a 911 call regarding a missing employee. The call, made at approximately 9:26 p.m., detailed that the individual was last seen on top of a silo at the worksite and had been unaccounted for over an hour. In a key development, Trooper 7, a helicopter freshly returned from another mission, spotted an unresponsive man atop the silo during an aerial survey. Rescue efforts intensified as firefighters, employing specialized equipment including Ladder Truck 7 from Hollywood and Bay District Tower 9, made their way to the top of the silo. Tragically, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The operation to recover his body lasted more than two hours.
Raleigh Grocery Store Employee Found Dead in Freezer, No Foul Play Suspected
Raleigh, NC — A troubling discovery was made at a Food Lion grocery store in Raleigh, North Carolina, where a man’s body was found in a supply freezer. The Raleigh Police Department responded to a call from the man’s co-workers who reported the incident. The identity of the deceased, an employee at the store, has not been released as the investigation proceeds. According to WCNC, authorities suggest that the man suffered from an medical emergency on Monday night. This incident likely preceded his death, which occurred some time before he was discovered by other employees the following day.
Laredo worker dies in water well accident; investigation ongoing
LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) – The investigation into the death of 70-year-old Jose Isabel Hernandez, a construction worker who died on the job, is ongoing. Hernandez, employed by PLW Waterworks, was working at the Manadas Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant on Tejas Loop when the incident occurred. Laredo Police initially reported that Hernandez possibly fell into a water well at around 8:20 a.m. However, they later clarified that Hernandez was working inside the well when it unexpectedly filled with water, leading to his drowning. Joe Baeza of the Laredo Police Department stated, “In general, from what I understand, the well at some point became filled with water and the person died when that occurred.” A former PLW worker, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that there have been previous workplace incidents at the site. OSHA, the federal agency responsible for investigating workplace accidents, is at the scene to determine the cause of the tragedy.
Man killed after vacuum truck hits power lines in Macomb County
ARMADA, Mich. (FOX 2) – A vacuum truck in Macomb County hit power lines in the northern portion of the county, sparking a fire that charred the cab of the truck. Authorities confirmed one man died as a result. FOX 2 has learned that the victim was a DTE Energy contractor. The Macomb County Sheriff said they were called just after 1 p.m. Thursday to the fire on Romeo Plank at 32 Mile Road. The driver, a 61-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. “It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that a contractor lost an employee today while doing work for DTE. The individual, who was working in Macomb County, came in contact with overhead equipment and was fatally wounded. The truck is a Vacall vacuum truck. Vacall cleans sewers and catch basins with a boom arm. The boom arm of the truck was extended and appears to have come in contact with power lines. It sparked a fire that engulfed the cab of the truck in flames. DTE is on the scene and an electric truck appears to have utilized its bucket and boom to lift the wires.
Telecom worker electrocuted during a house relocation, company says
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG/Gray News) – A worker in Iowa has died after suffering an electric shock during a house relocation in Iowa City on Wednesday. According to ImOn Communications, an internet service provider in Iowa, the person who died was an employee. “With deep sorrow, we confirm the tragic passing of one of our colleagues. This is a heartbreaking loss for the ImOn Communications family, and our thoughts are with their family, friends, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time,” Cynthia Huber, with ImOn, shared in a statement. The worker was electrocuted Wednesday morning in the area of Herbert Hoover Highway and Eastbury Drive while crews were moving a house. Authorities said the victim was taken to an area hospital, but did not survive. Twelve days after an ImOn Communications worker died after being jolted during the relocation of an Iowa City house, the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday released the name of the Cedar Rapids father and said his death was accidental and caused by electrocution. First responders were called at 9:53 a.m. Sept. 11 to Herbert Hoover Highway and Eastbury Drive where they provided medical attention and took Jay Enyart, 40, to a hospital, where he died of his injuries later that day.
South suburban Chicago liquor store owner shot and killed
GLENWOOD, Ill. (CBS) — The owner of a liquor store in south suburban Glenwood was shot and killed Monday evening, and a person of interest is in custody, police said. At 6:45 p.m., there was an altercation between the owner of Emporium Liquors, at 339 E. Glenwood Lansing Rd. in Glenwood, and a gunman, Glenwood police said. The gunman fired at least one shot and killed the owner, police said. The victim was identified as 52-year-old Naveen Singh. The owner of a liquor store in south suburban Glenwood was shot and killed Monday evening, and a person of interest is in custody, police said. The gunman fired at least one shot and killed the owner, police said. The victim was identified as 52-year-old Naveen Singh. Police have not said whether a robbery attempt was involved.
Trash truck driver killed in Jasper County crash
JASPER COUNTY, Mo. — One person is dead and another is seriously injured after a crash in rural Jasper County. According to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP), the crash happened at around 1 p.m. on Sept. 11, on Route H nine miles west of Jasper. MSHP says a trash truck went partially off the right side of the road and overcorrected, sending it off the left side of the road before it overturned. Kim L. Melvin, 56, of Joplin, died at the scene of the crash. His passenger, a 65-year-old man from Webb City, was taken to a hospital in Joplin with serious injuries.
Dump truck driver dies in fiery north Twin Cities crash
MOUNDS VIEW, Minn. — A dump truck driver is dead following a fiery crash in the north metro early Tuesday afternoon. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office says the driver lost control of his dump truck and went off the roadway near the intersection of Highway 10 and Interstate 35W around 12:45 p.m. The truck crashed into some trees before catching on fire. Bystanders attempted to get the driver out of the cab but were unsuccessful. The driver, who has yet to be identified, died at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities say no other vehicles were involved and no other injuries were reported.
Worker dies on the job at Spokane Amazon facility
SPOKANE, Wash. – A Spokane Amazon facility worker died on the job Monday. According to the company, two employees were working on the robotics floor when one of them collapsed. The other worker called for medical assistance and tried to help until emergency medical services arrived, but the employee ultimately died at the facility. Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson said that the facility mourned the worker Monday. Amazon said that the day shift at the facility was canceled and that employees were sent home with pay, while the family of the dead worker was contacted. Incidents of workers dying in Amazon facilities took place in Fort Wayne in 2023,Colorado Springs in 2022 and Edwardsville in 2021 amidst complaints from labor leaders that the company takes inadequate measures to protect employees.
Waffle House employee, 18, shot and killed by customer, police say
LAURINBURG, N.C. (WMBF/Gray News) – An 18-year-old Waffle House employee died from an overnight shooting at the restaurant, and police in North Carolina said they are searching for the customer accused in his killing. Laurinburg police responded to the shooting at a Waffle House on Scotland Crossing Drive around 12:42 a.m. Friday. Officers found an employee, identified as Burlie Locklear, inside the restaurant suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital, where he later died. Police said the investigation revealed the suspect got annoyed and started hurling insults at the employees while waiting for his food. After the suspect got his food, he walked toward his car and then turned and fired two shots at the restaurant, hitting Locklear, according to police.
Worker dies while chasing person accused of illegally dumping trash at car lot
Bexar County, TX — A 36-year-old man died while chasing down a person accused of illegally dumping trash at his workplace, Texas authorities said. Deputies responded shortly before 4 p.m. Sept. 11 to reports of a person in an orange Dodge truck making “several trips throughout the day dumping trash illegally” at a car lot, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a news conference. TOP VIDEOS When confronted by people at the car lot, the driver of the orange truck may have threatened them with a gun, Salazar said. Two people from the business, including the 36-year-old victim, then got into separate vehicles and chased the truck driver along U.S. Highway 181, according to the sheriff. Witnesses to the chase reported that at least two of the three vehicles were shooting at each other, Salazar said. After breaking off from the pursuit and heading back to the dealership, one of the people involved in the chase came upon the wreckage of the 36-year old who had spun off the road and into the trees, the sheriff said. The medical examiner’s office investigation determined George Edward Gomez suffered from blunt neck trauma after losing control of his vehicle and crashing into several trees. Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff.
Construction worker hit and killed by a vehicle in Isabella County
ISABELLA COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – A construction worker was killed after getting hit by a vehicle Friday morning in Isabella County. Just after 9:30 a.m., deputies with the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office responded to Northbound US 127 and River Road for a report about a vehicle that struck a construction worker. According to the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office, a 66-year-old man from Detroit entered the construction work area outside the designated traffic flow lane. He entered the closed area where the workers were present. Police said that a 47-year-old man from Mount Pleasant was killed at the scene.
Truck driver killed in Saturday morning I-26 accident
Laurens County, SC — A tractor-trailer driver was killed in a single-vehicle accident on I-26 in Laurens County Friday morning. The wreck occurred at mile marker 46, about 10 miles west of Clinton at 9:52 a.m., said South Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper Brandon Bolt. Bolt said a 2013 Freightliner tractor-trailer was traveling eastbound on I-26 near mile marker 46 when it slowed, stopped and began backing up on the interstate. It then jack-knifed and struck the median barrier. The driver was the sole occupant of the truck and has yet to be identified by the Laurens County Coroner’s Office.
Motor carrier officer involved in a crash on Friday has died
LINCOLN PARK, Mich. (WJRT) – A motor carrier officer with the Michigan State Police, who was involved in a crash on Friday morning, has died. The Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge of Michigan said that Motor Carrier Officer Daniel Kerstetter succumbed to the injuries that he sustained from the crash. Michigan State Police say Kerstetter remains on life support while his organs are harvested for donation. He will be removed from life support after that process is complete. The crash happened Friday at around 8:30 a.m. on Northbound I-75 near Dix Road in Lincoln Park. According to the Michigan State Police, preliminary investigation indicates that a Ford Explorer struck the median wall, continued down the freeway, slammed into the patrol vehicle and pushed it into the back of the semi-truck. Kerstetter was wearing his seat belt inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. He was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the Explorer died. The driver of the semi-truck was uninjured.
Three killed in head-on crash of senior-center bus in Maryland
Charles County, MD — Three people were killed Friday morning in Maryland in a crash of a bus used by a senior assisted-living facility, state police said. The bus driver, Charlie Parker, 84, of Mechanicsville, Md., was one of the people killed in the head-on crash in Charles County, according to police. The other two victims were passengers identified as Darlene Burrell, 64, and Cassandra Brown, 61, both of Waldorf, Md. All three died at the scene. The crash occurred shortly before 8 a.m. as the bus was headed west on Port Tobacco Road, near Bowie Road.
Indiana Convention Center seeking outside security evaluation after employee killed
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — One of the busiest buildings in Indiana is looking for a thorough evaluation of its security plan after a tragedy on the second floor of its building. Al Gosnell was strangled and stabbed to death Wednesday while working inside the Indiana Convention Center. Gosnell was a foreman who had been working in the sound and light department at the ICC for 10 years. Capital Improvement Board Executive Director Andy Mallon said Gosnell was well-liked by many and one of the first people he met when he started. Teamster Local 135 sent a letter to Mallon and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett Thursday, expressing their concerns for the safety inside of the convention center and what would be done to protect the employees who work there.
Philadelphia officer dies after being shot in June; suspect will now be charged with murder
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Philadelphia police officer who had been hospitalized since being shot during a traffic stop back in June has died, and now the charges against the suspect will be upgraded to murder. Officer Jaime Roman, who served in the 25th District, passed away on Tuesday. Commissioner Kevin Bethel said Roman was surrounded by family and had “bravely fought” since the shooting. During a Wednesday morning news conference, Bethel called this one of the most difficult moments he’s had in 38 years of policing.
Friend remembers WSSC worker killed by suspected drunk driver while on the job
Montgomery County, MD — FOX 5 spoke exclusively with the friend of a Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission employee who died while on the job early Sunday. The utility company and Montgomery County police say 39-year-old Ernest Dyson was hit by a drunk driver. The crash happened around 4:45 a.m. Sunday on New Hampshire Avenue near Hillendale Local Park while Dyson and his team were performing emergency repairs on a water main break. A black Volkswagen was driving southbound when the driver struck Dyson, killing him. Police say the driver stayed at the scene after the crash. At this time, though, no charges have been filed.