How workers died last week: industrial incidents, falls, storm cleanup, occupational cancer, construction incidents, skid steer incidents, tree care, vehicular collisions, equipment malfunctions and shootings. 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.
Construction worker in Baldwin Hills dies after getting trapped under tractor in dirt lot
LOS ANGELES, CA — A construction worker died after a tractor crashed at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza redevelopment site, leaving him trapped underneath, authorities said. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, a man was operating a tractor when it rolled, trapping him underneath around 10:40 a.m. on 3751 West Santa Rosalia Drive. A heavy equipment operator was able to remove the tractor, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The developer of the site confirmed later in the day that it was a construction worker who died in an equipment-related incident. He was later identified to be Gaston Rebollar.
Florida Keys worker killed in gruesome accident that ‘severed’ body, sheriff says
MARATHON, FL — A 37-year-old Marathon man was killed Monday in a gruesome workplace accident at an industrial site in the Florida Keys. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies responded to 4250 Overseas Highway in Marathon at approximately 11:22 a.m. July 14 following a report of a work-related death. The victim was identified as Victor Vivian Cano Franco, 37, of Marathon. He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the sheriff’s office, the accident occurred at a facility where rock is crushed into smaller pieces for industrial use. Investigators said Cano Franco appeared to have been struck by a front-end loader.
Employee killed in ‘apparent industrial accident’ Tuesday morning
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Police in Birmingham believe an industrial accident led to a man’s death Tuesday morning. According to police, offers were dispatched to the Mill Steel Company on Finley Avenue just after 8 a.m. Investigators said they found the victim, an employee at the facility, unresponsive after suffering what they called “an apparent industrial accident.” Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel pronounced the man dead on the scene.
Worker killed when ‘bundle of steel beams’ collapses onto him while unloading truck
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC — A worker died Wednesday after a “bundle of steel beams” collapsed onto him at a steel service center in North Charleston, authorities said. Authorities responded to Allied Crawford Steel around 10 a.m. regarding an industrial accident. Upon arrival, they found the steel beams on top of the victim, a 44-year-old man. He died shortly after. A witness told police that he and the victim were offloading a truck. The victim had gone to the hoist closest to the cab of the truck to wrap the bundle of steel beams with a chain. The witness said he was reaching for the chain from the victim when the back half of the bundle, the half closest to the rear of the truck, fell onto the victim. According to the witness, he told police that only half of the bundle closest to the cab had been properly secured.
Man dies after farm accident in Washington County
PUTNAM, NY — A man has died after a farm equipment accident in Putnam. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Karl Ohly, 50, of Putnam, was declared dead at the scene. The Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened on July 14 on Lake Road. Emergency crews responded to the scene around 8:30 p.m. Investigators found that Ohly had been operating a tractor and hay baler when he became trapped in the hay baler. Ohly succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said they are working to find the exact cause of the accident.
Elkton Man Killed in Construction Accident
ELKTON, SD — An Elkton man has been killed in a construction-related accident. The Brookings County Sheriff’s Office says it happened July 14 shortly after 2:45 p.m. at a residence on Highway 13 near 483rd Avenue. First responders found 40-year old Shane Brown of Elkton had been injured while operating a skid steer loader. Sheriff’s deputies say Brown was helping with a construction project when he was ejected from the loader he’d been operating and became trapped beneath it. Individuals on the scene freed Brown and attempted life saving measures, but the sheriff’s office reports those were unsuccessful.
Texas construction worker may have been pushed to his death
SHELDON, TX — A Texas construction worker’s death at a job site near Houston is being investigated as a possible homicide after the local sheriff said the man might have been pushed down a shaft. The incident unfolded around 7:40 a.m. on Monday in the Houston suburb of Sheldon, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a statement on social media. The sheriff’s office told ABC Houston station KTRK that the 47-year-old victim had been involved in an altercation with his co-worker at the construction site before he plummeted to his death. Gonzalez said the man, whose name was not immediately released, was found dead at the bottom of a 30- to 40-foot shaft. “It’s possible the man was pushed,” Gonzalez said in his statement. The Sheldon Fire Department was called to the incident and pronounced the man dead. Investigators detained the man’s co-workers and were interviewing them about the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
Tow truck driver killed in crash after hitting median cable, troopers say
CRAVEN COUNTY, NC — Troopers say that a tow truck driver is dead after a crash on Highway 70. The Highway Patrol says that Tracy Perry, 49, of Bailey, was driving a rollback tow truck east on the Highway 70 Bypass outside of Havelock when he went partially off the roadway and entered the median. Troopers say Perry then hit the median cable barrier, causing the truck to overturn onto its roof. Perry died at the scene, troopers say. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Deputy U.S. Marshal killed while serving arrest warrant to fugitive in Alexandria
ALEXANDRIA, LA — A deputy U.S. Marshal was killed on the afternoon of Monday, July 13, while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on a fugitive in a south Alexandria neighborhood, the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed late Monday. The shooting occurred at the intersection of Rutland Road and Moor Road near Horseshoe Drive and South MacArthur Drive. The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Alexandria Police Department and Louisiana State Police descended on the area, alongside the U.S. Marshals, where a standoff with the fugitive lasted approximately three hours. The FBI office in New Orleans characterized the shooting as an assault on a federal officer, who was identified to be Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Andrew Hanson.
Dump truck driver killed in Calumet County crash
CALUMET COUNTY, WI — At 12:26 PM on Tuesday July 14, 2026 a crash occurred on the southbound side of State Highway 441 near south Telulah Avenue in Calumet County near the City of Appleton. First units on the scene found a dump truck had gone off the road and crashed into a sound barrier wall about 10 yards off the highway. Units stated the front of the truck was heavily damaged and it was going to take a prolonged extrication to get the driver out. Investigation into the crash showed the loaded dump truck was traveling southbound on State Highway 441 near Telulah Avenue where the dump truck left the roadway to the right striking a concrete noise barrier wall. Upon contact, the truck overturned on its side which caused a fatal injury to the operator of the truck. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Salt River firefighter dies from job-related cancer
SALT RIVER, AZ — Salt River firefighter Joseph Christopher died this week after a yearlong fight with job-related cancer. Christopher passed away Tuesday surrounded by loved ones. The Salt River Indian Community announced Christopher’s death Thursday on social media, calling his courage throughout his illness “incredible.” “We are deeply grateful for his dedicated service to our community and the compassion he showed to those he served,” the Salt River Indian Community said in a statement.
Active-duty Everett firefighter dies from occupational cancer after 30 years of service, department says
EVERETT, MA — Active-duty firefighter John Benoit died from cancer on Saturday after serving in the Everett Fire Department for more than 30 years, fire officials announced. Benoit, of Wilmington, died at 63 years old surrounded by his family, according to his obituary. The fire department noted his death was due to occupational cancer. Benoit grew up in Everett alongside four siblings and attended Our Lady of Grace School and Northeast Regional High School in Wakefield, his obituary states. Following high school graduation, Benoit enlisted in the Air Force. He later returned to his hometown to join the Everett Fire Department, carrying on a “family legacy” that included his father and older brother, according to his obituary.
Cops ID Contractor, 33, Killed In Fatal Fall From Overpass In Hawthorne
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — Staten Island resident Matthew Beatty, 33, was killed on Tuesday, July 14, after falling from a Taconic State Parkway overpass onto the southbound lanes of the Saw Mill River Parkway in Hawthorne, Westchester County Police told Daily Voice on Friday, July 17. The incident happened at around 10:10 p.m. on Tuesday, as previously reported by Daily Voice. County police officers and EMS crews both responded to the scene, where Beatty was found in cardiac arrest. Emergency responders tried performing CPR, but Beatty could not be revived and was pronounced dead.
Driver killed after semi truck rollover shuts down I-11 to Boulder Highway ramp
HENDERSON, NV — Officials are on the scene of a semi tractor-trailer crash that’s blocking an on-ramp along a local freeway Friday afternoon. According to Nevada State Police, the southbound I-11 on-ramp to southbound State Route 582 (Boulder Highway) is closed following a rollover crash involving a semi tractor-trailer loaded with dirt that occurred just before noon. The driver of the semi was transported to the hospital in critical condition, and has been pronounced dead.
Mississippi man dies after falling 50 feet from tree he was removing
MONROE COUNTY, MS — A Mississippi man died Thursday evening when he fell out of a tree he was working to remove. Officials from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Randy Thomas Dixon, 62, of Aberdeen, died after falling 50 feet from the tree he was trying to remove Thursday afternoon in the Quincy Community along Highway 278 East of Amory. Emergency responders received a call shortly before 5:30 p.m. and were dispatched to the residence where Dixon was working. Dixon was transported to an Amory hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Monroe County Coroner officials said Dixon died from multiple traumatic injuries sustained in the fall. The incident remains under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Police ID driver killed in rollover crash on busy Henrico road
HENRICO COUNTY, VA — Police have released the name of the 58-year-old man killed in a rollover wreck that closed Route 60 west for several hours on Friday afternoon in eastern Henrico County. Officers were called to the 4400 block of East Williamsburg Road (Route 60) near Old Williamsburg Road just after 4:05 p.m. for a report of a single-vehicle crash, according to officials with Henrico Police. Investigators said John Williams, of Henrico, was headed west on East Williamsburg Road when he ran off the right side of the road, crashed into a culvert and then hit a tree. That caused the SUV he was driving to overturn, officers said. Williams, who was the only person in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cincinnati Dept. of Public Services worker killed in Metro Bus crash identified
NORWOOD, OH — The City of Cincinnati worker who was killed in a crash involving a Metro bus has been identified as Jonathan Allen Young, according to the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office. Young, 46, died at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after a Metro bus crashed into the back of a two city work trucks on State Route 562, referred to as the Norwood Lateral, on Thursday. According to Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long, three Department of Public Services employees were working on the Norwood Lateral near the Montgomery Road exit. The workers had two city trucks, one of which had a trailer attached to it. Around 12:45 p.m., a Metro bus traveling west hit one of the trucks from behind and pushed it into the trailer of the other truck in front of it, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said. One of the city workers, now identified as Young, was transported to UC Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Another worker was also injured, but is expected to be okay, Long said.
Longtime Decatur city employee dies after storm cleanup incident
DECATUR, AL — A longtime City of Decatur employee died after he was struck by a falling tree limb while helping clear storm damage Sunday night, city officials said. Chris Seal, who worked for the Decatur Parks and Recreation Department for 21 years, was responding to storm cleanup near the intersection of Fourth Avenue Northwest and Third Street Northwest when the incident happened. According to the city, Seal and another employee were removing a fallen tree limb from the roadway when a second limb fell and struck both workers. Seal was taken to a hospital with critical injuries but later died. The city has not released the condition of the other employee.e.
Truck driver who died in Upper Milford crash identified; truck hit tree, utility pole, state police say
UPPER MILFORD TWP., PA — Pennsylvania State Police are releasing more details in a Route 29 crash that killed a truck driver. Clarence Reynolds, 42, of Camden, New Jersey, died in the crash that happened on Route 29 in the area of Beck Road in Upper Milford Township Thursday, state police said in a news release. It happened around 12:30 p.m. State police said the truck was traveling northbound on Chestnut Street north of its intersection with Beck Road when it failed to maintain a single lane of travel. The truck went off the right shoulder of the northbound lane and hit a utility pole and tree on the shoulder, according to state police.
Dump truck driver killed in Newburgh Heights crash
NEWBURGH HEIGHTS, OH — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash involving a dump truck in Newburgh Heights on Friday afternoon. Investigators said the crash happened just after 3 p.m. on Harvard Avenue, close to Washington Park Boulevard. According to a preliminary investigation, the driver of a 2006 Mack dump truck was heading east on Harvard when they went off the right side of the road, hitting three utility poles. The truck then went across the center line, hitting a curb on the opposite side of the road, investigators said. The driver, identified as 61-year-old Winfield Starcher of Brook Park, died from injuries in the crash. Starcher was not wearing a seat belt at the time, state troopers said.
‘Worst fear’: Man found dead in truck by his brother days after being injured at work
WICHITA, KS — Loved ones are remembering a man who died following a workplace injury and are reminding others to take such injuries more seriously. According to family members, Bryan Castro, 28, was found dead in his truck days after an injury occurred while on the job. Castro was the owner of PrimeScape Solutions, which did landscaping, demolition and tree trimming. In June, the 28-year-old was working in Salina on a leaning tree following recent storms that passed through the area. Bryan’s brother, Jesus, said he was at least 15 feet in the air on the tree when a branch came up, hit him in the ribs and knocked him off. Loved ones said it took Castro several days before he went to the hospital, where he was told he had a bruised lung and was given a machine to help him breathe. Castro’s fiancée, Beatriz, said he was in a lot of pain and was told to rest for a few days before eventually returning to work. Jesue said the last time they spoke was about finishing a demolition project. However, Castro would never make it back home from that job. Castro’s brother said he remembers passing him on the road that night, but no one was able to get hold of him. Jesus said he went looking for his brother the next day, and that’s when he found him dead in his truck, pulled over just blocks away from home. Castro’s family says that when he was found, his position in the truck looked like he was still in pain.
Tanker truck driver killed in crash on Florida’s Turnpike at Bird Road
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL — A tanker truck driver was killed Thursday after the truck overturned and crashed into a concrete median barrier on Florida’s Turnpike near Bird Road in Miami-Dade County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers said the tanker truck was traveling south on the Turnpike when the driver lost control. They said the truck overturned and collided with the center median concrete barrier wall. Authorities confirmed that the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mesquite I-635 construction worker killed after being struck by off-duty officer
MESQUITE, TX — A 22-year-old father is dead after being hit by an off-duty officer working in a construction zone in Mesquite last month. The deadly accident happened around 11:30 p.m. on June 23 on Interstate 635 near Highway 80. Mesquite police said a construction crew was in the process of moving a crane from the east side of the interstate to the west side. Meanwhile, an off-duty police officer from the Southwestern Christian College Police Department, who was working at the construction site, began driving southbound on I-635 to set up for the next road closure. The officer accidentally struck a construction worker who was guiding the crane across the freeway. That construction worker, identified as 22-year-old Edwin Valdez, was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.
High Ridge Route 30 Horror: Dump Truck Driver Killed in Embankment Crash
JEFFERSON COUNTY, MO — A dump truck driver was killed Thursday morning when the vehicle veered off Missouri Route 30 near Medley Estates Road in Jefferson County and slammed into a line of trees. The single-vehicle crash happened in the late morning and shut down a stretch of MO-30 while first responders worked to stabilize the scene and manage traffic. According to First Alert 4, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said the dump truck left the roadway around 11:30 a.m. near Medley Estates Road, close to Northwest High School. Troopers told the station the truck went down an embankment and hit several trees, and they confirmed no other vehicles were involved.
Semi-truck driver ejected, killed in I-84 crash in northern Utah
MORGAN, UT — A semi-truck driver died after he was ejected from the vehicle in a single-vehicle rollover crash on Interstate 84 in Morgan County. The driver was traveling on I-84 near Morgan when the truck overturned just after 2 a.m. on Thursday, according to officials with the Department of Public Safety. Officials said the truck had “failed to negotiate a left-hand curve,” causing it to roll on its side. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the truck. He was declared dead at the scene.
Police identify man killed in industrial accident
WICHITA FALLS, TX — An Iowa Park man died from an industrial accident Wednesday at United Rentals at 6230 Southwest Parkway in Wichita Falls, officials said. Rick Don Scott, 60, and his coworkers were changing out equipment on the cabin of a skid steer shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday when it fell on his head and severely injured him, police said in a media release. He was pronounced dead at 3:50 p.m. Wednesday at the Emergency Department at United Regional Health Care System, police said.
Semi-truck driver dies in crash near Lake Andes
SIOUX FALLS, SD — A Kennebec, SD man died in a crash near Lake Andes on Friday. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety says Friday afternoon, a semi-truck driver was traveling southbound on US 18 when his brakes locked up. The truck swerved into the ditch and rolled. The driver, 56, died during the crash. He was not wearing a seat belt. The name of the driver has not been released pending the notification of family members.