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.
3 dead and 4 injured in Mississippi bridge collapse
MENDENHALL, Miss — Three people were killed and four were seriously injured Wednesday when a bridge in Mississippi that was closed nearly a month ago collapsed while a work crew was prepping it for demolition, authorities said. County Coroner Terry Tutor identified those killed as Charles Badger, Kevin Malone,72, and Charles Ingleharte, 22.The bridge over the Strong River on State Route 149 in Simpson County, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Jackson, had been closed to traffic since Sept. 18 as part of a bridge replacement project, the Mississippi Department of Transportation said in a news release. Simpson County Sheriff Paul Mullins told WLBT-TV three people were killed and four critically injured. Terry Tutor, the Simpson County coroner, told the New York Times that seven men were working on the bridge, using heavy machinery to tear it down, when it gave way and plummeted nearly 40 feet (12 meters). He said three of the men died, and four were injured, the Times reported. Mullins and Tutor didn’t immediately respond to messages Wednesday night from The Associated Press. A call to the construction company, T.L. Wallace Construction, was unanswered Wednesday evening, and it was not possible to leave a message.
Worker hit and killed in work zone
LINCOLN COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ)- A man was hit and killed while on the job Thursday afternoon in Lincoln County. West Virginia State Police identified the victim as Venancio Santos. Troopers said Santos was flagging for a tree company when the driver of a pickup truck failed to stop and hit him. The incident was reported around 3:45 p.m. Thursday near the 4800 block of WV State Route 214, also known as Midway Road, in the Yawkey area. Santos was taken to a hospital where he later died of his injuries.
Two workers dead, dozens injured after chemical release at PEMEX facility
Houston, TX — Two workers died Thursday and dozens of others were injured after a hydrogen sulfide release at the PEMEX facility in Deer Park, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Deer Park Office of Emergency Management officials said the incident was contained to the PEMEX facility off Highway 225 and there was no threat to the community. PEMEX officials said it happened at 4:40 p.m. Gonzalez said some workers were working on a flange when something happened and the gas started leaking. He said two workers died, Jason Edwards Scott, a contractor for Repcon and another unnamed worker, and as many as 35 others were injured. Gonzalez said it wasn’t until around 3:30 a.m. that the bodies could be taken by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. The sheriff said it would be seven or eight hours before investigators could get to where the incident happened. In the wake of the gas release, PEMEX said it was performing activities that may cause flaring.
Train Operator Killed
Burlington County, NJ — Jessica Haley, 41, a New Jersey Transit River Line train operator was killed and 23 passengers were injured in Burlington County early Monday when the train ran into a chunk of tree on the tracks, the transportation agency said. Hayley leaves behind three young sons. At about 6:04 a.m., a train traveling southbound from Trenton struck the tree in Mansfield Township, near the light-rail line’s Roebling station, NJ Transit said in a statement. The train was carrying 42 passengers at the time. Injuries were described as not life-threatening,
One dead after incident at Decatur poultry processor
DECATUR, Ala. — A worker at a Decatur plant has died following an accident Saturday night. The Decatur Police Department on Sunday said the unidentified worker died after an incident that happened just after 7 p.m. at the Dutch Quality House facility located in the 100 block of Plugs Drive. The male victim was taken to a local hospital but did not survive. OSHA will investigate the accident. Dutch Quality House is associated with Wayne Farms, a company that focuses on poultry production. The company was involved in a recent merger and now operates as Wanye-Sanderson Farms, OSHA records show that the Decatur plant was fined for a 2022 amputation incident that led to an initial finding of six serious violations.
Medical helicopter hit wire before crashing in Kentucky, killing 3 crew members
Owen County, Ky. — Three people died after a medical helicopter crashed in northern Kentucky, and the investigating agencies are releasing more about what happened. The crash happened around 5:37 p.m. Monday, in Owen County, near State Route 22, about two miles north of Owen County High School. The helicopter that crashed was with Air Evac Lifeteam 133, out of Williamstown, Kentucky. Kentucky State Police identified the victims of the crash as Gale Alleman, Bethany Aicken, and James Welsh. The National Transportation Safety Board said one of them was the pilot, one a flight medic and the other a flight nurse.
DOL looks into High Country Lumber Mulch death
North Wilkesboro, NC — A death occurred Monday afternoon at High Country Lumber & Mulch LLC on Speedway Road, North Wilkesboro. According to a Wilkes Sheriff’s Office press release issued late Tuesday afternoon, deputies responding to the incident were told by medical personnel that Jeremy Edward Roberts, 34, of North Wilkesboro, died from injuries he received from a piece of machinery. The release didn’t say if the sheriff’s office is investigating the death. Meredith Watson, N.C. Department of Labor (NCDOL) public information officer, said Tuesday that the “fatality was reported to us yesterday and we are opening an inspection. As reported to us, the victim was crushed by a piece of machinery.”
Postal worker killed in Greene County crash
TOWN OF ASHLAND, NY – A 62-year-old postal service worker was killed in a crash with another vehicle on County Route 10 in the area of Sutton Hollow Road in the Town of Ashland, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office reported on Monday. Deputies said Gina Hernandez of East Durham was driving a postal service vehicle heading eastbound when a 2008 Lexus RX 350 driven by a 17-year-old young man from Ashland was driving westbound. The two vehicles collided near the center of the road causing the postal vehicle to overturn. Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene. The teen was taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson for evaluation.
Park ranger dies while attempting to rescue visitors stranded on lake
Voyageurs National Park, , Minn. (Gray News) – A park ranger in Minnesota died Sunday while rescuing three people on a lake, according to the National Park Service. Officials said the ranger responded to the call for help at Voyageurs National Park in St. Louis County late Sunday morning. The call for help came from a distressed civilian vessel on Namakan Lake. While the ranger was transporting the three park visitors from their vessel, the ranger’s NPS boat capsized, and the ranger and three passengers were forced into the water. The three civilians were able to swim to safety. However, the ranger was unaccounted for, and after a three-hour search was conducted, their body was recovered from the lake at about 3:20 p.m.
19 Year Old Killed at Work
Filer, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —Kaden Dotson, 19, of Filer, Idaho, died September 30, 2024, while at work in a tragic crash. He absolutely loved his current job with ABC Supply and everyone he got to work with and making all of them friends. He was always excited to get up and go to work every day, and he was referred to as DJ Kaden while in the work truck.
Police identify transit worker killed in early morning bus crash in Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ — The Phoenix Police Department has identified the man who died after an apparent crash between transit busses in a city yard early Monday morning. The crash happened around 5 a.m. near 79th Avenue and Van Buren Street. Phoenix Police said when officers arrived, one man was seriously injured lying on the ground. He later died at the scene and has since been identified as 59-year-old George Meletis. Two other men were found inside the bus with non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital. All three, police say, were employed by the city’s transit provider, Valley Metro. Witnesses told investigators that the driver of the shuttle bus took his foot off the brake, collided with a parked vehicle, and ran over Meletis.
Jason Lewis Killed in Tow Truck Accident in Carthage, TX
Carthage, TX — Jason Lewis was killed on September 17, 2024, as the result of a tow truck accident at around 11:22 p.m. off South Adams Street. Details from authorities say that the incident took place in the area of South Adams Street and Hayden Street. It appears that 40-year-old Jason Lewis was on foot at the time by his tow truck. The truck suddenly began to roll, running over Lewis. As a result, Lewis was killed. There did not appear to be anyone else hurt in the accident.
Construction worker killed after being pinned by truck at Lehi site
LEHI, Utah — A construction worker who failed to return home the night before was found dead at a Lehi site Thursday morning. The Lehi Fire Department reported the man’s body was found at a site located in the area of 3200 North and 1200 West. Crews responded to the site after the man’s wife reported that she had gone looking for him when he did not return home the night before. Fellow crew members and his wife discovered the man’s body before first responders arrived at 8 a.m. According to officials, he was found pinned against a forklift boom truck. “It appeared that the patient had been working on a boom forklift and while doing that, somehow he became entrapped, the boom trapped him between the engine compartment, the cab and the boom,” explained Lehi Battalion Chief Shad Hatfield.
Truck Driver Killed When Tractor-Trailer Veers Off I-95
WOODBRIDGE, VA — The driver of a tractor-trailer rig died when his vehicle veered off Interstate 95 near Woodbridge and crashed, Virginia State Police said. The name of the driver has not been released. The fatal crash occurred Thursday morning at 4:23 a.m. on Interstate 95 northbound at the 155-mile marker, the VSP said in a news release. State troopers were initially called to a report of a pedestrian who had been stuck on the interstate, but troopers didn’t find anyone in the roadway. A report that a tractor-trailer that had overturned nearby led officers to the body of the truck driver. Investigators said the tractor-trailer went onto the left shoulder of Interstate 95 northbound, then swerved backed onto the roadway, and the driver was thrown from the truck. The tractor-trailer continued northbound, went into a ditch and overturned.
Stafford man dies from injuries sustained in city workplace accident
Fredericksburg, VA — A Stafford County man died Tuesday after sustaining severe leg trauma as the result of a workplace accident at Norfleet Quality LLC, a mulch company located off Central Road in Fredericksburg. A 911 call was made at 7:40 a.m. reporting an industrial accident involving an employee. City police officers and EMS discovered Douglas Contreras-Zuniga, 57, suffering from a severe injury to his right leg and paramedics declared him dead at the scene. Virginia Department of Labor and Industry representatives responded to assist and the investigation was turned over to their agency.
Construction flagger killed after being struck by SUV in Lancaster County
Manor Township, Pa. — A construction flagger is dead after being struck by an SUV in Lancaster County Thursday morning, according to Manor Township police. The worker, identified as 56-year-old Linetta Wells, was hit on Stone Mill Road near Plymouth Road in Manor Township at 7:37 a.m. A man who was driving the SUV stayed on the scene and cooperated with police. Police say the woman flagger was part of the construction work on water lines being done by a private contractor. Fritzi Schreffler, the spokesperson for PennDOT, said “The flagger is probably the most dangerous job you can have on a work zone because you’re that first line of defense.” She urged drivers to be extra careful and aware of conditions. Police said the sun may have been a factor in this case.
MCTV worker dies from apparent electrocution while installing line near Brewster
Tuscarawas Twp, OH ‒ A Stark County employee was killed on the job after an electrocution on Tuesday. According to the Stark County Coroner’s Office, Trent Hooper was employed by Massillon Cable TV (MCTV) when he reported to a job on the 4600 block of Manchester Avenue in Navarre around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. The coroner’s office said Hooper touched a “high tension” line during the job and was electrocuted. Hooper died immediately after the electrocution. According to the coroner’s office, Hooper’s body was found by another employee just before 5:15 p.m. He was soon pronounced dead by the coroner’s office. The incident was reporter to both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
Polk County employee killed while trying to clear trees after Hurricane Milton
BARTOW, Fla. — A Polk County employee was killed after being hit by a truck while trying to clear trees after Hurricane Milton, the county said. It happened Thursday morning at the cross street of Brooke Road and US HWY 98 near Fort Meade. The crew was in the process of cutting down a tree that had fallen and was blocking US 98 when a vehicle struck a Fort Meade Maintenance Unit Service Worker Bruce Kinsler, 68 was killed. He had served Polk County for about a decade, the county said. The driver of the vehicle was another Polk County employee, who was coming to join the crew for post-storm recovery. The employee was transported to the hospital.
Security guard shot and killed while on the job in Taylor
TAYLOR, Mich. (FOX 2) – An armed security guard in Taylor was shot and killed while on the job – leaving her family in complete shock. Cynthia Platt, 26, was killed Wednesday night while working as a security guard at an industrial park in Taylor. According to police, Platt was working as an armed security guard while on patrol in an industrial park off of Monroe Blvd in Taylor. It initially came in as a suicide call but Detective Lt. Frank Canning said it was immediately clear that wasn’t the case. “It was a 911 call from a gentleman who identified himself as knowing her,” Canning said. Cynthia Platt, 26, was shot and killed in her work vehicle in Taylor on Wednesday. That caller was her boyfriend, but he was gone when the police arrived. Additionally, her car and gun were both missing. “Eventually, we tracked down his whereabouts down in Hamtramck. He’s currently at the police department while we complete the investigation,” Canning said. The boyfriend is in custody but not yet formally charged.
Construction worker killed in Astoria after piece of equipment strikes him in head:
Astoria, NY — A married father of two from New Jersey was killed in Astoria when he suffered a blow to his head while working on a water sewage system more than a hundred feet underground. Police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria responded to a 911 call just after 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, regarding the injured man at a site near the intersection of 31st Street and 34th Avenue. A private company employee was working on a water sewage system at the location when a piece of equipment fell and struck him, police said on Tuesday. EMS responded to the location and pronounced him dead at the scene. He was later identified as 54-year-old Paulo Cuoto of Howell, NJ. According to a law enforcement source, the falling piece of equipment was a mechanical winch like this. A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said the piece of equipment was a winch, a machine that lifts heavy objects by rope or chains. It has not yet been determined what caused the machinery to fall down the shaft, according to an NYPD spokeswoman.
Tree worker dies at logging operation in Norfolk, officials say
NORFOLK, CT — A tree worker is dead after an incident at a logging camp Thursday, officials said. Jon Barbagallo, a spokesperson for Norfolk emergency services, said Norfolk firefighters and emergency medical crews responded to a private property on Loon Meadow Drive just before 5 p.m. for a medical call. Barbagallo said they found an employee of the logging operation there dead, but could not provide details on the circumstances of his death. He said Connecticut State Police are on-scene investigating.
1 killed in industrial accident at Huntersville grocery store, police say
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — A person died in an industrial accident at a grocery store Friday morning, according to the Huntersville Police Department. It happened around 9:30 a.m. at the Lowes Foods on Boren Street. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to MEDIC. Channel 9 crews observed a Sun Drop truck at the loading dock of the store that was roped off with crime scene tape. Several patrol cars surrounded that area as well.
Truck driver killed in crash on Indiana Toll Road in Steuben County
STEUBEN COUNTY, IN (WTVB) – The Indiana State Police are investigating a fatal crash involving two semi tractor trailers and a pick up truck which happened late Friday afternoon on the Indiana Toll Road in Steuben County. The westbound lanes of the Toll Road were completely shut down for over five hours for the investigation and clean-up which affected traffic in the Fremont/Angola area. Troopers say the crash happened at about 5:15 p.m. just east of the I-69 interchange near Fremont. A preliminary investigation has found that a 2020 Freightliner semi-tractor/trailer that was traveling west failed to slow or stop for traffic that was backed-up due to a car fire. The Freightliner swerved to the right to avoid colliding with a 2016 Ford F150 truck that was stopped in the right lane, side swiped the passenger side of that truck, and then impacted the rear of 2008 Mack semi-tractor/trailer that was stopped ahead of the Ford. The impact caused extreme damage to the cab of the Freightliner. The driver and passenger were trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated by Fremont Fire Department personnel. The driver of the Freightliner was identified as 34-year-old Melvin Alexander of Atlanta, Georgia. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Steuben County Coroner.
27-year-old paramedic dies while on duty for St. Charles County Ambulance District
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo.—A St. Charles County Ambulance District (SCCAD) paramedic has died while on duty. Paramedic Michael Clarke, 27, was found unresponsive in one of the station’s bedrooms this morning, according to a social media post by the ambulance district. His partner went to check on him after he didn’t show up to the ambulance to leave for a call. Clarke’s partner and other paramedics performed CPR and other life-saving measures as he was transported to Barnes St. Peters. Despite those efforts, Clarke did not survive. Black bunting is up at station 12 on McMenamy Road where Clarke worked.
Dump truck driver killed in crash with 18-wheeler in Montgomery
Montgomery, AL — A 69-year-old man was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Montgomery. Police on Tuesday identified the fatality victim as Richard Ward. He lived in Union Springs. Firefighters in Orange extinguish brush fire before it could spread to homes. The wreck happened at 8:44 a.m. Monday on Selma Highway near Alatex Road, said police Maj. Saba Coleman. Ward, the driver of a Mack dump truck, was pronounced dead on the scene. The other vehicle was a Peterbilt 18-wheeler. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. The investigation is ongoing by Montgomery police.
David Brown Dies In Dump Truck Crash
Whitehall Twp, PA– David Brown, 68, of North Whitehall Township, was driving a dump truck when it struck an embankment in the 2700 block of Valley Road, Coroner Buglio detailed in the release. The crash happened at 2:03 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, according to the coroner’s office. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:07 p.m. The cause of death was listed as “Blunt Force Injuries Due to Motor Vehicle Collision” and the manner of death was “Accident,” Buglio said following an autopsy on Thursday, Oct. 17. The Pennsylvania State Police Bethlehem Station is investigating, according to the coroner’s office.
Man killed when equipment falls on him at work
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) – The family of an Alaska man said he was killed Wednesday when a piece of equipment fell on him while he was working. Nelson Holder, 67, of Eagle River, was a bus mechanic for MV Transportation, a Dallas-based company whose services include school transportation and shuttles. Holder was working with a 7-ton jack at the time of the accident, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development said. “MV Transportation is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Nelson Holder, a valued member of our team,” MV Transportation marketing and communications specialist Camryn Mier said. “Our immediate priority is supporting Mr. Holder’s family and offering resources to our employees who worked alongside him during this difficult time.”
Santa Monica College worker dies from shooting injuries
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (CNS) – A Santa Monica College custodial manager who was shot at a branch facility Monday night, forcing the college’s campuses to close while a manhunt was conducted for the suspect, died Wednesday. According to a statement from SMC, 54-year-old Felicia Hudson, a custodial operations manager, died at about 5 p.m. Wednesday. Hudson was shot around 9:50 p.m. Monday at the SMC Center for Media & Design in the 1600 block of Stewart Street, between Olympic Boulevard and Colorado Avenue, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Police quickly deemed it a case of “workplace violence,” although no details have been released about a possible motive for the shooting. The suspect, 39-year-old SMC custodian Davon Durell Dean was located around 3 p.m. Tuesday in his vehicle near near El Segundo and Aviation boulevards in Hawthorne.
Employee shot, killed in parking lot of Portage business during shift change
PORTAGE, Ind. — An employee was shot and killed early Wednesday morning in the parking lot of a manufacturing company in Portage. Police responded to Camaco, located in the 6500 block of Ameriplex Drive, at around 3:30 a.m. on the report of a shooting. Officers at the scene located an employee, a 22-year-old man, of Burns Harbor, dead at the scene in the parking lot. Family identified him Wednesday afternoon to WGN News as Le’Nell Jenkins. Witnesses told police that during a shift change, a verbal argument took place between Jenkins and a suspect and the 22-year-old was shot. The shooter, another employee, fled before police arrived.
Log truck driver killed in Monroe County crash
MONROE COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A log truck driver from Florida was killed Friday when his vehicle overturned on Highway 74, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to the scene near Davis Road at 9:30 a.m. The initial investigation revealed that the driver, 46-year-old David Kebreau of Davie, Florida, lost control of the truck after taking a turn too fast, causing it to overturn. Kebreau was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash is still under investigation.