How workers died last week: Two separate trench collapses, trash compacter, falls, snowplow, demolition, shootings and vehicle incidents. 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. Why We Write The Weekly Toll.
One person airlifted to hospital, another dead after Big Ridge State Park trench collapse
MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. — Rescue crews at Big Ridge State Park said one person was rescued and airlifted to the hospital after a trench collapsed Thursday morning. Officials confirmed another person was dead around 6:30 p.m. Paulette Volunteer Fire Department Chief Daniel Rice said the two men worked for Norris Brothers Excavating and were believed to be working on the sewage system when the trench collapsed around 8 a.m. One of the workers was rescued at 1:23 p.m. and was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Union County EMS Director Andrew Reed said the man is listed as “potentially critical” due to the length of time he was in the ground. Reed said he was alert throughout the whole rescue process. The other worker was confirmed to have died, according to officials. They said crews switched from the rescue phase to the recovery phase earlier in the day, recovering the body at 5:52 p.m. Thursday evening. The man who was buried during that multi-hour operation and later pronounced dead has now been identified as 35-year-old Donnie Stone.
Construction worker killed in trench collapse
MADISON COUNTY, Ala — A construction worker died Monday afternoon after becoming trapped when a trench collapsed at a commercial development site in Huntsville. Emergency crews responded to the site near Old Jim Williams Road and Martin Road SW around 2:45 p.m. after receiving reports that a worker had been trapped. Huntsville Fire and HEMSI personnel worked to rescue the man, but officials say he did not survive. According to authorities, the incident happened while crews were digging a drainage ditch during the early phases of constructing a new neighborhood. The exact circumstances of the collapse remain under investigation. “There was a ravine, a large ravine that one of these workers was in,” said Brent Patterson, spokesperson for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. “Not real sure exactly what happened other than the fact that, the walls came down and he is now deceased.” Law enforcement officials are investigating to determine what led to the collapse.
Worker Killed in Garden City Industrial Accident At Business on South Street
GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK (December 8, 2025) – A worker has tragically died in an industrial accident at a Garden City, Long Island business along South Street. Long Island officials are saying that the accident took place around 10:00 p.m. on Thursday. A worker, identified as Michael Rutledge of Baldwin, fell into some type of trash compactor. Paramedics were called to the scene to help the victim. He was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries. Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the hospital. A full investigation into the incident remains ongoing at this time.
Semi-truck driver killed in crash on I-24 after steel beams pierce through cab
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A semi-truck driver has died after a load of steel shifted and crashed through his cab in Nashville, officials said. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, the crash was reported just before midnight on I-24 West near the I-40 spilt on Monday, Dec. 8. Authorities said a preliminary investigation indicates that traffic in front of the semi had slowed down, which caused the driver to abruptly apply the brakes. The trailer was reportedly carrying a load of two large steel beams, which shifted forward and intruded through the cab of the truck. Then, the truck then rolled to a stop on the left retaining wall, officials said. The semi-truck driver—identified as 31-year-old Bolton James Harry-Algeo from Barron, Wisconsin—died at the scene.
Worker, 42, dies after falling 4 stories at Queens construction site, officials say
New York, NY — New York City officials say they are investigating a worker’s death at a Queens construction site on Monday. NYPD officials said officers responded to a 911 call around 6 p.m. about an injured person at 37-28 Crescent St. in Dutch Kills, where public records show construction on a new condominium project began in June. Police said they found a 42-year-old man unconscious at the scene. He was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center and pronounced dead. A complaint on file with the city Department of Buildings states a worker fell from a fourth-floor deck on Monday and was hospitalized. A spokesperson for the DOB said the worker fell about 30 feet after walking onto some balcony formwork that wasn’t properly braced and gave way.
Worker operating crane crushed to death during industrial accident along West Beltway
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A worker was killed during an industrial accident along the West Beltway on Friday, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. HCSO says it was called to the incident just after 7 a.m. at 2201 N Sam Houston Parkway West. Deputies said a male employee was operating a crane with a large weight parcel hanging by tow straps when the straps broke, and the parcel fell on top of him. The sheriff’s office said the worker, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene when EMS responded.
CSX railroad worker killed in train derailment in Calera identified
CALERA, Ala. — A Mountain Brook man was killed in a train derailment in Calera early Saturday morning. The derailment happened shortly before 4 a.m. at County Road 22 and Highway 84, according to the fire department. Police and fire crews responded to the CSX railroad crossing where a CSX worker was killed in the crash, said police. The Shelby County coroner identified him as Charles Harrison, 52.
McDonald’s employee shot, killed inside Georgia restaurant
ELBERTON, Ga. — A McDonald’s employee has died after police say someone shot him inside the restaurant. The Elberton Police Department responded to the McDonald’s inside city limits about 10:19 p.m. Tuesday. Police found an employee lying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators said it appears he was shot after an argument with the suspect in the lobby. Officers and paramedics tried lifesaving measures on the employee before he was taken to the hospital. He later died at Elbert Memorial Hospital.
1 dead after industrial accident involving dump trucks at Yolo County landfill
DAVIS, Calif. — one person died after an industrial accident involving two dump trucks Wednesday morning at the Yolo County landfill, the county confirmed. The county said the crash happened around 7:15 a.m. on County Road 28. Two dump trucks for a company called Northern Recycling were unloading when one of their loads tipped over due to an industrial accident. The load fell on the the other vehicle while a driver was inside, Yolo County said. The Davis Fire Department responded and attempted to rescue the driver, but he was pronounced dead on scene. The incident is under investigation by the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Cal/OSHA. Yolo County coroner’s officials identified him as Carlos Montoya Perez, 44, of Sacramento. Yolo County leases land to Northern Recycling to operate at the landfill.
81-year-old dies in accident in which excavator was submerged in pond
Fruitland, MD — An 81-year-old man died following an industrial accident in Fruitland, Maryland. The man, Paul Wayne Jones, was found submerged in a 40-foot pond inside the excavator he was operating. A fire department dive team located the victim after the property owner reported him missing. An 81-year-old man has died in a Fruitland industrial accident in which he was found submerged in a pond in the excavator he had been operating on the property. Here’s what the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office posted about incident on Facebook. On Dec. 9, 2025, at about 12:04 p.m., the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to 700 Slab Ridge Road in Fruitland for a reported industrial accident. Upon arrival, deputies met with the property owner, who stated 81-year-old Paul Wayne Jones had been operating an excavator on the property. The excavator was later discovered submerged in a 40-foot pond. The property owner reported he was unaware Jones was working on the property that day. After noticing Jones’s vehicle parked on the premises and being unable to locate him, he became concerned and contacted authorities. A preliminary search of the grounds did not reveal Jones’s whereabouts, and members of the Salisbury Fire Department Dive Team were requested to respond and conduct a search of the pond. Jones was subsequently located submerged in the pond inside the excavator by the Dive Team. He was transported by air to Shock Trauma, where he was later pronounced deceased.
1 killed, 1 injured in industrial accident near Mansfield
NEAR MANSFIELD, La. – A contractor was killed and another was injured Tuesday at the site of the former Dolet Hills power station. The power station is the same one that was leveled in an implosion in October. Authorities say crews were on-site last night dismantling what was left when an accident happened. The injured man was taken to the hospital. His condition is unknown. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Truck driver killed after climbing into box truck during road rage altercation with its driver
West Hartford, Ct — A truck driver is dead after climbing into another driver’s box truck during a road rage altercation on Interstate 84 earlier this week. The incident occurred on I-84 near exit 44 in West Hartford, Connecticut on Tuesday, December 9th. According to Stamford Advocate, the box truck was traveling in the center lane and the semi truck was traveling in the right lane when the two drivers became involved in a road rage situation in congested traffic. At one point, the truck driver exited his truck, ran across the congested highway, and “climbed onto the box truck, and a disturbance ensued.” Haneef McKnight, 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania died after getting out of his tractor-trailer in congested traffic on I-84 East, police said. The truck driver was then run over by the box truck. The truck driver was killed in the incident. It is unclear if the truck driver responsible for climbing into the box truck was run over by the other driver intentionally.
Man, 47, Killed at Minneapolis–Saint Paul Airport After Being Struck By Snowplow
Minneapolis, MN — A 47-year-old man died after a snowplow struck him at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on Tuesday, Dec. 9 The man, who worked at the airport’s LSG Sky Chefs, was fatally struck in the parking lot that serves the catering company “This loss affects all of us,” a LSG Sky Chefs spokesperson said. A man, identified as Lansanna Musa Kanneh, a husband and father who was working two jobs, including the one at the airport stocking planes with food, was killed after a snowplow struck him at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on Tuesday, Dec. 9, Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesperson Jeff Lea said in a news release obtained by PEOPLE. The 48-year-old man, whose name has not been made public, worked at the airport’s LSG Sky Chefs. He was near Terminal 2, at a parking lot that serves the catering company. The Ford F550 snowplow struck him in the lot before 6:45 p.m. local time, Lea said. Authorities were called, and first responders attempted to administer life-saving measures. But he was declared dead at the scene. The Sky Chefs facility privately contracted the 25-year-old snowplow operator to remove the snow, Lea said. “He remained on scene cooperating with law enforcement. Driver impairment is not believed to be a factor.”
Semi-truck driver killed in single-vehicle crash in Benton County
Rice, MN — A semi-truck driver died Thursday morning after his vehicle left the roadway in the city of Rice, just north of St. Cloud. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, at 1 a.m., a semi-truck was traveling east on Highway 10 in the city of Rice when the vehicle left the roadway and went into a ditch. State Patrol noted in its crash report that road conditions in the area were dry at the time of the incident. The driver of the vehicle, 69-year-old Gary Ray Srnsky of Thief River Falls, was declared dead at the crash scene. The Minnesota State Patrol said he had not been wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Employee fatally shot inside Papa Johns in West Price Hill
CINCINNATI, OH — An employee was fatally shot inside of a Papa Johns location in West Price Hill Tuesday night, according to Cincinnati police. Police still had the Papa Johns on W. 8th Street taped off into the early morning hours Wednesday. By Wednesday around 11 a.m., the location’s doors were locked, but one person was inside the restaurant. According to Cincinnati police, officers were dispatched to the Papa Johns at around 11 p.m. Tuesday night for a report of a person shot.
Walmart Truck Driver Killed in Crash on Highway 58 in Kern County
CAMERON, Calif. (Dec. 10, 2025) — A Walmart semi-truck driver was killed Wednesday morning after the big rig veered off westbound Highway 58 and slammed into a center-divider wall near Cameron in Kern County, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash was reported on Dec. 10th at 7:56 a.m. near mile marker 159, when callers reported the tractor-trailer drifting off the right shoulder, then reentering the roadway before striking the median. Dispatch logs indicate the truck continued moving slowly against the wall and did not come to a full stop until moments later. CHP units arriving at the scene found the driver unresponsive and partially inside the No. 1 lane. Responders attempted CPR, but the driver could not be revived.
Paramedic lieutenant dies after on-duty medical emergency
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — The St. Charles County Ambulance District is mourning the loss of Lt. Sarah McCarthy, a 23-year veteran who died after suffering a medical emergency while on duty. In a Facebook post, the district said McCarthy suffered chest pain while on duty at SCCAD Station 12 in St. Peters on Nov. 21. She was then transported to Missouri Baptist Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. On December 4, she suffered a setback in her recovery and was transferred to Barnes-Jewish Hospital St. Louis, where she died on Dec. 9 with her family by her side. As a final act of service to others, McCarthy gave the gift of organ donation through Mid America Transplant.
Employee killed at Tri-River ASAP Office in Gloucester
GLOUCESTER, Va. (WAVY)– A suspect has been apprehended following a homicide in Gloucester County Thursday morning. According to officials, deputies were called to the Tri-River ASAP Office, located in the 3000 block of George Washington Memorial Highway, just before 9 a.m. for the report of a person deceased from gunshot wounds. The caller reported that they passed another individual who was leaving the area and provided a description to deputies. When deputies and criminal investigators arrived on scene, they located 43-year-old Branden Patrick Green, an employee of Tri-River ASAP, deceased inside from multiple gunshots.
Oshkosh, Town of Sheboygan firefighter dies in car crash, two hurt
Oshkosh, WI — An Oshkosh and Town of Sheboygan firefighter died on Dec. 11 in a car crash in Indiana. Firefighter and paramedic Tom Diener was killed, and another firefighter and a former firefighter were seriously injured while on an Indiana highway. Oshkosh Firefighter Tom Diener died in a car crash in Indiana on Dec. 11. He also worked as a volunteer firefighter for the Town of Sheboygan Fire Department. Two others were injured in the car crash as well. The Oshkosh Fire Department identified firefighter Carter Haen and former firefighter Robbie Betts as the two injured in the crash in a Dec. 12 social media post. “Tom was a dedicated firefighter, volunteer public servant, and business owner whose work centered on protecting communities through emergency warning systems,” the city’s fire department said in a social media post. “We hold Carter and Robbie close in our hearts as they navigate the days ahead, and we are wrapping Tom’s family and loved ones in our deepest sympathy,” the post continued. The three were traveling for work related to public safety and emergency warnings systems, the department said in a social media post.
Convenience store worker killed in SE Portland shooting identified
PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – A 33-year-old man who was shot and killed while working at a convenience store last week has been identified by the Portland Police Bureau. Just before 5:30 p.m., on Dec. 9, officers responded to a shooting at 3 D’s Market, located at 1739 Southeast 139th Avenue, and found Santi Ram Rai suffering from a gunshot wound. Rai died at the scene. The medical examiner confirmed he was the victim of a homicide.
Septic truck driver killed in crash on I-81
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. — The driver of a septic truck was killed in a Friday morning crash on Interstate 81 in Washington County, Virginia, according to Virginia State Police (VSP). VSP said that around 9 a.m., a septic truck was traveling north on I-81 around the 26-mile marker when it went off the right side of the road, hit a guardrail and an embankment, and overturned. Several injured in multi-vehicle crash Friday on I-81. The driver, Charles C. Trivett, 66, of Abingdon, died at the scene, according to VSP. State police said Trivett was not wearing a seatbelt.
Driver Killed After Truck Overturns In Horsham
HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — The driver of a truck that overturned was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Limekiln Pike on Monday afternoon, police said. Horsham Police said Limekiln Pike is closed between Horsham Road and Tennis Avenue for the crash that happened after 1:30 p.m. on Monday. No details about the driver or what caused the crash were reported by authorities at this time. The crash involved an overturned tractor-trailer from an Incollingo Food Service truck that slipped in the icy road conditions and fell on its side.