How workers died last week: Logging, construction, gas explosion, truck repair, avalanche, mining, stabbing, 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.
Houston construction worker dies after heavy beams fall on him in loading accident
HOUSTON, TX – A construction worker was killed Monday morning after heavy beams fell on him while being loaded onto a truck, Houston Fire Department officials said. The incident occurred at 11:39 a.m. in the 2900 block of Clinton Drive near Downtown, according to Senior Capt. Reyes with HFD. The victim was standing on top of the beams, helping other workers load them onto a vehicle, when the beams shifted. The movement caused the worker to lose his balance and fall. One of the beams landed on him, and he was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m. Heavy rescue units responded to the scene after the worker was already pronounced dead to help move the beams and assist with the recovery of the victim, Capt. Reyes said.
Man killed in logging accident
Hampshire County, WV — A Mineral County man was killed in a logging accident last week in Hampshire County. According to a release from Hampshire County Sheriff Nathan Sions, Earl A. Hott, 53, of Ridgeley had been cutting a tree near Bloomery on Monday, Dec. 15, when the incident occurred. According to witness statements, the tree being cut kicked backward, striking a nearby dead tree. A large limb from the dead tree then broke loose and fell, striking Hott.
Park City man killed while working on truck in Horse Cave
HORSE CAVE, Ky. (WBKO) — A man has died after being accidentally struck by a truck he was working on. Kentucky State Police say Danny L. Pate, 28, of Park City, was working on a truck at Love’s Travel Stop in Horse Cave Tuesday evening when the vehicle ran over him. Troopers responded to the scene at 7:22 p.m. No additional details have been released at this time.
Quarry Worker Killed in Explosion
Quicksburg, VA — A worker was killed at the Rockydale-Flatrock Quarry in Quicksburg, Virginia. He was employed by the Rockydale Quarries Corporation.
Two Miners drown in pit
Webster, FL — Two miners drowned on December 10 after the dragline they were operating went into a water-filled pit in Webster, GA.
Mammoth Mountain ski patroller dies following avalanche
Mammoth, CA — A 30-year-old Mammoth Mountain ski patroller has died after suffering critical injuries in an avalanche Friday following a winter storm that buried the popular California resort with several feet of snow. The patroller was identified as Cole Murphy, 30, an experienced member of the team known for his passion for the mountains and dedication to his work, resort officials said in a statement on social media Sunday. Murphy was injured while conducting avalanche mitigation on Lincoln Mountain before the ski area opened Friday morning. Another ski patroller, whose name was not released, was seriously hurt. Murphy was transported to Mammoth Hospital and later moved out of the area for further care. Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries.
Nursing home explosion in Bristol, Pennsylvania, killed 1 staff member, 1 resident
Bristol Township, PA — Two people were killed and at least 20 were injured in an explosion Tuesday afternoon at a nursing home in Bristol, Pennsylvania, officials said. The two people killed were a staff member and a resident, officials said. Muthoni Nduthu was finishing up her final shift at the Bristol Health and Rehab Center before a Christmas trip when she was killed in the blasts.Bristol Township Police provided more updates Wednesday about the fatal explosions at the Bristol Health and Rehab Center on Tower Road, which was previously known as the Silver Lake Nursing Home. Officials said a gas leak led to two explosions and a fire, and that there was a smell of gas at the scene. As of Wednesday morning, 19 people are still hospitalized, one of whom is in critical condition, Bristol Township Police Chief Charles Winik, Jr. said in a news conference. He could not provide more information on the nature of their injuries or say how many are residents or staff members. The violent explosions blew out windows and caused part of the building to collapse. That collapsed section contained the kitchen and cafeteria, with some utility areas and offices underneath, according to officials. Ms. Nduthu immigrated from Kenya in 2004, her son said, and like many immigrants starting from scratch in the United States, she worked with older and frail Americans in long-term care. She was a licensed practical nurse, according to Pennsylvania nursing records, and her son said she had worked at the Bristol facility for about a year.
Scrapyard worker injured in UPS plane crash dies on Christmas, raising deaths to 15
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A man injured in last month’s fiery UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky died on Christmas Day, raising the death toll from the crash to 15, officials announced late Thursday. Alain Rodriguez Colina worked at a scrapyard that was devastated when the departing cargo plane, fully loaded with fuel for a flight to Hawaii, plowed into businesses just outside Louisville’s airport on Nov. 4. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed his death via social media. “Alain is the 15th victim of the UPS Flight 2976 accident,” Greenberg said. “He suffered severe injuries at the time of the crash and passed earlier this Christmas Day. May Alain’s memory be a blessing.” Grade A Auto Parts & Recycling owner and CEO Sean Garber confirmed to WAVE-TV that Colina was one of the company’s employees.
Coroner identifies 46-year-old Moreno Valley man killed in work-related accident
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The Kern County Coroner’s Office has identified a man who died after being involved in a work-related accident in Tehachapi as 46-year-old Rufino Hernandez of Moreno Valley. The report said on December 17, at around 12:38 p.m., Hernandez was injured during a work-related accident and died at the scene on N Mill Street and W H Street in Tehachapi. According to the coroner’s report, a postmortem examination was conducted, and the cause of death was blunt force chest trauma, and the manner of death was accident.
Semi-truck driver hit, killed by trailer tug in Northland
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A semi-truck driver is dead after he was hit by a car and run over by a trailer tug near Interstate 29 in the Northland on Monday morning. According to the Kansas City Police Department, at about 7 a.m., officers were called to the area of Northwest 106th Street and North Pomona Avenue on reports of a deadly crash involving a pedestrian. Initial investigations reveal that a semi-truck driver had stepped out of his vehicle and was standing in a lane on Pomona when he was hit by a car. According to KCPD, while the semi-truck driver was on the ground, he was run over by a Kalar Hustler trailer tug that was driving southbound on Pomona. The semi-truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the Kalmar was uninjured in the crash, KCPD said.
Concrete truck driver killed after crashing into US-71 Highway retaining wall
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The driver of a concrete truck died Tuesday morning after the truck rolled over and crashed into a retaining wall on US-71 Highway in Kansas City. According to the Kansas City Police Department, at about 9 a.m., emergency responders were called to the on-ramp of southbound 71 Highway from eastbound MO-150 Highway on reports of a deadly crash. Initial investigations reveal that just before the crash, the driver of the Mack concrete truck was speeding and lost control going around the curve of the entrance ramp. Due to the truck’s height and weight, it rolled over and slid into a concrete retaining wall on the east side of the ramp. The driver, the only person inside the truck at the time of the crash, was pronounced dead at the scene, KCPD said. No other cars were involved.
Bus Driver Killed In Incident At District Garage In Hudson Valley ID’d By Superintendent
Harrison, NY — School officials have identified a longtime bus driver who was killed in a tragic incident at the district’s garage earlier this month. Arlington Central School District Superintendent Phil Benante confirmed in a letter sent to families on Monday, Dec. 22, that the employee was Wayne Girard, a school bus driver who had worked for the district since 2017. The fatal incident occurred early Friday morning, Dec. 19, at the district’s transportation facility on Dutchess Turnpike, as drivers were preparing to begin their daily routes. No students were on board at the time, and no students were involved, district officials said.
Semi Truck Crash Near Albert Lea Claims Life of Florida Trucker
Clarks Grove, MN – The State Patrol says a truck driver from Florida lost his life in a crash on an icy Interstate 35 in southern Minnesota. Both of the vehicles involved in the deadly collision were semis. The truck drivers were the only occupants. Both semis were traveling northbound when they collided about 13 miles north of Albert Lea. The state crash report says the collision occurred in the median ditch. 46-year-old Alessandro Gelsomino of Miami, FL was identified as the deceased truck driver. The State Patrol says he was pronounced dead at the scene. 34-year-old Standley Calixte of New Jersey was identified as the other truck driver. He was taken to an Albert Lea Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the State Patrol says. Both truckers were wearing their seatbelts and alcohol was not involved in the crash. I-35 had snow and ice on it at the time of the collision, according to the state crash report.
Delaware state trooper killed in a shooting at a DMV hailed as a hero
Wilmington, DE — Delaware officials lauded the heroic actions of a state trooper who was killed in a shooting at a Department of Motor Vehicles location in Wilmington on Tuesday. The deadly incident began when an armed man entered the office at 2 p.m. and shot the trooper who was working an overtime shift at the DMV reception desk, according to the Delaware State Police. Cpl. Matthew T. “Ty” Snook, 34, was on an overtime assignment behind a reception desk when 44-year-old Rahman Rose shot Snook, according to state police. The trooper shoved an employee out of the way before being shot again. The trooper died at a local hospital.
CVS employee, 23, stabbed to death on Christmas Day in NY
LINDENHURST, N.Y. (PIX11) – A CVS employee was stabbed to death inside a Long Island pharmacy on Christmas Day, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. Police said it happened at the CVS, located at 20 East Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst, around 6:50 p.m. A person called 911 to report the stabbing, according to authorities. Officers found the employee, 23-year-old Edeedson Cine, with a stab wound to his chest. Police said the West Babylon resident was rushed to a local hospital, where he died. The suspect is described as a man in his 40s who fled the store on foot, according to authorities.
Truck Driver Killed in Northern State Crash in Dix Hills
Dix Hills, NY — A man was killed Christmas morning when his truck overturned on the Northern State Parkway in Dix Hills. State police said that Osmond Duarte, age 21, was operating a 2011 Hino commercial flatbed truck at an unsafe speed, when he lost control of the vehicle, struck the center median and overturned. Duarte was subsequently ejected from the vehicle. The crash occurred in the eastbound lane, just east of Ext 41 (Wolf Hill Road), at about 6:24 a.m. This investigation is ongoing. Additional updates will be posted to the New York State Police Newsroom as they become available.
Minnesota Hospital Security Guard Dies After Christmas Day Attack
Wyoming, MN – A security guard at a Minnesota hospital was fatally injured in an assault that occurred on Christmas Day. The Wyoming Police Department announced today that 43-year-old Andrea Merrell of North Branch died from injuries she sustained during the assault. An earlier statement indicated Merrell, a member of the security team at M Health Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming, was attacked by a 35-year-old man in the emergency department shortly before 5:30 p.m. Dec. 25. A news release says Wyoming police first responded to a report of a patient who had run from the emergency department after being placed on a hold. A responding officer found the man in the parking lot and reported he “was non-compliant and physically resisted the officer during a prolonged engagement” before being taken into custody.
Crash kills Tennessee deputy on patrol Sunday afternoon
BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — A deputy in Blount County, Tennessee was killed in the line of duty Sunday afternoon after a patrol car crash. 30-year-old Deputy Justin Mowery was on duty when the crash happened, according to Sheriff James Lee Berrong on Facebook.