How workers died last week. Trench collapse, hit by a crane, suffocated in grain bin, fall, crushed by machinery, skid steer incident, bus accident, plane crash, fire, shot. 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.
Dayton, OH — A worker is dead after being trapped under a skid steer. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office reported deputies were called to the 100 block of East North Street in Milton, Indiana, in reference to an unresponsive male. Authorities found Joseph Peggs, 57, of Cambridge City, Indiana, under an overturned skid steer. Peggs was taken to Reid Hospital in Richmond, where he died “a short time later” from his injuries, according to the WCSO. Deputies believe the incident was a “tragic accident,” but it remains under investigation.
School Groundskeeper Dies on the Job after getting trapped in Grain Bin
Linn County, MO — The sheriff’s department confirmed the death of a Marceline man following a grain bin accident on Saturday afternoon, February 8. The victim was identified as Thomas Lodder, who became trapped inside a grain bin located on Julep Road. Melte stated that the sheriff’s office was called to assist at the scene, and deputies responded. Fire departments from Marceline and Brookfield also assisted. No other injuries were reported in the incident. The Marceline R-5 School District released a statement acknowledging Lodder’s long-standing service to the district. Lodder had been employed in various roles for 52 years, serving as the district’s transportation director, bus mechanic, bus driver, and groundskeeper.
Worker killed by a crane in a work accident
Elk County, PA A man was killed Monday evening as a result of an industrial accident. The incident occurred just after 6 p.m. Monday along Carlson Road in Jones Township, according to reports from WJAC and WTAJ. Elk County coroner Michelle Muccio-Krise identified the victim as Alexander G. Reinsburrow, 36. Officials said Reinsburrow was struck in the head while an outrigger on a crane was being retracted. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his death has been ruled accidental.
Binghamton firefighter death marks first line-of-duty fatality in New York in 2025
Binghamton, NY — A firefighter lost his life as the result of a massive fire that engulfed a Main Street building. 40-year-old John Gaudet died after a wall collapsed at the scene of the blaze at 1 Main Street. Gaudet was taken to Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City where he was pronounced dead. The fire in the small one-story building on Main Street just west of the Chenango River was reported around 9:35 p.m. Wednesday. Workers from Gorick Construction were at the still-smoldering site early Thursday to demolish what remained after the fire. Fire and police investigators examined the scene looking for evidence before the demolition operation started.
Semi Truck Driver Killed in Single Vehicle Crash
Lincoln, NE — A semi-truck driver was killed in a crash on Tuesday, The Minnesota State Patrol identified the driver as 67-year-old Matthew King. According to MSP, King was traveling north on Highway 15, about 60 miles west of Minneapolis, around a curve when his semi left the roadway, rolled, and then hit a tree. Road conditions were reportedly dry at the time of the crash. It’s unknown if seat belts were in use at the time of the crash, nor if the vehicle’s airbags deployed. Both Hutchinson Police and Hutchinson Fire responded to the scene.
Employee found dead at Birmingham City Hall, no foul play suspected
Birmingham, AL — City of Birmingham employee was found dead Thursday morning inside city hall but no evidence of foul play was found. The 67-year-old man was found in a stairwell inside City Hall around 11 a.m. and pronounced dead on the scene shortly after. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said an examination will be performed Friday to determine the cause of death, but no evidence of foul play has been found thus far. The Birmingham Police Department is investigating the death.
Private jet Pilot Killed After Landing Gear Malfunctions
Scottsdale, AZ — Pilot killed on duty after landing gear failure caused the private Learjet owned by Vince Neil – the lead singer of Mötley Crüe – to rapidly skid off a runway and slam into a parked private jet on Monday. The deceased pilot was named as 78-year-old Joie Vitosky, the Scottsdale Police Department said. He was certified as a flight engineer in 1978 and certified as an airline transport pilot in 2019, according to FAA records. Vitosky was originally from Okemah, Oklahoma, and joined the Marine Corps in his early twenties because he wanted to fly, his ex-wife Ann Vitosky told the Associated Press. He became a Marine Corps aviator and flew helicopters in Vietnam in 1969, she said. After spending over a decade with the Marine Corps, he started flying Learjets. Three other people were injured in the collision at Scottsdale Airport, including a second pilot as well as Neil’s girlfriend Rain Hannah and her friend.
Man dies on the job cleaning brush in Barnes Mountain area of Estill County
Richmond, KY — A man died in Estill County this afternoon while working on brush cleanup for a tree service company in the Barnes Mountain area. According to witnesses, 53-year-old Frankie Jones of Montgomery County just fell over while on the job from an apparent medical episode around 1:30 today. The man was transported to Mercy Health Hospital in Irvine by Estill County EMS. The emergency room physician and staff pronounced him deceased shortly after arrival around 2:30 today. Estill County Coroner Jimmy Wise says no foul play is suspected.
Northeast Nebraska sheriff’s deputy dies in crash
O’Neil, NE — A sheriff’s deputy in Northeast Nebraska has died after a crash on the night of Wednesday, Feb. 12. The Holt County deputy, identified as Steven Binkerd, was the only one involved in the crash and died at the scene. The preliminary investigation by the Antelope County Sheriff’s Office showed that a Holt County deputy was driving on Highway 275 just outside Neligh, Nebraska when he drifted onto the shoulder and attempted to steer his pickup back into the lane but overcorrected. Authorities say the pickup then lost control on an icy surface, landed in a nearby ditch, and collided with a utility pole.\
Semi truck driver dies in crash with snow plow driver on Interstate 25
Huerfano County, CO — A semi-truck driver died in a crash with a snow plow driver just before 5 a.m. Wednesday on Interstate 25, Colorado State Patrol said. The preliminary investigation found that the semi-truck driver hit the back of the Colorado Department of Transportation snow plow on I-25 near milepost 57, according to CSP. The driver of the semitruck was pronounced dead at the scene and the snow plow driver was taken to a nearby hospital.
Bus Driver and 3 Others Killed in Bus Crash
Plumber shot killed while completing job in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA — An innocent man, a plumber, was shot after he was caught in a crossfire. It was just after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15 when Baton Rouge Police officers responded to a shooting at 4660 Fairfields Ave. with a man inside his truck. At the scene, officers found Trevor Harrison, 27, of Central, shot to the face. Harrison, who was a plumber, was completing a job near the shooting scene and was in his work pickup truck. When multiple shots rang out, the driver’s side of Harrison’s truck was caught in the crossfire. Harrison was hit by one of the bullets. After he was shot, the truck crashed into a parked vehicle. Harrison died on the scene. The young man saving money and about to graduate in civil engineering and computer pipe design and drafting on March 7th. He was top of his class and on the Dean’s list.
Alleghany County Volunteer Firefighter Dies in the Line of Duty
Blue Bell truck driver killed in single-vehicle crash on FM 467, authorities say
Guadalupe County, TX — A driver killed following a fatal crash involving a Blue Bell truck according to Guadalupe County Sheriff Joshua Ray. The one-vehicle crash was reported just before 10 a.m. Saturday morning on FM 467 near Sweet Home Road, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The truck was only occupied by the driver, who was pronounced dead, DPS said. No other injuries were reported. The Blue Bell truck could be seen tipped over on its side.
Truck Driver Killed After Semi Crashes On I-10 Near Blythe
Blythe, CA — A trucker was fatally injured Friday when his tractor-trailer crashed alongside Interstate 10 west of Blythe. The fatality occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Friday on eastbound I-10, just east of Wiley’s Well Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. The agency reported the Burlington Truck Lines big rig abruptly veered off of the freeway and crashed in the desert. No other vehicles were involved. Riverside County Fire Department paramedics reached the location roughly 25 minutes later and pronounced the trucker, whose identity was not disclosed, dead at the scene.
Sun Metro employee killed in fire worked there just months
El Paso, TX — A Sun Metro employee was killed in this week’s fire and had worked with the transit agency since December 2024 and was a fleet maintenance technician. The City of El Paso confirmed Ruben Ibarra’s death after Tuesday’s fire in a news release sent out on Friday, Feb. 14. Eight people were injured in Tuesday’s fire at Sun Metro’s Operations Center. That included two people who were in critical condition and were flown to a burn center in Phoenix.
Buffalo firefighter dies in blaze that led to explosion
Buffalo, NY — A firefighter died inside a burning building in downtown Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday, where a fire and an explosion sent flames and smoke billowing into the street. Video recorded by bystanders showed teams of firefighters outside the building being knocked over and enveloped in a cloud of ash, then flailing to regain control of spraying hoses. The firefighter was reported missing shortly after crews arrived at the commercial building, which held a theatrical costumes shop. Rescuers initially held out hope that he would be found alive as crews tried for hours to reach the spot where he was believed trapped. Eventually, the scene turned grim and firefighters stopped to salute as an ambulance drove away from the scene. Mayor Byron Brown confirmed the death Wednesday afternoon. The firefighter’s identity was not immediately released.
By Dylan Chamberlin
Dylan Chamberlain is a Labor Studies student at Columbia University