Occupational Fatalities: The Weekly Toll

How workers died last week: grain bin incident, farming, tree care, copper mine, fall, industrial incidents, equipment malfunctions, railroad, explosion, shootings and vehicular collisions. On average, 100 workers die every week from traumatic injuries on the job in the United States. 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.

Man dies in LaSalle County grain bin accident

MARSEILLES, IL — A Sheridan man died Tuesday in a grain bin and auger accident, according to the LaSalle County Coroner. Owen Floyd Severson, 66, was identified as the victim of the fatal accident. The night of July 7, the coroner was called out to the 2600 block of N. 2950th Road in Marseilles. A man was recovered from a grain bin by fire and rescue personnel and was pronounced dead. Initial findings of an autopsy show he died from traumatic injuries suffered in the accident. The investigation remains active by the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office and the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office.

Alabama chicken litter broker dies in farm equipment accident

LAWRENCE COUNTY, AL — A 71-year-old Alabama man died July 1 after becoming trapped in a piece of equipment used to load poultry litter at a Lawrence County poultry farm, according to local authorities. Jehu Hester of Russellville was identified as the victim. County Coroner Scott Norwood said emergency crews were dispatched to a farm on County Road 136 after reports that someone was trapped in a chicken litter elevator. By the time first responders arrived, the incident had become a recovery operation, according to FOX54 News. Norwood said Hester worked as a chicken litter broker, purchasing poultry litter from farmers and selling it for use as fertilizer. According to WAAY 31, Hester had been missing since the previous evening after his truck was found still running but unattended.

Hendricks County Coroner Investigates Pittsboro Factory Worker’s Death

PITTSBORO, IN — Authorities in Hendricks County are investigating the death of a factory worker in Pittsboro. According to the Hendricks County Coroner’s Office, a man at Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) in Pittsboro died on Friday after being taken from the facility to Hendricks Regional Health Brownsburg. Chief Deputy Coroner Stephanie Moore suspects that it was a “work-related heat death,” but Chief Coroner Daniel Chubb said in a statement that “it is too early in the investigation to say if it was heat related alone or a combination of heat and a medical condition.”

Wichita man dies after crashing semi truck into another semi truck

PRATT COUNTY, KS — A man from Wichita died after crashing his semi truck into another semi truck in Pratt County on Saturday. The Kansas Highway Patrol says that at 5:22 a.m. on Saturday, 53-year-old James Glover Jr. was driving a semi truck east on U54 in Pratt County when he crossed the center line for an unknown reason. Another semi truck driver was headed west and attempted to avoid Glover. Glover hit the side of the westbound semi truck. He died at the scene. Kansas Highway Patrol states that Glover was not wearing a seatbelt. The other driver entered the north ditch. He was not injured.

Worker dies at eastern Arizona copper mine

MORENCI, AZ — A worker at an eastern Arizona copper mine died Monday. The worker died after a “haul truck accident” at Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci mine, according to the company. “Our thoughts and condolences are with the employee’s family, friends and coworkers during this difficult time,” company officials said in a statement. No other details were shared, but company officials said the Mine Safety and Health Administration and Arizona State Mine Inspector responded and are investigating. Truck driver Charles McCargish was killed in the incident.

Lime Mine Worker Killed

Marble City, OK — A worker was killed in a power haulage incident at the United States Lime & Minerals mine in Marble City, OK on July 6, 2026.

Man dies after getting trapped in conveyor belt at work

DEERFIELD BEACH, FL — A man was killed after getting trapped in a conveyor belt at work on Friday. The Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue said crews responded to a report of an industrial accident in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Officials said the man got trapped under the hopper arm of a conveyor belt while trying to address an issue with a large production machine. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and his identity has not been released.

Worker killed in construction site accident in Blackford County

BLACKFORD COUNTY, IN — The Blackford County Sheriff’s Office said a worker died Friday morning following an accident in rural Blackford County. Investigators said the accident was at the construction site of a windmill. Deputies and emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene at 11:24 a.m. July 10. When they arrived, deputies found a man who had suffered fatal injuries. The sheriff’s office said he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Blackford County Sheriff’s Office and the Blackford County Coroner’s Office are conducting the investigation. Police said the victim’s family has been notified. The Blackford County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Hunter Torpey of Michigan. Investigators say the incident remains under investigation, but there is currently no indication of foul play.

Vt. subcontractor dead after workplace accident at landfill

COVENTRY, VT — A 58-year-old man is dead following a workplace accident in Coventry, Vermont. State police, investigating Thomas Feerick‘s death at Casella Waste Systems, say contractors called 911 around 9:40 a.m. Thursday. Newport EMS was dispatched to 21 Landfill Lane for an unconscious man who was reported to have fallen, and arrived on scene to find the injured Feerick, who was taken to North Country Hospital in Newport, where he was pronounced dead. Feerick, of Fairfax, was working as a subcontractor at the landfill. He was operating an aerial lift to remove a section of fencing when the lift tipped over down a small embankment, according to police. Feerick was not harnessed and was thrown from the platform when it struck the ground or just before. All evidence suggests the incident was accidental and it is not considered suspicious, police added.

BPU worker dies while doing utility work in Kansas City, Kan.

KANSAS CITY, KS — A worker with the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) was killed on the job on Sunday afternoon. A spokesperson for BPU said one of its employees died “following an incident while performing utility work.” The statement went on to say: “Our hearts are with the employee’s family, friends, and coworkers during this incredibly difficult time. Out of respect for the family, we are not releasing the employee’s name. The incident remains under investigation, and BPU is cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities. We ask that everyone respect the privacy of the employee’s loved ones as they grieve this profound loss.” KCKFD crews had to wait to confirm with BPU power was off before attending to the victim, Joshua McKee, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Employee dies at Granite City steel mill

GRANITE CITY, IL — A worker died at U.S. Steel’s Granite City Works facility Saturday morning, U.S. Steel said in a statement. The identity of the employee was not released on Sunday. The statement said U.S. Steel was “working to understand the circumstances around this tragedy” but did not provide further details about what happened. It said it will fully cooperate with investigations into the incident. “There are no words that can capture the grief we feel for our colleague, their family, friends and coworkers,” the statement said.

Woman dies after fall in industrial accidental

UTICA, NY — The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal industrial accident. The sheriff’s office said it was called to Titan Homes in the Town of Sangerfield for a report of the accident around 9 a.m. on July 9. The office said a woman, 45-year-old Heather Gantz, from Ilion, N.Y., fell and became not responsive. The office did not say where she fell from or what caused her to fall. Emergency crews tried to save her life before she was taken to Wynn Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

City releases new details after worker dies in machinery accident near Fulton Corridor

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — The City of Corpus Christi has released new details about the industrial accident that killed a worker near the Port of Corpus Christi. According to the city, the Corpus Christi Fire Department was dispatched around 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday to the 6000 block of Joe Fulton Road for a reported industrial machinery incident. The city said firefighters arrived to find a man trapped in machinery who had already died. Officials said the response became a recovery operation, and the Corpus Christi Fire Department Rescue Team recovered the worker from the machinery. The Port of Corpus Christi Police Department and the Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office also responded to the scene. The Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the worker as Mario Saldana, 43. Officials said his family has been notified.

Georgia Hotel Worker Dies Two Days Before Birthday in Unloading Accident

MACON, GA — A 52-year-old man who lived and worked at the Ramada Inn in Macon was killed Monday afternoon after a load of heavy metal gates shifted and fell on him while he was unloading a tractor-trailer, authorities said. The victim, identified by the Bibb County Coroner’s Office as Sanjay Patel, was unloading the trailer at 4755 Chambers Road, the site of the Ramada Inn, when the accident occurred. 13WMAZ, citing Deputy Danielle Mason of the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, reported that Patel lived and worked at the Ramada Inn. Deputy Coroner Lonnie Miley said Patel was inside the trailer when the load shifted in the wrong direction, causing the heavy cargo to fall on top of him. Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones later identified the cargo as heavy metal gates. Patel died instantly from his injuries. Miley pronounced him dead at 2:45 p.m.

Co-owner of Maine lumber mill dies weeks after fire, explosion that killed 2 others

PORTLAND, ME — The death toll from the May explosion and fire at a Maine lumber mill has risen to three after Robbins Lumber co-owner and Vice President Alden J. Robbins died Thursday from injuries he suffered in the blast, officials announced. Robbins, who had worked at the family-run lumber mill in Searsmont since 1988, was hospitalized at Massachusetts General Hospital and succumbed to his injuries nearly two months after the May 15 explosion, the Robbins family said in an update posted to the mill’s website on July 3.

TDOT worker killed by train

STANTON-HAYWARD COUTNY, TN — Gov. Bill Lee ordered flags at the state capitol to be flown at half-staff in remembrance of Cathy Sims, who was killed when her vehicle became trapped over railroad tracks and was struck by a train Wednesday in West Tennessee. According to TDOT officials, “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support for the Sims family and Cathy’s TDOT colleagues from Gov. Bill Lee, the public, and other Tennessee state departments. “We greatly appreciate Governor Lee’s directive to fly flags at the State Capitol at half-staff in remembrance of Cathy. Cathy Sims becomes the 114th TDOT employee who died in the line of duty since 1948. Cathy’s name will be added to the TDOT memorial marker in Smith County.”

Norfolk Southern Conductor Killed After Being Struck by Train in East Chicago Rail Yard

CHICAGO, IL — A Norfolk Southern railroad conductor was killed early Thursday morning after being struck by another train while working in an East Chicago rail yard, according to an East Chicago Police Department report. Police were dispatched at approximately 3:52 a.m. on July 9 to the area of Dickey Road and East 129th Place for a reported train-versus-pedestrian incident. When officers arrived, they were met by Norfolk Southern personnel, who directed them to a dirt path along the railroad tracks. Officers located a male, from Ohio, who was a Norfolk Southern conductor, lying face down on the tracks with multiple traumatic injuries. Officers immediately turned the conductor over and began CPR. Additional East Chicago officers, firefighters, and Superior Ambulance paramedics continued life-saving efforts for an extended period. Despite those efforts, the conductor was pronounced deceased at approximately 6:00 a.m. by the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

Auto Tech Dies In Houghton Lake Workplace Accident

HOUGHTON LAKE, MI — An investigation is underway by state workplace safety officials after a 38-year-old automotive technician was killed by a falling tree near Houghton Lake. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the incident occurred Tuesday while the worker was helping free a vehicle stuck in a wooded area. According to preliminary reports, a strap had been secured around a dead tree during the recovery effort before it collapsed and struck the technician. The fatality is being tracked as the state’s 21st workplace death of the year. Authorities haven’t released the worker’s name or the identity of the employer as the formal review into the accident continues.

Colorado firefighting pilot killed when plane crashes into reservoir

GUNNISON COUNTY, CO — A pilot helping battle a raging Colorado wildfire was found dead after the firefighting aircraft crashed into a mountain reservoir Sunday evening, authorities said. The Montrose County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team has recovered the pilot’s body from Silver Jack Reservoir, Gunnison County Sheriff Adam Murdie said in a statement. The body will be taken to the Gunnison County Coroner’s Office. The pilot’s name has not been released while authorities notify family members.

NJ firefighter dies after crash responding to fire call

CAMDEN, NJ — A 23-year-old firefighter from South Jersey died on Friday morning two weeks after a crash left him badly injured. NBC10’s Matt DeLucia reports. A young firefighter died two weeks after being badly hurt in a crash while responding to a fire call, according to the Malaga Fire Company. Robert (Bobby) Reider, 23, was driving north along Delsea Drive while trying to get to the scene of fire on Saturday, June 27 when his car went off the road, officials said. When first responders got to the scene of the crash, they found Reider trapped in his car and worked to remove him. Reider was then taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he was treated for severe and traumatic injuries. Weeks later, on July 10 around 4:30 a.m., Reider died from his injuries while still in the hospital. The Malaga Fire Company says that Reider joined their team in 2018 when he was just 16 as a junior firefighter.

East Texas firefighter dies after suffering medical emergency while on duty

SLOCUM, TX — An East Texas firefighter died Saturday after being hospitalized earlier this week with a medical emergency while on duty. Dan Hernandez, a fire safety chief with the Slocum Volunteer Fire Department, experienced a serious medical emergency while responding to a fire July 7, according to the department. He was taken to Palestine Regional Medical Center and stabilized before he was taken to a Tyler hospital. Hernandez died Saturday surrounded by family, friends and fellow firefighters, the department announced in a social media post.

Beloved Rochester firefighter dies at 37; line-of-duty funeral planned

ROCHESTER, NY — A beloved member of the Rochester Fire Department has died after a battle with cancer. Lt. John A. Joseph, known as JJ, died Tuesday. He was 37. Joseph served as a lieutenant with the Rochester Fire Department and spent his career serving the city and its residents with “honor, courage and compassion,” according to Rochester Fire Department spokesman Lt. Howard Villegas. His death is being considered a line-of-duty death, Villegas said. The Rochester Fire Fighters Local 1071 union announced Joseph’s death in a statement this week, remembering him as a firefighter who dedicated himself to others even while battling cancer.

4 dead, including officer and suspect, in Ohio shooting

RITTMAN, OH — Multiple people were shot and killed Sunday in Rittman, Ohio, including a police officer who was responding to a report of gunshots. Two more victims and the suspect were confirmed dead. Four other deputies and a police K-9 from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office were also injured. Rittman police on Monday morning identified the officer who was killed as Sgt. Scott Ries. He was a 10-year veteran of the Rittman Police Department and previously served as a Wayne County sheriff’s deputy and as a police officer in Sugar Grove, Fairfield County. Wayne County Sheriff Tom Ballinger said Monday that police had been dispatched to Chippewa Trail for a call of shots fired during a break-in at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday. He said that when police arrived at the scene, they immediately came under fire. WJW learned from authorities that a mother and her 13-year-old daughter were killed in the shooting Sunday. The suspect, a Wayne County man who was also reportedly killed, was believed to be the boyfriend or ex-boyfriend of the victim. The suspect’s identity has not yet been released. Wayne County sheriff’s K-9 officer Vick was also shot and was in serious condition and undergoing surgery, authorities said.

Driver charged with second-degree murder in Kings Mountain crash that killed an EMS worker

KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC — One EMS worker was killed in the line of duty and another is injured after a crash on US 74 that’s led to a murder charge, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Around 8 a.m. on Monday, July 6, US 74 eastbound was closed in Kings Mountain due to the crash involving a Cleveland County EMS vehicle and a Dodge Challenger. NCSHP said that the Challenger hit the ambulance, causing it to overturn. The driver of the Dodge was allegedly speeding and under the influence of alcohol. At the time of the crash, an EMS worker was tending to a patient in the back of the ambulance. The impact caused the paramedic, identified as 37-year-old Ashley Moore, to be ejected from the ambulance. Officials confirmed that she was killed and another worker was injured.

Philly homeowner charged in fatal shooting of 20-year-old construction worker

PHILADELPHIA, PA — A 75-year-old man has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a construction worker in the Roxborough neighborhood earlier this week, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. On Friday morning, police announced multiple charges, including murder, against George Barr. The 75-year-old is accused of shooting and killing 20-year-old Salis Hanrahan in the 400 block of Ripka Street on Wednesday, July 8. Witnesses told NBC10 the shooting happened around 2 p.m. while construction workers were installing siding on the home on Ripka Street. They said workers heard some type of argument inside the house. Police said Hanrahan walked out of the home moments later and collapsed on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the chest. He died a short time later at a nearby hospital. A firearm was recovered at the scene. Barr, who was identified as the homeowner, was detained and questioned by police following the incident.

Deputies release name of truck driver killed in Central NY crash

SCIPIO, NY — The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office released the name of a truck driver who died in a crash in Scipio on Thursday. The man was Dewite J. Curtis, 46, of Lisle, Undersheriff Stuart W. Peenstra, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, said on Tuesday. Curtis was driving on Route 34B in a 1996 Freightliner carrying liquid manure around 8:30 a.m. when the truck went of the shoulder of the road, deputies said. The truck overturned when it came back onto the road, deputies said. Curtis was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash happened just south of Fleming-Scipio Townline Road, deputies said.

Truck driver killed in I-65 crash identified

PELHAM, AL — A Mount Vernon man was identified as the victim of Monday’s fatal crash on I-65 in Pelham. 66-year-old Johnny Lee Bittle was driving along I-65 near exit 246 when he was involved in a single-vehicle crash. Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans said it is currently unknown if Bittle had a medical event that led to the crash.