How workers died last week: Three dead from electrocutions, 5 workers crushed under vehicles, construction, confined space, welding explosion, falls, machete attack, shootings and vehicle incidents. Also, a bad week in Texas where 10 workers were killed. 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.
Two Killed in South Carolina When Scissor Lift Hit Power Lines
North Charleston, SC — Two utility workers in North Charleston were killed when the scissor lift they were using struck live power lines, causing a fire. Local news outlets reported that witnesses said the 25-year-old men, working at night Jan. 6, did not have flashlights and used only a cell phone light. A witness warned them they were too close to overhead lines, the Post and Courier newspaper reported. Fire crews responded to calls but were initially unable to douse the flames until the power company shut off electrical supply to that area. Dominion Energy responded and cut power, allowing fire fighters to control the fire, according to news outlets. The men and the company they worked for had not been publicly identified by Tuesday, and it was unclear if they were independent contractors. A Dominion spokesman said the men were not employees of the utility company. Rolando Luis Mucu, 34, and Jose Tec Chub, 26, both of New Jersey, died from their injuries sustained from an electrical shock and fire, according to Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal.
Welder killed following tanker truck explosion at Brownsville worksite
Brownsville, TX — A welder died on Friday following an explosion at a Brownsville worksite, according to Cameron County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Hushen. According to Hushen, the unidentified man was welding the top of a tanker truck when the fumes inside the truck were ignited, causing a shockwave that knocked the man from the top of the truck. The man was later pronounced dead. A spokesperson with the Brownsville Police Department said the incident happened Friday shortly after 2 p.m. in the 6500 block of N. Expressway. Investigators are reaching out to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, police added.
63-year-old employee found dead inside tanker trailer in Annaville
Annaville, TX — A 63-year old man was found dead inside a tanker trailer in Annaville. It happened just before 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Fleet Pride Service Center on the 7700 block of Interstate-37. According to Tony Perez with the Corpus Christi Fire Department, the employee had been unaccounted for for more than 20 minutes. When units arrived, they found the man in the tanker trailer unresponsive. Hazmat and rescue crews were on the scene and pulled him from the tank. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Juan Antonio Garza Jr.
Roofer dies after fall from Danvers home
Danvers, MA — A worker died after he fell from a roof in Danvers on Wednesday morning, prompting an ongoing investigation by local and state police. According to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, Danvers police responded to a call at 8:15 a.m. to find that an individual had fallen from a Briarwood Drive roof. A Salem, New Hampshire-based roofing company employed the worker. First responders transported him to Beverly Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
Man Dies After 15-Foot Fall At Nantucket Job Site
Nantucket, MA – A 52-year-old man who was airlifted off Nantucket last Tuesday after a 15-foot fall at a job site on Old South Road has died in a Boston hospital. Pedro Pereira, an electrician originally from El Salvador who had been working on Nantucket for the past two years, passed away on Friday as a result of the severe injuries he suffered from the fall, which included fractures of his spine, neck, and skull.
Person killed after trapped under a car carrier in East Windsor
East Windsor, CT — East Windsor police said a person is dead after they were trapped under a car carrier on Tuesday night. According to police, the car carrier fell onto a worker at Kement & Son Construction on North Road. The victim, identified as 69-year-old William Hastings, of East Windsor, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said it appears Hastings was doing maintenance underneath the truck when the vehicle rolled backwards, trapping him beneath it. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating.
Worker killed after being trapped under machinery
SAN ANTONIO, TX — A man has died after being trapped under heavy machinery on Friday. The accident occurred at Second Nature Compost around 10:50 a.m. According to the San Antonio Fire Department, a 52-year-old man was working on a front-end loader and was in the process of changing hydraulic fluid when witnesses heard a loud pop. The witnesses went to check on the man after he did not respond, and he was found trapped beneath a tire of the heavy machinery. He was able to be removed from under the tire, and CPR was performed until officers and emergency medical personnel arrived.
Tow truck driver dies after being pinned under vehicle in Deerfield Beach
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. — A tow truck driver was killed early Saturday morning after becoming trapped beneath a tow truck in Deerfield Beach, authorities confirmed. According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded shortly after 3 a.m. to a report of a person pinned under a tow truck near the 400 block of Northeast 48th Street. BSO’s Traffic Homicide Unit detectives are investigating the death. No additional details were immediately released, including how the incident occurred or whether any other vehicles were involved.
Worker killed in industrial accident at Hancock County facility
GREENFIELD, Ind. — A 70‑year‑old man died following an industrial accident Wednesday evening in Hancock County. The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to an injured person at Formica Corporation, located in the 6500 block of West 350 North, around 5:15 p.m. Jan. 7. A nearby deputy arrived and found a man pinned underneath a large industrial service van. Police say the man was attempting to change a flat tire and had the van on a jack when it fell, trapping him between the van and the ground. One of the wheels had already been removed when the van slipped off the jack. The deputy asked a nearby Formica employee to use a forklift to raise the vehicle. As the forklift lifted the back of the van, the deputy pulled the man from underneath. Medics from the Buck Creek Fire Department arrived moments later and transported the man to an Indianapolis hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The injured man was identified as Duane Hodson, 70, of Anderson, Indiana.
Man Killed in Workplace Accident at Dakota Frontier Coop
Wishek, ND – A tragic workplace accident claimed the life of a local shop manager on Wednesday afternoon in the town of Wishek, located in south-central North Dakota. Authorities say the incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. at Dakota Frontier Coop, where 52-year-old Michael Hulm was performing maintenance work on a truck inside the shop. According to Wishek Police Chief Andrew Tunheim, Hulm was working on the truck’s braking system when the vehicle unexpectedly rolled off a lift and crushed him. Emergency crews responded quickly to the scene, but despite their efforts, Hulm was pronounced dead as a result of his injuries. No other injuries were reported in the incident. Officials have not yet released further details regarding the circumstances of the accident, and an investigation is underway to determine how the lift failure occurred.
Prairie Grove man killed in Fayetteville construction site accident
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Authorities say a Prairie Grove man was killed in an accident at a Fayetteville construction site last month. Jose Ibarra Ponce, 36, died from injuries suffered in an accident involving a road grader on Dec. 15, according to a Fayetteville Police Department spokesperson. Emergency crews responded to a construction site on East Rolling Hills Drive and North Old Missouri Road around 10:20 a.m., according to a report from the Fayetteville Fire Department, obtained by KNWA/FOX24 through a Freedom of Information Act request. The report said that responders were directed to where Ponce was found lying in a ditch south of Butterfield Elementary School. A co-worker was performing CPR on Ponce; however, he was not breathing and had no pulse, according to the report. Witnesses told FFD that Ponce was in the cab of a heavy equipment motor grader, and the brakes went out on the equipment. As the vehicle began to roll down the hill, Ponce jumped but was knocked down by the blade and run over by one of the wheels, the report said. Ponce suffered severe chest trauma and fractured limbs. Crews attempted to resuscitate Ponce at the site before taking him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police ID Troupsburg man as plow truck driver killed in Jan. 1 crash
Troupsburg, NY — A plow truck driver killed Jan. 1 in a crash in the town of Troupsburg was identified by New York State Police as 44-year-old Jason P. Reisman of Troupsburg. Reisman was employed by the Troupsburg Highway Department, according to town officials and an online obituary published by the H.P. Smith & Son Inc. Funeral Home. Troopers responded to Grinnold Road for a reported rollover crash involving a plow truck with entrapment at about 6:56 a.m. on New Year’s Day. State police personnel located a 2024 Freightliner plow truck off the south shoulder of the roadway, resting on the passenger side after it left the highway for an unknown reason, investigators said. According to police, Reisman was extricated from the truck and transported by emergency medical services to St. James Hospital before troopers arrived. Police said he died en route to the Hornell hospital.
Tow worker died during delivery of forklift to Greenville Steel recycling center
GREENVILLE, Mich. — A 26-year-old man died at Greenville Steel while moving a flatbed truck. Daniel Evans, 26, and another man, both workers for J&A Towing of Belding, delivered a scrapped forklift for a local company to Greenville Steel, a Recycling center in Montcalm County, using a rollback flatbed truck owned by J&A Towing of Belding, according to Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers. While bringing the rolling flatbed back from its ramped position to its flat position, Evans ended up on the ground with initial indications showing he got caught between the flatbed and the cab of the truck. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
Smithfield Foods employee found dead
Tar Heel, NC — An employee at Smithfield Foods was found dead at the company’s facility in Tar Heel on Saturday. The company released a statement on the death. “We were saddened to learn that an employee was found unresponsive at our Tar Heel, North Carolina, facility on Saturday and was pronounced deceased. Our thoughts and prayers are with our co-worker’s family. We have notified OSHA and are fully cooperating with an investigation.” The person’s name was not released. There is no information on what caused the death.
Cement Plant Worker Killed in Power Haulage Incident
New Braunfels, TX– A worker was killed in a powered-haulage incident on January 8 at the Hunter Cement Plant in New Braunfels, TX
Cement Plant Worker killed in Machine Incident
Lebec, CA — A cement plant worker was killed in a machinery incident at the Lebec Cement Plant in Lebec, California on January 6.
Tulsa Assistant Fire Marshal Stephen Mixon dies while on duty
Tulsa, OK — The Tulsa Fire Department announced the death of Stephen Mixon, an assistant fire marshal who suffered a medical emergency while on duty. Mixon joined the Tulsa Fire Department in March 1998 and served the city for nearly 28 years, according to the department.
Uxbridge police officer Stephen LaPorta killed while helping driver on Route 146 in Massachusetts
Uxbridge, MA — Uxbridge, Massachusetts police officer Stephen LaPorta was killed in a crash on Route 146 early Wednesday morning. LaPorta was on duty helping another driver on the northbound side of the highway at 12:40 a.m. when the crash happened. Police said he died at the scene. LaPorta was 43 years old and lived in Uxbridge. “Despite lifesaving efforts by emergency responders, the officer succumbed to injuries sustained in the collision,” Uxbridge Police said in a statement. There’s no word yet on what caused the crash or how many vehicles were involved, but roads across Massachusetts were icy due to freezing rain overnight. An officer was heard on police scanner audio shortly before the crash saying it was “an ice rink up here.” Eleven minutes later, an officer said “He’s down” and “We need to shut down traffic.”
Worker dies after electrocution on manlift near Sabine Pass school
Sabine Pass, TX — A worker in Sabine Pass has died after being electrocuted. It happened in the 5600 block of S. Gulfway Dr. near the school. Port Arthur police chief Tim Duriso says the worker was on a manlift at about 9am when he was electrocuted.
Construction worker dies at Converse Elementary School site
CONVERSE, Texas — Judson Independent School District officials say a construction worker died on Wednesday at a work site for Converse Elementary School. The Bexar County Medical Examiner identified the deceased as 63-year-old Baltazar Rubio Olvera. His cause and manner of death are still pending investigation. In a statement to News 4 San Antonio/Fox SA, the district said the deceased was employed by a third-party construction company and was not a district employee. First responders were immediately dispatched to the scene and the construction site has since been secured. Judson ISD and the contractor are cooperating with local authorities as they investigate the incident.
Employee Pronounced Dead at Trader Joe’s
Crescenta Valley, CA – The Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station received a call related to a person not breathing at the Trader Joe’s in La Cañada Flintridge on Dec. 30 around 2:14 p.m. Stg. John Gilbert told the Outlook Valley Sun that a 58-year old employee fell under medical distress and when the fire department came to provide assistance, it was too late and the employee was pronounced deceased on scene. The area was closed off until the coroner’s office came, and the store closed for the rest of the day. A manager at the Trader Joe’s said that he could not comment on the situation.
Police officer dies from injuries suffered while helping stranded motorist
WASHINGTON, DC — A Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer struck by a car last month while helping a stranded motorist has died from his injuries, the department announced Thursday. Terry Bennett, 32, had been hospitalized since December 23 when he was struck by a passing vehicle as he helped a motorist who ran out of gas. The driver who hit him remained at the scene. No charges have been filed but the incident remains under investigation, an MPD spokesman said.
Beloved Connie’s Seafood security guard killed while on duty on Houston’s East Side
HOUSTON, TX – A longtime and beloved security guard, Luis Quinteros, 57, is dead after being shot while doing his job Wednesday evening at a Connie’s Seafood restaurant on Houston’s East Side. Houston police say the shooting happened just after 6:30 p.m. at the Connie’s Seafood location on 69th Street near the Gus Wortham Golf Course. Officers arrived to find a 57-year-old security guard suffering from at least one gunshot wound in the parking lot. He was rushed to the hospital, but sadly, he did not survive. Investigators say the security guard was outside patrolling the parking lot when another man approached him. At some point, the encounter escalated into an altercation. Police say the suspect then pulled out a handgun and shot the guard. Authorities confirmed the security guard was armed but did not have a chance to fire back.
Truck driver dies in Route 1 crash
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — A truck driver likely experienced a medical emergency before crashing through a fence and into a Route 1 jersey wall in Chesterfield County, according to police. The truck driver died in the Thursday morning crash. “A tanker truck was leaving a business [in the 5800 block of Route 1] when it crashed through a fence, crossed the roadway and hit a jersey wall,” a Chesterfield police spokesperson said. “The truck’s driver, an adult male, was unresponsive. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.” The man’s name has not yet been released.
Dallas Tattoo Worker Dies In Gunfire Duel Outside Shop
Dallas, TX — A tattoo shop employee was killed in a shootout with an armed suspect Tuesday night in Dallas’ Cedar Crest neighborhood. The victim died at a hospital after exchanging gunfire with the attacker outside Legendary Ink. Police have not made an arrest or determined a motive. The confrontation erupted around 10 p.m. when an armed person approached the employee outside the shop on East 11th Street at Cedar Crest Boulevard. Both the suspect and victim fired shots at each other, according to police at the scene, Fox 4 KDFW reported. The employee suffered critical injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he died. His name has not been released.
Copperas Cove police officer killed in shooting
COPPERAS COVE, Texas — The Texas Rangers are investigating an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a Copperas Cove police officer, according to Sgt. Bryan Washko with the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Copperas Cove Police Department identified the officer as Elijah Garretson. No details about what led to the shooting were released, but according to Washko the suspect killed himself after a long negotiation with law enforcement.
OKC police investigate downtown double shooting that killed hotel employee
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma — Oklahoma City police are investigating a double shooting that happened downtown early Sunday morning. Two hotel employees were shot. One of the employees was killed, and the other was injured but is expected to survive. Oklahoma City Police told News 9 officers were called to the scene at N. Broadway Ave. and W. Sheridan Ave. just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Investigators said hotel staff asked some guests to leave, which led to a fight outside the hotel. Police said one of the guests then fired shots and ran away. Officers said they found the suspect at Park Ave. & N Hudson Ave., at a nearby parking garage.
Fatal Crash Involves Two 18-Wheelers
Temple, TX — A truck driver was killed on Interstate 35 in Temple, Texas, early Thursday morning after traffic backed up following an initial fatal accident, according to the Temple Police Department. The crashes occurred on January 8, 2026. This collision involved two tractor-trailer trucks. Investigators determined that one 18-wheeler struck the rear of another commercial truck that was traveling ahead of it. One person was declared dead at the scene. Police said the traffic congestion created by the first crash likely played a role in the second collision, as drivers encountered stopped or slowed vehicles on the interstate.
Suspect in machete attack faces new charges after worker’s death
LAS VEGAS, NV— The man accused of attacking two men with a machete made his first appearance in court Monday morning. Las Vegas Metro Police have identified Victor Vondrasek as the suspect in an attack on a deputy constable and a maintenance worker last week. The attack came as the constable was attempting to serve an eviction notice with the help of the maintenance worker. Vondrasek injured both men with the machete, and was shot by the constable during the attack, police say. He appeared in court on Monday with a bandage on his cheek. The constable, identified as Sergeant Deputy Constable Mark Ruesch, faced non-life-threatening injuries. During the hearing, prosecutors told the judge Vondrasek’s chargers were upgraded to include murder, after the maintenance worker died from his injuries Friday. Vondrasek is also facing charges of attempted murder, battery, and resisting a public officer. He is due back in court on Jan. 26.
Tow truck driver killed, passenger injured in Northeast Philly shooting
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police are searching for two gunmen who killed a tow truck driver and critically injured a woman who was in Northeast Philadelphia Sunday night. The shooting happened around 8 p.m. outside Smokers World at the intersection of Knorr Street and Bustleton Avenue. Police said the 25-year-old driver was about to exit the truck to buy something from the shop when a silver or grey Honda pulled up, the gunmen got out, and opened fire. Inspector D.F. Pace said investigators recovered at least 15 spent shell casings next to the truck. “Clearly one or both of those individuals inside that vehicle were being targeted by the shooters,” Pace said.
Valvoline employee struck by car dies
HALFMOON, N.Y. (WNYT) – The person struck by a car at Valvoline has died from his injuries. The crash happened just before noon Saturday at the service shop on Route 9. Two vehicles were waiting in line to enter the business through a garage door. The driver of the second vehicle, a 63-year-old man from Schagticoke, accelerated rapidly and pinned a 50-year-old employee between his car and the one in front of it, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. The first vehicle was pushed through the rear glass garage door and into a third vehicle. The victim has been identified as Sikander Samuel, 50, Schenectady. Samuel had leg fractures and possible internal injuries, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. He died from his injuries on Monday at Albany Medical Center. The cause of the crash is under investigation. The driver is cooperating. He has been identified by the investigators, but NewsChannel 13 is not reporting his name because he has not been charged with a crime..