How workers died last week: crushed, 2 grain bin suffocations, confined space, skiing avalanche, chemical gas leaks, hydrogen sulfide gas exposure, malfunctioning pressurized hose, shootings and vehicle incidents. On average, almost 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 young men died from hydrogen sulfide gas exposure while cleaning a well in St. Clair County
CLYDE TOWNSHIP, MI — Two young men died, and several others were hospitalized after being exposed to toxic gas during a well-cleaning job in St. Clair County on Tuesday afternoon. Michael Kammer Jr., 21, and Daniel Hagle, 20, were working at a recently sold home on Cribbins Road in Clyde Township when a chemical reaction created deadly hydrogen sulfide gas in the confined space beneath the home’s porch. Three other men working at the home were hospitalized for gas exposure and are expected to recover. Several first responders at the scene were decontaminated at a local hospital as a precaution.Both Kammer and Hagle were rushed to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The medical examiner’s office is still working to determine the official cause of death. “He would give his shirt off his back to help anybody. He was engaged to get married later on this year,” Jenny Kammer, the mother of Michael Kammer Jr., said.
Bodies of 9 backcountry skiers killed in Tahoe-area avalanche are recovered, all victims identified
NEVADA, CA — The bodies of nine backcountry skiers killed in California’s deadliest avalanche on record have been recovered and all of the victims identified. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday announced the recovery of all of the victims’ remains from the Feb. 17 avalanche near Lake Tahoe after earlier snowstorms in the week made the search effort treacherous for crews to operate.
Shannan Moon, the Nevada County sheriff, said the victims were: Andrew Alissandratos, 34, from Verdi, Nevada, Michael Henry, 30, from Tampa Bay, Florida, Nicole “Niki” Choo, 42, from South Lake Tahoe, Carrie Atkin, 42, from South Lake Tahoe, Liz Clabaugh, 52, from Boise, Idaho, Danielle Keatley, 44, from Marin County, Kate Morse, 45, from Marin County, Caroline Sekar, 45, from San Francisco, and Kate Vitt, 43, from Marin County, California. Alissandratos, Henry and Choo were guides at Blackbird Mountain Guides who had led a ski trip to the Frog Lake huts near Castle Peak. The six women on the ski trip were identified by their families on Thursday. Their families said they all were “mothers, wives and friends” who were “passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains.” Six others, an employee with Blackbird Mountain Guides, and five clients, survived the avalanche.
74-year-old man dies in Mahaska County grain bin incident
PELLA, IA — A 74-year-old man was killed in a farming accident Tuesday morning in Mahaska County after he fell and became trapped inside a grain bin. The accident was reported just before 10:15 a.m. near the intersection of 175th Street and Jersey Avenue, about 15 miles east of Pella. According to the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim’s identity has not yet been released.
1 dead following grain bin accident south of Newton; victim identified
NEWTON, KS — The Harvey County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the man who died in a farming accident in Harvey County over the weekend. Mark Klaassen, 37, of Newton, was shifting soybeans Saturday inside a grain bin on a farm in the 2100 block of South Spencer Road. The contents suddenly shifted, trapping and injuring Klaassen. Emergency responders were dispatched to the incident at 2:30 p.m. Klaassen was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other men were working alongside Klaassen. They did not request medical treatment. The death was ruled accidental.
Worker found dead more than 24 hours after feed mill explosion
COFIELD, NC — A Perdue feed mill employee was found dead on Sunday more than 24 hours after an explosion at the facility, according to a Hertford County spokesperson. Hertford County said four employees were onsite at the Perdue feed mill in Cofield when the explosion and fire started at 2:15 a.m. Saturday. One of those employees was airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries, one was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released and one was evaluated and treated on the scene. The remains of the fourth person were found on Sunday, more than 24 hours after they were reported missing. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the explosion.
Man killed, 2 others injured in industrial accident at Assumption Parish plant
ASSUMPTION PARISH, LA — One man was killed, and two others were injured in an industrial accident at a plant in Assumption Parish on Sunday afternoon, officials confirmed. Officials said two contractors and one plant worker were performing a pressure test on a brine well that was not in service when a fitting failed, causing a hose to break loose and strike the workers. The incident killed one contractor and injured the other contractor, along with a plant employee. The two injured workers were airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge for treatment. Assumption Parish Coroner Keith Landry identified the man who died as Keith Foreman, 60. His cause of death is pending an autopsy. Authorities said he is from the Lafayette area. The Louisiana State Police Hazardous Materials Unit is leading the investigation, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been notified.
Worker at Home Depot in N.J. struck, killed by delivery truck
PERTH AMBOY, NJ — A delivery truck struck and killed a worker at a Home Depot warehouse in Perth Amboy on Wednesday morning, officials said. The truck hit the 38-year-old near a loading dock just before 7 a.m. at the warehouse on Riverview Drive, police Chief Larry Cattano said. The man, who was pronounced dead at the scene, has not been identified. The driver stopped and spoke to police. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating. Home Depot didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Second worker who died in Woodland Pulp Mill incident identified
BAILEYVILLE, ME — A second worker has been identified in the chemical gas incident at the Woodland Pulp mill in Baileyville last month. Mill officials say Allen Hornberger, 26, died Tuesday. He was a process engineer who joined the company in September. Hornberger was hospitalized following the January 27 incident. Kasie Malcolm, 20, also died after the incident in the bleach plant. He was a chemical engineering student at the University of Maine who had been interning at the facility since June. Federal investigators from the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) are investigating the fatal chemical release. The CSB does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Texas truck driver found dead in semi during welfare check on I-10 in Santa Rosa County
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, FL — A 49-year-old Wharton, Texas, man was found dead Tuesday afternoon inside a semi truck during a welfare check on Interstate 10 in Santa Rosa County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers say they responded to Interstate 10 westbound at mile marker 28 for a welfare check on the semi truck at 1:06 p.m. When they arrived, the occupant of the truck tractor was found unconscious and was pronounced dead by EMS personnel, according to FHP. Troopers say there did not appear to be signs of foul play. The investigation is ongoing.
Employee killed in accident at Kentucky plant identified
WILLIAMSBURG, KY — An employee who was killed in an accident at the Firestone plant in Williamsburg Wednesday morning has been identified. Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley identified the victim as 51-year-old Jack Henson of Corbin. Williamsburg Police were called to the plant just before 11 a.m. According to police, it appears the man was operating a piece of equipment on the warehouse side of the plant when there was an accident with a standing rack. The man was pronounced dead on scene. Williamsburg Police and the Whitley County Coroner’s Office are investigating.
Georgia police officer killed in interstate crash
HAHIRA, GA — A Georgia police officer has been killed following a crash on I-75. According to multiple media reports, the crash occurred shortly after midnight Thursday in Lowndes County. Investigators said the Hahira police officer had stopped a Nissan on the east shoulder and was sitting inside a marked patrol vehicle with emergency lights activated when a Chevrolet Camaro left the northbound lane and hit the patrol car from behind. The officer, later identified to be Caleb Abney, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. The Camaro driver was taken to South Georgia Medical Center, where the driver was pronounced dead.
Manatee County construction worker fatally struck by backing dump truck
PARRISH, FL — A 53-year-old construction worker was killed Tuesday afternoon after being struck by a dump truck in a construction zone for a new subdivision in Manatee County, troopers said. Investigators said a 2026 Kenworth dump truck, driven by a 46-year-old woman from Wesley Chapel, was backing east on Bella Mar Trail. The man, who was from Tampa, was assisting the driver as the truck backed up to unload when he tripped and fell to the ground, troopers said. The truck’s right-side tires then ran him over. Manatee County EMS pronounced the man dead at the scene. The crash occurred within an active construction area for a new subdivision. The Florida Highway Patrol Traffic Homicide Unit is continuing to investigate.
‘Cold and deliberate’: 20-year-old indicted in Lyft driver killing
CLEVELAND, OH — A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted a 20-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a Lyft driver during a robbery on Cleveland’s East Side. Derrek Dove faces charges of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, aggravated robbery, and felonious assault in the Feb. 10 killing of Antoine Latham, 56, of Cleveland, according to prosecutors. Latham picked up Dove and at least two other passengers that evening for a trip to the 10200 block of Rosehill Avenue near Woodhill Avenue, prosecutors said. During the ride, the passengers robbed Latham of his cell phone and shot him in the back of the head, prosecutors said.
Truck Driver Killed in US 23 Crash in Wyandot County
WYANDOT COUNTY, OH — A truck driver was killed in an accident that occurred Thursday night on US 23 in Wyandot County. According to a release from the Bucyrus Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a semi became disabled and was parked on the right-side berm of 23. 37-year-old Martin Montoya, of California, had the side access panel of the semi open and was standing in the area of the white edge line when the right-side mirror of another southbound semi being operated by 27-year-old Gerti Veiza, of Minnesota, struck the access door and Montoya. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Veiza was transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay for treatment of possible minor injuries. The crash remains under investigation.
Chubbuck man killed in workplace accident at former mine near Soda Springs
SODA SPRINGS, ID — A Chubbuck man was fatally crushed in an accident at a former phosphate mine near Soda Springs on Tuesday. Frank Julian Johnson, 55, of Chubbuck, died during the incident at the Rasmussen Valley Reclamation Project around 2:15 p.m. Caribou County sheriff’s deputies and other local emergency units responded to the incident. Johnson was working for Western States on Kiewit Mining Group equipment at the time of the incident.
1 officer killed, 2nd injured in shooting near Indiana high school; suspect apprehended
BEECH GROVE, ID — One police officer was killed and another was injured in a shooting in Beech Grove, Indiana on Monday. The suspect was taken into custody Monday evening, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Beech Grove Police Department officials identified the officer killed in the shooting as 33-year-old Brian Elliott, who had been on the force for two years. Elliott served with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department prior and was described as a “Beech Grove kid” who always wanted to be a Beech Grove police officer. The other officer who was shot during the incident is expected to survive their injuries, per BGPD.
Highway patrol trooper dies in crash while on duty, officials say
ROBESON COUNTY, NC — A highway patrol trooper in North Carolina died in a crash while on duty, officials said. According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Master Trooper Stien Davis Jr., was involved in a single-car crash after midnight on Sunday. Davis was on duty and traveling in his patrol car when he lost control of his vehicle, traveled off the road and overturned in a swampy area near a highway. The cause of the crash is under investigation at this time.