How workers died last week: Overturned tractor, crushed in machine, trapped in farm equipment, 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.
Stark Co. Sheriff’s Office, OSHA investigating work‑related death at Hoopes-Edwards
LEXINGTON TWP., Ohio – OSHA has been called in to investigate the Tuesday workplace death of a 57-year-old Alliance man. The Stark County Coroner’s Office says Darrin Rose Sr fell into what’s called a “crusher” at the Hoopes-Edwards plant just off Freshley Avenue NE near Route 62 in Lexington Township. Fellow workers could not get him out in time. The coroner and Stark County Sheriff’s Office are also investigating. The machine involved breaks down chemicals for use as snow and ice melt products and fertilizers, according to the company website.
Michigan maintenance worker killed after tractor is hit from behind while clearing snow
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – A maintenance worker has died two weeks after being hit while clearing snow in West Michigan just a week before Christmas. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) says it was the 42nd workplace death of 2025 in the state. The 59-year-old worker was clearing snow on a tractor on Evanston Avenue in Muskegon on Dec. 18 when the tractor was hit from behind by another vehicle, according to MIOSHA. The worker, whose name has not been released, was hospitalized and succumbed to their injuries on Dec. 30, MIOSHA officials announced on Friday.
‘I just want answers’ | Family speaks out after fatal work accident in Parker County
PARKER COUNTY, Texas — A Parker County family is searching for answers after a 33-year-old man was killed in a workplace accident while making a delivery to a private ranch. Emergency crews responded to a report of a person trapped by falling concrete around 5:06 p.m. on Dec. 30 in the area of Old Tin Top Road, according to Parker County Emergency Services District officials. Responders determined that a concrete cattle feed trough weighing approximately 2,500 pounds fell from a trailer while it was being unloaded and landed on a man at the scene. He was pronounced dead when first responders arrived. The family identified the victim as Elzie Houston, a truck driver of more than 10 years and father of three girls.
Fatal farm accident under investigation in rural Holy Cross
HOLY CROSS, Iowa (KCRG) – A farmer died December 29 after becoming entrapped in agricultural equipment at a farm in rural Holy Cross, according to the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. The incident remains under investigation by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office. The name has not been released yet.
Ryland employee dies after being hit by trash truck in Macon
Bib County, GA– Officials are investigating after a Ryland Environmental employee was hit by a garbage truck and later died. Getty Images An employee for Ryland Environmental was killed Saturday morning after being hit by a Ryland garbage truck, according to the Bibb County Coroner’s Office. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the incident at the intersection of Ridge and Hartley avenues just before 10:15 a.m. “It was reported that the motorist of a 2022 Mack Terrapro was reversing in the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “While reversing, a forty-five-year-old male pedestrian behind the vehicle was struck.” The victim was taken to a hospital but later died, the sheriff office said. He was identified as Chad Williams. Coroner Leon Jones confirmed to The Telegraph that the victim worked for Ryland and the truck was a Ryland vehicle. The victim’s family has been notified.
Man dies after tractor overturns, sewage spill in Moorpark area
Somis, CA — A man died Tuesday morning on a Somis farm after the tractor he was driving overturned, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. The man, whose identity has not yet been released, was driving the tractor on a private property in the 3900 block of Berylwood Road when the farming equipment flipped over, Capt. Mike McConville said.
Tenn. deputy killed in on-duty crash
BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — A Blount County deputy has died following a crash in his patrol vehicle, WATE reported. Deputy Justin Mowery, 30, of the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, died on Dec. 28 in a crash during his patrol shift, Sheriff James Lee Berrong confirmed. The Tennessee Highway Patrol said Mowery was attempting to stop a motorcycle that refused to pull over when the crash occurred. Authorities are now seeking to identify the motorcyclist, who may have information related to the incident.
Fire chief of West Michigan town dies on Christmas after being hit while on duty
HAMILTON, Mich. (WILX) – The fire chief of a small town in West Michigan has died after being hit by a car while on duty two days before Christmas. David Haverdink, the longtime Hamilton Fire Chief, was hit around 6 p.m. on Dec. 23 while responding to the scene of a medical emergency along M-40 near Hamilton, about 10 miles south of Holland, in Allegan County. Haverdink, 74, died of his injuries on Christmas Day. Haverdink had spent nearly six decades in public service, including 51 years with the Hamilton Fire Department and more than 40 of those years as fire chief. He also previously served eight years as Allegan County Sheriff.
Richmond IHOP employee shot, killed by coworker; suspect shoots himself outside police station
RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) — Authorities said Tuesday night, a IHOP employee was shot and killed by a coworker. The shooting happened in Richmond on Monday when Richmond police responded to a report of an injured person just after 1:40 p.m. in the 3400 block of Klose Way. 23-year-old CVS employee Edeedson “Eddy” Cine Jr. died at the scene. In a press conference on Tuesday, police say the suspect approached a police officer outside the San Pablo Police Headquarters. The suspect spoke to the officer in a foreign language, but the officer did not understand. The suspect then shot himself, according to police, and is currently in the hospital in critical condition.
1 deputy killed, 2 wounded in ambush at Houston bar
HOUSTON, TX — Authorities say a man with an AR-15-style rifle ambushed three constable deputies outside of a Houston bar, killing one and wounded two others. The Houston Police Department says one person was detained, but he’s not believed to be the shooter. Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman says the deputies were working security jobs at the 45 Norte Sports Bar when two of them responded to a witness’ report of a suspected robbery outside the business around 2:15 a.m. Saturday. The two deputies were trying to arrest someone when a man with an AR-15-style rifle shot them from behind. Herman’s office says the third deputy was shot when he came to help.
Officials identify firefighter who died while battling Riverside County house fire
Nuevo, CA — A CAL FIRE firefighter died after suffering a medical emergency while battling a house fire in Riverside County early Wednesday morning, authorities confirmed. According to CAL FIRE and the Riverside County Fire Department, crews were dispatched at 5:27 a.m. to the 31300 block of Marcuchio Road in Nuevo following reports of a structure fire. The first arriving unit found a single-story, single-family home with the garage fully involved in flames. Additional firefighting resources were requested as crews worked to contain the fire. CAL FIRE confirmed the firefighter was identified as Fire Apparatus Engineer Danny Cook, who suffered a fatal medical emergency while engaged in firefighting operations at the structure fire.
Goodwill shooting victim dies from injuries
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says one of the victims from last week’s Goodwill shooting has died. 30-year-old Juan Cristobal Flores died this morning, January 1, at 7:00, according to the PCSD. The PCSD says the investigation is now being treated as a homicide. The updated information will be forwarded to the Pima County Attorney’s Office seeking appropriate homicide-related charges.
Log truck driver killed in Polk County crash
POLK COUNTY, TX — A 71-year-old truck driver was killed early Friday morning after his 18-wheeler logging truck crashed into the woods off FM 350 North, according to PolkCountyToday.com. The crash happened around 6:15 a.m. Friday morning in Bold Springs when the southbound logging truck—traveling without a load—attempted to navigate a curve at a speed unsafe for the moist roadway conditions caused by morning dew, PolkCountyToday.com reported. Authorities say the driver lost control, causing the truck to slide and jackknife into the wooded area along the roadway. The driver, identified as Jessie Warren of Corrigan, became trapped inside the cab, according to PolkCountyToday.com.
CenterPoint Energy employee dies after hours trapped in utility truck following 18-wheeler crash
HOUSTON, TX – A CenterPoint Energy employee died after being trapped for nearly two hours in a crash involving a utility truck and an 18-wheeler on Houston’s South Loop, according to Houston police. The crash happened around 9:25 a.m. in the 5500 block of South Loop East near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Authorities said a CenterPoint Energy truck carrying two employees collided with an 18-wheeler, shutting down multiple lanes as first responders worked the scene. The Houston Fire Department said three people were involved: the 18-wheeler driver, the CenterPoint Energy truck driver, and a CenterPoint Energy passenger. Both drivers were able to walk away from the crash. The CenterPoint Energy passenger was trapped in the wreckage for nearly two hours before being rescued and taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
63-year-old Minnesota truck driver killed in crash on I-75 in metro Atlanta
COBB COUNTY, GA — Cobb County police say a Minnesota truck driver was killed after a single-vehicle crash on I-75 southbound near Wade Green Road this week. Investigators say 63-year-old Jeffrey Tanke was driving the truck when he left the interstate, hit a guardrail and went over a concrete gutter onto the exit before it rolled onto its side. He was pronounced dead on the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
Off-duty deputy shot and killed while working security job in Texas
Austin, TX — The Austin Police Department announced that officials have apprehended a suspect after an off-duty deputy from a nearby agency was shot and killed overnight Sunday. Officials identified the deputy as a member of the Caldwell County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, located roughly 45 minutes south of Austin. According to the Caldwell County Constable’s Office, the off-duty deputy was working at a north Austin establishment when the shooting happened. Austin police said the shooting took place at Club Rodeo. “One of our Deputies, while working an off-duty security position at an Austin establishment, was involved in a shooting,” the Caldwell County precinct said in a post on Facebook. Authorities said a suspect was apprehended later in the afternoon by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, with assistance from APD Air Support and K-9 units, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Caldwell County Constable’s Office identified the deputy constable as Aaron Armstrong. He’d been with the constable’s office since October 2024.
Truck driver killed on I-75 when his vehicle overturned
Cobb County, MN — Authorities say a Minnesota trucker was killed in a one-vehicle accident on I-75 shortly before 6 a.m. Friday. Cobb police say 63-year-old Jerry Tanke of Wood Lake, MN was headed southbound on the interstate at the Wade Green Road exit ramp when his silver 2025 International tractor-trailer unit hit the exit ramp guardrail. Investigators say the big rig left the roadway, continued through the shoulder, went over a concrete gutter and onto the exit ramp, where it flipped over on the driver’s side. Tanke was pronounced dead at the scene by the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office. Cobb police say the circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation.
Driver Killed in Late-Night Tractor-Trailer Crash on I-88 in Broome County
Fenton, NY — A late-night crash on Interstate 88 in the Town of Fenton turned deadly Friday, claiming the life of a tractor-trailer driver and prompting hours of emergency response and cleanup. According to the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the scene around 11:57 p.m. on Friday, January 2, after reports of a single tractor-trailer crash on I-88 near Exit 3. When first responders arrived, they found the tractor-trailer off the roadway, lying on its side in a drainage ditch along the east side of the highway. The crash had sent the truck down an embankment, making rescue efforts more difficult. Road Patrol deputies broke through the truck’s windshield to reach the driver and immediately began CPR. Emergency medical crews arrived shortly afterward and continued lifesaving efforts, but the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities identified the driver as 54-year-old Vicky Chadwick of Monessen, Pennsylvania. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Tractor-trailer driver killed in northeast Las Vegas when truck pins him against loading dock
LAS VEGAS, NV — The driver of a tractor-trailer was killed on Tuesday as he was attempting to back into a loading dock bay near N. Nellis Boulevard and E. Cheyenne Avenue. According to Las Vegas Metropolitan police, the incident was reported shortly before 5 p.m. at 4875 Cheyenne Avenue when the driver was discovered pinned by the truck against the loading dock entrance. It’s believed the accident occurred hours earlier. Police said evidence at the scene and surveillance video showed the tractor-trailer was several feet from the loading bay, and the driver went behind the truck when it unexpectedly went into reverse. Police are investigating the death. The Clark County Coroner’s office will release the driver’s identity once the family is notified.