How Workers died last week: Fall into lubricant tank, crushed by falling steel, grain bin suffocation, snowplowing, falls, electrocution, stabbing, vehicle incidents and shootings. 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.
28-year-old worker dies at San Francisco International Airport
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A San Francisco man died while working at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday evening, officials said. His death is being investigated as an accident. The worker was identified Monday as 28-year-old John Lacayanga by the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office. At about 7 p.m. Sunday, the San Francisco Fire Department responded to the vehicle service road between Terminal 3 and the International Terminal Boarding Area G for a report of a solo vehicle accident and found Lacayanga under a cargo pallet he was apparently towing, according to airport officials. No other vehicles were involved. Representatives of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health were onsite and conducted interviews with the man’s employer. An SFO spokesperson forwarded a statement from the company saying it is working “with the relevant authorities to understand the circumstances of the incident” and is providing support to Lacayanga’s family.
Worker Killed in Industrial Incident at Bayway Chemical Plant in Linden
LINDEN, NJ — A workplace incident at the Bayway Chemical Plant in Linden resulted in the death of a subcontracted worker Wednesday afternoon, authorities confirmed. According to information released by Infineum, the incident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. while the worker was in the process of loading a bulk liquid container at the facility. The plant, located at the corner of Park and Brunswick avenues, is used for lubricant additive production. Emergency responders from the Linden Police Department and Linden Fire Department were called to the scene. One fatality was confirmed. No additional injuries were reported. The individual who died was employed as a subcontractor. The person’s identity and age have not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin. Authorities are expected to make the identification public at a later time. The cause of the incident remains under investigation. Infineum stated that it is cooperating fully with law enforcement and emergency agencies as the investigation continues. Further details are expected as investigators continue their work.
Watertown man dies after work site accident
SKANEATELES, New York (WWNY) – A 27-year-old Watertown man died after a workplace accident last week. The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office said Hunter Foley was killed last Thursday in the town of Skaneateles. 7 News has reached out to the sheriff’s office for more information. We’ll update this story when we hear back. According to Syracuse news media, Foley was seriously injured after being struck in the head by an excavator at 1725 Coon Hill Road. He was taken to Upstate University Hospital, where he later died. According to his obituary, Foley was employed by Heller’s Gas, a propane supplier in the town of Hounsfield.
1 dies in grain bin accident, another life-flighted from far
PUTNAM Co., Ill. (KWQC) – Emergency crews responded to a grain bin rescue and recovery Monday afternoon just south of Granville. One fatality was reported while another person was life-flighted from the scene, officials said. The grain bin was located on a farm in the 13000 block of County Road 950 North, just south of Granville, according to emergency responders on-scene. Crews got the call around 2:18 p.m. A report said that a person had collapsed and was trapped in a grain bin partially filled with soybeans. It was also reported that another person may be in the bin as well. When crews arrived, they said they were able to gain access to the bin through a side door and a man was found inside with soybeans up to his chest. That person then told crews that there was another person who had been taking soybeans out of the bin and that they may have gone in, so they attempted to find and save them. They said they hadn’t seen the other person and were unsure if they were trapped or inside the bin, the person told crews. As rescue operations continued, the first person was rescued from the grain bin using a rescue tube and auger system as well as a rescue grain vacuum system, crews said. The first person was helped out of the grain bin and to an ambulance where they were later life flighted from the scene for further evaluation and treatment. After the first person was taken from the bin, crews said they began to use the grain bin vacuum in a methodical search of the bin. Shortly after in the search for the second person, they were found near the bottom of the bin and operations shifted to a recovery effort, crews said. Rescue crews worked in shifts to remove the soybeans from the bin and recover the second person. At approximately 4:46 p.m., the deceased person was found and removed from the bin and turned over to the coroner, crews said.
US pilot dies in fall from bulk carrier off Florida
Panama City, FL — A US pilot has died in a fall while leaving an ultramax bulker off Florida. St Andrew Bay Pilots said Captain Phillip Brady lost his life when he fell from a ladder into the sea from the Singapore-flagged 63,500-dwt Lowlands Luck (built 2023). The pilot organisation said it was in mourning. Brady, 46, was a 2001 graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy from Mobile, Alabama. He had served in Florida for six years as a harbour pilot in Panama City. The Lowlands Luck was outbound at the time, according to the Florida Harbor Pilots Association, which said the incident is being investigated. The circumstances surrounding the accident are not yet known.
Bartlett worker killed after Metra MD-W train hits small snowplow
BARTLETT, Ill. (WLS) — A worker clearing snow has died after being struck by a Metra train in Bartlett Monday morning, authorities said. Police confirmed a Bartlett Public Works employee died at an area hospital after the crash. He was 64 years old. Metra District West service was disrupted after the Elgin-bound train struck the small snowplow vehicle at the intersection of Oak Avenue and Railroad Avenue about 8:35 a.m. Metra said a village of Bartlett employee was driving a small vehicle with a snowplow attached when it was struck by a train.
OSHA Probes Fatal Industrial Accident at Akron’s Logan Machine Company
Akron, OH – A fatal industrial accident at Logan Machine Company has prompted an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), according to multiple reports. On January 6, 49-year-old Mykl Kofahl was killed after a large piece of steel fell and struck him while he was welding, as confirmed by the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities have not disclosed any further specifics regarding the incident, stressing that the investigation remains in progress. The severity and nature of the accidents, both past and present, at Logan Machine Company underscore the inherent dangers that workers in industrial settings continue to face. In the earlier 2015 incident, the worker succumbed to “crushing injuries to the torso” and “blunt force trauma,” according to Local12’s coverage of the medical examiner’s findings.
Construction Worker died in Scaffolding Accident
Morningside Heights, NY – – A 38-year-old man, Miguel Rodriguez died in a scaffolding accident at the Morningside Heights construction site on Thursday. The victim fell five stories to his death when his scaffolding collapsed. He was wearing a safety harness, but it was not tethered to the building. Malik Hussain, 26, who is the owner of Classic Painting & Restoration Inc., told city officials probing the death that there was a rigging foreman present at the Morningside Heights site, a safety measure required by law, the Department of Investigation said. The construction site was being supervised by a bogus foreman, Jinal Patel (aged 23) who lacked the training and certification required to oversee the construction sites. He was arrested for presenting a fake identification card claiming that he was the foreman, despite a lack of training and certification, the department said. Both Hussain and Patel were charged with criminal impersonation, which is punishable by up to one year in prison. Rather than hiring a certified foreman, the owner Malik Hussain asked an unqualified worker to pose as a foreman and even allowed him to use his identification card. Then, after the co-worker died in the scaffolding accident, the unqualified employee tried to keep us that false appearance and misguiding the police.
Semi-truck driver dies in crash involving 3 semis on I-65 near Lafayette
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, IN (WNDU) – A semi-truck driver died Tuesday afternoon in a multi-vehicle crash on I-65 near the 176th mile marker. Indiana State Police said three semi-trucks were involved in the crash that happened at 3:35 p.m. in the southbound lanes. According to police, a 2023 Freightliner semi-truck and trailer failed to slow for traffic that was backed up in the lane due to a separate crash. After failing to slow down, the semi-truck hit two other semi-trucks and trailers that had slowed or stopped in the traffic. Police said the driver, later identified as 52-year-old Richard Newlin, of the 2023 Freightliner died at the scene. The other semi-truck drivers were not injured in the crash.
Driver dies after tanker truck overturns in Bucks County, Pennsylvania State Police say
Bensalem, PA –The driver of a tanker truck died after it overturned Monday in Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania State Police said. It happened at around 1 a.m. as the tanker truck was driving on the off-ramp from I-276 eastbound, according to state police. State police said the tanker truck overturned into a retention pond just off the highway and down an embankment. First responders attempted to extricate the tanker driver, later identified as 34-year-old Matthew Ronca from Lancaster County, but he was found dead inside the truck, according to state police. It’s unclear what caused the crash.
Worker reportedly dies in fall at SSAB Alabama steel mill
AXIS, AL (WALA) – The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the agency is investigating a workplace death at an area steel mill. It happened Tuesday at the SSAB Alabama steel mill in Axis. MCSO officials would only say they are investigating a death at the location and they are unable to provide further details at this time. According to SSAB’s website, the company is a specialized, premium steel manufacturer. In spring 2025, the company announced a $74 million expansion of its heat treat capacity at the Axis facility.
Worker killed in Elkhart construction site accident
ELKHART, IN (WNDU) — A LaPorte man is dead after officials say he died in a construction work site accident over the weekend. The Elkhart County Coroner’s Office says it happened on Saturday at the Sunnyside Overpass project in Elkhart. According to officials, 31-year-old Michael Knotts of Rieth-Riley Construction was directing a pipe in the driver when for an unknown reason the driver become disconnected and struck him. The coroner says his cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma injuries. His death has been ruled as accidental.
OSHA investigating after electrocution kills 25-year-old in Kershaw County
KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — A 25-year-old man died Tuesday evening following an industrial electrocution accident in the Bethune area of Kershaw County, according to the county coroner. The Kershaw County Coroner’s Office said 911 received a call at approximately 5:35 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2026, reporting an electrocution involving an industrial well drilling operation. The victim was identified as Sheldon Moree, 25, of the Chesterfield area. Coroner David West said Moree was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident remains under investigation by the Kershaw County Coroner’s Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Bossier Sheriff’s Office deputy killed in line of duty when struck by train
BOSSIER CITY, LA — A Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy died Wednesday after being struck by a train while on duty at the intersection of Highway 3 and Kingston Road, north of Bossier City. Tim Jordan died after being taken to Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport. He was working a traffic assignment at the time of the incident around 8 a.m. Information from BPSO is that the deputy “may have misjudged the proximity of his vehicle in relation to the train track. Jordan was in his fourth year with the agency. The Louisiana State Police are investigating the death.
Contractor dies in fall at SSAB facility, MCSO says
AXIS, AL (WALA) — A contractor died Tuesday after falling about 101 feet through a roof panel at the SSAB, according to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Johnny Fabbo Rosario, 38, was working on the roof of a large industrial building at SSAB, located at 12400 Highway 43, authorities said. Rosario was part of a team replacing metal roof panels on the building. The roof team was using a crane and basket to access the roof. Rosario was on the roof looking for a cutting wheel to finish cutting roof panels when he stepped on a panel that already had a seam cut on one side, authorities said. The panel gave way and Rosario fell into the building, landing on a metal staircase, MCSO said. He suffered a severe laceration to his head that resulted in his death. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office said Rosario was not using any safety equipment at the time of the fall. MCSO has ruled this investigation as an accidental death.
Former client stabs mental health counselor to death, Orange County deputies say
ORANGE COUNTY, FL — A woman who was a mental health counselor was stabbed to death by a former client, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday. The double stabbing happened at an office building on Lee Road on Monday night, leaving the woman dead and another person critically injured. Michael Smith, 39, a former client of the licensed counselor who works in the office building, has been identified as the suspect. He was found dead just before 8 a.m. near the 9000 block of Windy Ridge Road on Tuesday. Deputies say he died by suicide. According to OCSO, Smith interrupted a therapy session between Rebecca White, the counselor, and another client, demanding to speak with her. Deputies say White immediately addressed Smith and told him to leave. When the male victim, White’s client, told Smith that he was calling 911, Smith produced a knife and attacked them both. Just after 9 p.m. on Monday, deputies responded to the scene where they discovered White with “significant injuries,” according to OCSO. She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she later died from her injuries. OCSO said the second victim was also transported to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Deputies say the man in his 30s underwent surgery and is expected to recover. The attack occurred during a large gathering inside the building, located near Adanson Street and west of I-4.
Semi-truck driver hauling ‘flammable material’ dies in Alaska Highway ‘fireball’ crash
ANCHORAGE, AK — The driver of a northbound semi-truck that was hauling “flammable material” has died following a single-vehicle crash along the Alaska Highway about an hour north of Fort Nelson, B.C. Northern B.C. RCMP said police responded to a report of a crash involving a propane tanker truck at 4:43 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Police said the truck was on fire and the highway was “completed blocked.” Witnesses to the scene told RCMP they saw a “fireball” and heard exploding sounds. A press release issued by Northern Rockies RCMP on Jan. 20 indicates the truck failed to stop at a mandatory brake check in the area of Highway 97 near Steamboat Hill. The scene couldn’t be accessed until firefighters secured the scene, as noted in the release. In the aftermath, the driver was found dead. An investigation is underway as investigators work to determine causal factors, state the RCMP. BC Coroners Service, Fire Services, Environment Canada and Transport Canada are involved. The driver hasn’t been identified. After being closed for over 24 hours, the stretch of highway, has reopened Wednesday morning around 6:40 a.m. Pacific time, according to a road report from Public Services and Procurement Canada and DriveBC. The road runs from Dawson Creek, B.C., to the Alaska border near Beaver Creek, Yukon, in Canada.
Man killed in N.J. workplace accident
MIDDLESEX, NJ — A 26-year-old man was killed after being struck by a vehicle while at work on Wednesday in Middlesex County, officials said. John Medvetz was hit by a yard transport vehicle when he walked out of a shipping container in the back of 155 Smith Street in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge, township police said. Medvetz, of Carteret, was struck and 10:25 a.m. and died of his injuries at an area hospital less than an hour later. The yard transport vehicle was being operated by a 65-year-old man, who worked for another company at the site. Multiple businesses, including a containers services company, operate out of the Keasbey address, but police couldn’t immediately say who employed Medvetz. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident, which police said appears to be an accident. OSHA couldn’t immediately be reached for more information.
Deputy cadet dies during training, just 10 days after being hired, NC sheriff
FRANKLIN, NC — Cadet Ryan Phillip Ferreira, 26, was conducting law enforcement cadet training at Southwestern Community College’s Jerry Sutton Public Safety Training Center in Franklin, NC, when he suffered a medical emergency, investigators say. It happened Thursday, Jan. 22, at Southwestern Community College in Franklin, during a physical abilities course that involves timed chases, apprehensions and rescues, officials said. Cadet Ryan Ferreira was hired by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 12. A cause of death for Cadet Ryan Phillip Ferreira has not been released. “He appeared to suffer a medical emergency during physical training assessment,” the sheriff’s office reported in a news release. “Instructors and cadets immediately administered life-saving measures as Macon County EMS and Fire-Rescue personnel arrived at the training center within seven minutes. Ferreira was transported to Angel Medical Center, where he unfortunately passed away.” Cadets are required to submit a medical history in advance of taking the course, revealing allergies, medications, hospitalizations and conditions, according to the college’s website.
Worker dies after being crushed between minivan, tow truck in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) — A worker died after a minivan rolled backward and pinned them against a tow truck at a northeast Kansas City business. The Kansas City Police Department says the fatal accident happened just after 12:35 p.m., near NE Parvin Rd. Investigators note that the worker had just offloaded a gray Dodge Caravan from a transport truck. The minivan was not in park and began rolling backward. The worker tried to jump into the driver’s seat and stop the van, according to first responders. Instead, it rolled into a parked Freightliner tow truck, crushing the worker between the two vehicles. Emergency crews say they rushed the worker to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries. Hospital staff pronounced them deceased. As of 8 p.m., police have not released the victim’s identity. The investigation remains ongoing.
Semitruck driver dies in late-Wednesday night multi-vehicle crash near Oklahoma border, says Colorado State Patrol
BACA COUNTY, CO — A semitruck driver died in a late-Wednesday night multi-vehicle crash on Highway 287, Colorado State Patrol (CSP) said. Around 11:39 p.m. Wednesday, CSP was called to a crash involving three semis in the southeast corner of the state, just north of the Oklahoma state line. A 48-year-old man out of Florida was driving a Volvo semitruck hauling a trailer. He was headed southbound on Highway 287, behind a Peterbilt semi also hauling a trailer. In the opposite lane headed northbound on Highway 287, CSP said a 54-year-old man out of Texas was driving a second Peterbilt semi hauling a trailer. The driver of the first Peterbilt semi crossed over the center line of the road, hitting the 54-year-old Texas driver head on. The first Peterbilt semi truck was then engulfed in flames. The 54-year-old Texas man drove off the right side of the road before bringing the semi to a stop. The 48-year-old Florida driver also drove off the right side of the road to avoid the crash, hitting a barbed wire fence before coming to a stop. The first Peterbilt semi truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Man dead after head-on crash with Phoenix city bus on Lower Buckeye Road Monday morning
PHOENIX, AZ — A man was killed after his pickup truck slammed head-on into a Phoenix city bus early Monday morning near 51st Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road, according to Phoenix Police. Officers responded to the scene just before 4 a.m. and found the pickup truck and the bus heavily damaged. Phoenix Police say Phoenix Fire crews took the adult male driver of the truck to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries. He has been identified as 48-year-old Delfino Mota Jr. The bus driver was not hurt, Phoenix Police say, and there were no passengers on board at the time of the crash. Preliminary information from Phoenix Police suggests the pickup truck crossed into oncoming traffic before hitting the bus head-on.
Truck driver killed in early morning I-95 crash in Clarendon County
CLARENDON COUNTY, SC — A 60-year-old North Carolina man was killed early Saturday morning in a single-vehicle collision on Interstate 95 in Clarendon County, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Clarendon County Coroner’s Office. The crash occurred at about 5:30 a.m. Jan. 24 on I-95 northbound near the 113 mile marker, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said. According to SCHP, the collision involved one vehicle, a 2024 International tractor-trailer. The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of his injuries. Troopers said the tractor-trailer was traveling north on I-95 when it ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a guardrail and then collided with a tree. Clarendon County Coroner Jacqueline Blackwell identified the victim as Jimmy Wayne Melvin, 60, of Dover, North Carolina. An autopsy is scheduled for next week at the Medical University of South Carolina, according to the coroner’s office. The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. No further details were available at this time.
Snowplow company employee fatally run over while clearing lot
DAYTON, OH (WDTN) — An employee with a snowplow company is dead after being run over by a snowplow in the 600 block of St. Paul Avenue Sunday morning. According to the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch, the crash happened at approximately 11:30 a.m. Officials spoke with 2 NEWS on the scene and confirmed the man’s death. According to the Dayton Police Department’s Police Information Specialist James Rider, a private plow company was clearing a private lot when the snowplow backed over an employee. He was taken by medics to a nearby hospital, where he died. The crash is under active investigation by the Dayton Police Department’s Traffic Services Unit.
NM Firefighter Dies Responding to Medical Call
CLIFF GILA, NM — The Valencia County Fire Department has expressed its condolences to the Cliff Gila Fire Department in southwest New Mexico following the death of firefighter Brittany Hathaway, who died Wednesday while responding to an emergency medical call. According to the department, Hathaway suffered a medical issue during the EMS response and could not be revived. Details about the nature of the medical emergency have not been released.
7-Eleven worker shot to death in Arizona after confronting shoplifter, police say
TUCSON, AZ — A suspect has been taken into custody after a 7-Eleven employee was shot to death at a store in southern Arizona. The Tucson Police Department said 55-year-old Scott Dwayne Kennedy died while working at the 7-Eleven location near 29th Street and Swan Road on the night of Jan. 22. Kennedy had reportedly confronted a shoplifter before the shooting occurred, police said. The suspect fled from the store, and no other injuries were reported. On Sunday, police announced the arrest of 20-year-old Andres K. McKale for his alleged involvement in the incident. The suspect is facing charges of armed robbery and first-degree murder.