How workers died last week: Trench collapse, fall, struck by train, construction incidents, grass fire, malfunctioning industrial equipment, shootings, stabbing, vehicular collisions. 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.
1 man dead, another critically injured after rubble collapses on pair at NYC construction site
BROOKLYN, NY — One worker was killed, and another was critically injured after a construction trench collapsed in Bushwick on Thursday morning. EMS rushed the injured workers to a local hospital. A 47-year-old man was pronounced dead, and a 40-year-old man is in critical, but stable condition, police said. The alarming incident unfolded at a two-story building that was under a permit for foundation work to increase the building’s height, the NYC Department of Buildings said. While the men were removing debris to begin foundation work, rubble from the adjacent building’s foundation collapsed on top of them, according to the DOB. The DOB has now issued a full stop-work order at the construction site, as well as partial vacate orders for the site’s neighboring yards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the incident.
Contractor dies at BPS school
BUFFALO, NY — An electrical contractor was found dead at a Buffalo Public School District (BPS) high school last Friday. A spokesperson for BPS confirmed that an electrical contractor died at Burgard High School on February 20 while working at the school. The name of the contractor has not been revealed nor has a cause of death been confirmed as an investigation into the situation is ongoing, BPS said in a statement. No students or staff were present at the school at the time of the contractor’s death.
Deadly workplace accident in Laurens County, South Carolina
GRAY COURT, S.C. — A 47-year-old man has died after a workplace accident in Laurens County, South Carolina, according to the coroner. The Laurens County Coroner’s Office said Jason Lambert fell Sunday while working at ISOFlex Packaging in Gray Court. Lambert was taken to Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital shortly before 2 p.m. and died about 6 p.m., the coroner’s office said. Preliminary information indicates that the death resulted from injuries sustained in the fall.
Connecticut man killed after hit by ratchet strap in blizzard had ‘great life’ ahead, family says
HEBRON, CT — Shane Colton Albert of Hebron, who died after an accident Monday, was a hardworking man who was characteristically working when his life ended, his parents, Keith and Jennifer Albert, said Wednesday. He was 25. Shane Albert was a heavy equipment operator with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478. During the storm, he was working a side gig, plowing out residential and commercial properties in Hebron, his parents said. The accident happened on Burnt Hill Road in Hebron when a ratchet strap snapped and struck him in the head, Connecticut State Police said.
Amtrak worker killed when struck by train
EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP, PA — An Amtrak maintenance worker was killed today (Monday, Feb. 23) when struck by a train near Lancaster, PA. The incident occurred about 11:30 a.m. in East Lampeter Township, just east of Lancaster. The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as 39-year-old Jeremy Charles of Holtwood, Pa. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The news site Lancaster Online reports the coroner’s office said Charles was working with a crew on the rail line when he was struck.
Corrections officer killed in Morgan County
MORGAN COUNTY, TN — The Tennessee Department of Correction is investigating after a correctional officer, later revealed to be Dustin Pedigo, was stabbed to death at the Morgan County Correctional Complex late Tuesday night, said Ninth Judicial District Attorney General Russell Johnson. The facility was placed on lockdown, and the inmate responsible was identified, TDOC said. Johnson added that the inmate was taken to another facility. The investigation is ongoing.
Worker killed at Pontotoc County oil facility
PONTOTOC COUNTY, OK — A worker died Friday morning in an accident at an oil facility south of Stonewall. The Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office said the unnamed 48-year-old man had been working on a pump jack at a Citation Oil and Gas Corporation site on County Road 1650 when he was caught in the mechanism and was killed. The sheriff’s department is leading the investigation into the incident.
Family identifies Durham pizza shop employee killed in shooting, coworker charged
SOUTH DURHAM, NC — Family members have identified the man who died in a shooting on Thursday at a shopping center in south Durham. Mohammed Aly died in the shooting along South Miami Boulevard, family members said. Aly was pronounced dead at the scene.
Construction worker dead after being hit by vehicle in work zone on I-70
COLUMBUS, OH — A construction worker is dead after being hit by a vehicle in a work zone on Interstate 70 near downtown Columbus early Saturday morning, according to police. The driver reportedly entered a construction zone while workers were present. While traveling through the construction zone, police said the driver swerved and hit a worker and a generator. The driver did not stay at the scene. The construction worker was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:12 a.m. The crash remains under investigation.
Accident claims worker at Hollidaysburg scrapyard
HOLLIDAYSBURG, PA — A Hollidaysburg scrapyard employee died Friday afternoon in an accident involving a dump trailer rig, according to officials. Gerald Dively of Lilly, 53, died from crushing when the trailer of his rig rolled onto the cab of the tractor he was operating at Joe Krentzman & Son Inc., Blair County Coroner Ray Benton stated in a news release. The accident occurred when the load on the dump trailer shifted, the trailer rolled to the side, the dumping mechanism failed and the trailer came down onto the roof of the cab, according to Hollidaysburg police Det. Jeff Friday. The incident remains under investigation, according to Friday.
2 deputies killed, 2 other officers wounded; man wanted in shooting also dead
HIGHLANDVILLE, MO — Two deputies were killed in Missouri, one during a traffic stop and the other in a subsequent shootout with the suspect. The man accused of killing them was fatally shot by law enforcement after an hour-long manhunt. Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole said Deputy Gabriel Ramirez, 30, was shot and killed during a traffic stop on State Highway 160, south of Highlandville, at about 4 p.m. Monday. The suspected gunman, identified by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office as Richard Bird, fled, prompting a manhunt. Officers found Bird’s vehicle abandoned on State Highway 160 and began searching for him in the nearby wooded area. After hours of searching, a Highway Patrol helicopter noticed a moving heat signature. Cole reported that as deputies moved in, Bird opened fire. One Christian County deputy, identified as Deputy Michael Hislope, 40, was killed in the shooting. Two other deputies, one from Christian County and another from Webster County, were also injured. Cole said their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The identities of the two injured deputies have not been released at this time. Officers returned fire and Bird was killed after being struck.
BCSO sergeant killed in East Mountains traffic stop crash
ALBUQUERQUE, NM — A Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office sergeant has died after a crash traffic stop on eastbound I-40 near Carnuel. Sheriff John Allen confirmed Sgt. Michael Schlattman died Monday after a semi-truck hit his vehicle and pinned him beneath it. Schlattman was conducting a traffic stop he had been called to just before 5 p.m. According to BCSO, the semi-truck driver was treated at UNM Hospital. It is unclear if they released them. The Rio Rancho Police Department is leading the investigation. Sheriff Allen said this would be done to prevent any bias.
Fort Bend County deputy dies after hit-and-run while helping stranded driver on I-10, officials say
HOUSTON, TX — A somber procession lit up the night sky as law enforcement agencies from across the Houston area honored Fort Bend County Deputy Kenneth Lewis. The veteran deputy died Monday, two days after police say he was struck by a driver who fled the scene while Lewis was helping a stranded motorist. According to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office (FBCSO), Lewis was in uniform when he pulled over in his personal car to help the driver. He was then hit by a passing vehicle that sped off. It happened at about 3:40 a.m. on Saturday on I-10 near Eldridge Parkway. Lewis was heading home from an extra duty, said FBCSO Chief Deputy Mattie Provost. Lewis’ three teenage children, 17-year-old twin boys and a 15-year-old daughter, were with him when he died, in addition to other family and friends, Provost said.
San Joaquin County sergeant dies after suffering medical emergency while on duty
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CA — A 40-year-old sergeant with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office died on Tuesday after suffering a medical emergency while on the job. The sheriff’s office said Sgt. Jason Whelen died after collapsing in a locker room. Fellow deputies and medical personnel rushed to assist him, but the lifesaving efforts were not successful. Whelen was married and a father of four. He had been with the sheriff’s office since Oct. 15, 2007 and was promoted to sergeant in 2013.
Cobb County elementary school secretary dies while at work, school district says
COBB COUNTY, GA — A secretary at a Cobb County elementary school died while at work Tuesday, according to district officials. Officials said no students were involved in the incident. However, the loss is being felt across the campus, a spokesperson said. Details about the cause of death were not immediately released.
Semi-truck driver killed after trailer goes up in flames in I-95 crash
BREVARD COUNTY, FL — The northbound lanes of Interstate 95 are closed in Brevard County after a fatal crash on Thursday afternoon, Florida Highway Patrol says. The crash happened at mile marker 232 north of Deering Parkway in Mims just before 2:30 p.m. A semi-truck with a trailer “struck the inside shoulder guardrail, and became engulfed in flames,” FHP said. The driver was pronounced deceased on-scene, FHP said.
Dump truck driver killed in crash on US 33 in Marysville
COLUMBUS, OH — A person died in a crash on US 33 on Thursday afternoon, Marysville police say. The crash around noon. Police said the dump truck traveling eastbound left the roadway and struck a tree. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. No other vehicles or occupants were involved in the crash. Police have not yet publicly identified the driver.
Las Vegas truck driver 1 of 2 people killed in head-on Nye County crash
NYE COUNTY, NV — A truck driver from Las Vegas was one of two people killed Thursday morning in a head-on crash involving trucks in Nye County. Investigators say a white 2016 Freightliner Straight flatbed tow truck was northbound on U.S. 95 just when it crossed over into the southbound travel lane. A white 2025 International semi-trailer was approaching the Freightliner and attempted evasive action but was unsuccessful. Both vehicles then caught fire. The driver of the Freightliner, Donald Joseph Selters, 40, of Tonopah, and Gregory Keith Glenn, 67, of Las Vegas, who drove the International, were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Two-vehicle I-95 crash involving tractor trailer leaves 1 driver dead
NORTH BREVARD, FL — Florida Highway Patrol troopers are investigating a fatal two-vehicle crash on I-95 in north Brevard near Scottsmoor. The crash was reported about 2:25 p.m. just north of Deering Parkway, with traffic cameras showing what appears to be a tractor trailer on its side in flames. The truck, according to troopers, overturned and struck a nearby guardrail before becoming engulfed in smoke and flames. The truck’s driver was declared dead at the scene, troopers reported. A second vehicle, a 2004 Volvo truck, was also involved. The driver and passenger in the Volvo were not injured.
Tri-Lakes VFD release name of firefighter killed fighting Titus County grass fire
BLODGETT, TX — The Tri-Lakes Voluntary Fire Department identified the firefighter killed Friday battling a grass fire in Titus County. Firefighter Jeff Derrick died trying to escape the fire after becoming disoriented and eventually overcome by smoke while making his way to his vehicle, according to the department. Derrick, along with other Tri-Lakes and Mount Pleasant firefighters, responded to a grass fire that later spread to a pasture in the 1400 block of FM 21 in Titus County.
Mariner dies while working on barge in Jeffersonville, Coast Guard says
Jeffersonville, IN — An investigation is underway after a mariner died while working on a barge. The United States Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley said the incident happened on Friday, Feb. 27, in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Officials said they cannot provide specific details at this time.
Highway patrol trooper killed in the line of duty after wrong-way crash, NCSHP says
DURHAM COUNTY, NC — The North Carolina State Highway Patrol says Master Trooper Steven J. Perry has passed away from an on-duty traffic collision while working in Durham County. According to highway patrol, he was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver while traveling on NC-147 early Sunday morning. The other involved driver also died from the crash. Trooper Perry was a member of the 148th Basic Patrol School and has served Durham County throughout his nearly 7-year career, according to highway patrol.
Amarillo truck driver killed in Montague County wreck
MONTAGUE COUNTY, TX — The investigation continues into the fatal wreck that claimed the life of an Amarillo man in Montague County over the weekend. It happened just after 4:30 Saturday morning, Feb. 28, 2026, on US 82 east of Nocona. According to Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Juan Gutierrez, the driver of a semi-truck was westbound on US 82 when he came across a herd of cattle on the roadway. The driver attempted to get out of the way but hit three cows. The semi-truck skidded onto its side, sliding into a ditch and a barbed wire fence. The driver, 59-year-old Danny Lovelady, was pronounced dead on the scene due to injuries suffered during the crash. The crash is still under investigation by the Texas Highway Patrol.
Worker dies while changing tire at local dairy
Bakersfield, CA — A worker at a Wasco tire company died Jan. 30 when equipment he was using broke, the state Department of Industrial Relations reported Tuesday. The agency said in a news release that the unidentified employee of Wasco Tire Service had been called to Solo Dairy to change a tractor tire. After the worker lifted the vehicle and placed cribbing under it, the material broke and the tractor fell on him, according to a DIR news release. It noted the worker died at the scene. It said the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the incident.