How workers died last week: Falling objects, explosions, tree care, rollovers, transit death, welding, electrocution, firefighting, vehicular incidents, occupational cancer, shootings and on-duty medical emergency. 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.
Investigation continues 36 hours after deadly explosion, fire at Brent Industries
TOLEDO, OH — The Lucas County Coroner’s Office identified the 46-year-old male employee killed in the explosion and fire at Brent Industries Tuesday morning as Heladio Garcia Perez. The woman who was killed was identified as 64-year-old Mary Allen. The coroner’s office says both died of blunt force trauma.
Worker dies after getting trapped under generator at McCandless sanitary authority worksite
PITTSBURGH, PA –An investigation is underway after an employee of the McCandless Township Sanitary Authority was killed on the job Tuesday morning. Allegheny County officials said they were called to the area of Pacer Drive and McGee Road after 9 a.m., following reports of a man trapped underneath a generator. First responders arrived at the scene and located the man. Life-saving measures were performed, but the victim was later pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have identified the man as 33-year-old Dillon Egerter. Authorities said preliminary information showed the Egerter’s death was the result of an accident that occurred at the worksite.
McGrady man dies in tractor accident
WILKES COUNTY, NC — A 69-year-old McGrady man died Thursday after becoming trapped underneath a tractor, according to the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded on Aug. 20 to 9746 Sparta Road in McGrady, where Wilkes EMS and the McGrady Fire Department were already at the scene with a deceased man. The victim was identified as Danny Alvin Chastain, 69, of McGrady. Chastain was found trapped underneath a Kubota tractor. The circumstances surrounding the incident were not immediately released.
Kaiser Aluminum worker dies in Kalamazoo workplace incident
KALAMAZOO, MI — A 43-year-old Kaiser Aluminum maintenance technician died Tuesday in a workplace incident at the company’s Kalamazoo-area facility. The incident occurred Aug. 18 at the company’s Midlink Business Park facility near I-94 and South Sprinkle Road. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) said an initial report from the employer indicated the technician was welding inside a pneumatically powered scrap chute when its clamshell closed, causing fatal injuries. MIOSHA said that description is preliminary and does not represent the findings of its official investigation. The agency lists the death as the 31st workplace fatality reported in 2026.
Wichita police identify man killed in welding accident near Riverside Park
WICHITA, KS — The Wichita Police Department has identified the victim as 61-year-old Mark Scott of Derby, Kansas. A man has died following a welding accident near Riverside Park. Sedgwick County EMS and the Wichita Police Department were called to 1401 W. Museum Blvd. around 2:55 p.m. after a 61-year-old man was found unresponsive inside a pipe on a construction site. The man was taken to the hospital, where he died.
Gwinn tree-cutter dies by electrocution
GWINN, MI — The 52nd worker death of the year recorded by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration was that of an Upper Peninsula man from Gwinn who owned a tree removal business. A property owner had hired A Cut Above Tree and Lawn Care, L.L.C. for a job at a private residence in Forsyth Township. On Thursday, 50-year-old Jayson Dutiel, the owner of the company, was cutting down a tree when it fell onto a power line.
MoDOT contractor employee dies in I-70 work zone ‘incident’
KANSAS CITY, MO — A contractor employee for MoDOT died in an “incident” at a work zone on Interstate 70 early Tuesday morning. The incident occurred at the MoDOT work zone on I-70 at St. Charles Rock Road at about 3 a.m. According to Corporal Dallas Thompson with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, it was not a vehicle crash and was classified as a “work zone incident.”
Trucker killed by flying mudflap that came loose from hotshot pickup
HANOVER, NY — A truck driver is dead after being struck by a piece of a pickup fender with a mudflap attached in upstate New York earlier this week. The accident happened on Monday, August 17th just after 10 p.m. on Interstate 90 eastbound in Hanover, New York. According to the Niagara-Gazette, a 2019 Dodge Ram was pulling a 32-foot-trailer on I-90 westbound when a fender and mudflap broke off of the trailer. The piece of equipment then flew across the median and smashed through the windshield of a 2020 Volvo semi truck. 54-year-old truck driver Petros D. Liben was struck by the fender and mudflap and went veering off of the interstate and into a guardrail. Linden sustained injuries to his face and abdomen, and was flown to a hospital, where he later died.
Tarpon Springs industrial accident
TARPON SPRINGS, FL — Family members are mourning the loss of a 36-year-old father and U.S. Army veteran who died following an industrial accident at a Tarpon Springs asphalt company earlier this month. Justin Wilt suffered critical injuries during a mechanical accident on the morning of August 10 at Suncoast Paving, located at 800 Anclote Road, according to Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue. First responders with Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue rushed to the scene following initial reports of an explosion. Wilt was airlifted to a local hospital, where he died a few days later.
Tree trimmer charged in coworker’s death after equipment horseplay
APPLE VALLEY, MN — A Minnesota tree-trimming worker has been charged with manslaughter after fatally crushing a coworker’s head with a hydraulic grapple while the two men were horseplaying on the job, according to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office. Christopher Boone Crimmins, 34, of Brainerd, faces one count of second-degree manslaughter in the death of Tyler Anthony Lynch, 26, of Royalton. The incident occurred around 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, in Apple Valley, south of Minneapolis.
Employee killed, man injured in shooting at Brooklyn restaurant
BROOKLYN, NY — One employee was killed, and another man was injured in a shooting inside a restaurant in Brooklyn. Police say officers responded to a 911 call just after midnight from American Best Wings and Pizza on Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville. The officers found a 44-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his head — he was an employee of the halal fast-food eatery. A 39-year-old man was shot in the leg. It is unclear whether he was a worker. Both men were taken to the hospital, where the 44-year-old was pronounced dead.
Driver Dies After Semi Rolls Over On Interstate 270
GLEN CARBON, IL — Illinois State Police Troop 8 responded Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, to a fatal single-unit rollover crash involving a truck tractor semi-trailer on eastbound Interstate 270 at milepost 11 in Madison County. The Illinois State Police said the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred at approximately 12:22 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, according to preliminary information from Illinois State Police.
Construction worker killed when semitruck hits forklift in work zone, officials say
DE PERE, WI — A construction worker died after a semitruck struck a forklift in a work zone on Interstate 41 in Wisconsin. The crash occurred at about 11:30 p.m. Monday near De Pere. The preliminary investigation indicated the truck, driven by 53-year-old Christopher Seidl, was traveling southbound on I-41 when it struck a forklift within a construction zone, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol. The forklift operator, identified as 26-year-old Jaco Bolssen from Chilton, died from his injuries.
Wallingford man killed by loose rocks during construction at Seymour quarry
SEYMOUR, CT — Seymour police say that a Wallingford man who was operating heavy machinery at Haynes Quarry Monday morning was fatally struck by loose rocks that had fallen. Police said they were called to Haynes Quarry on Derby Avenue in Seymour around 10:40 a.m. for a “construction accident.” The 41-year-old man, Edwin D Sinclair, was found unresponsive and suffering from serious injuries when police arrived. A preliminary investigation revealed that he was operating heavy machinery near the base of the rock quarry when loose rocks fell, fatally injuring him.
Driver killed in Marion Oaks truck crash, troopers say
MARION OAKS, FL — A truck driver died in a crash in Marion Oaks Sunday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers have not yet identified the driver. The crash happened on Marion Oaks Course around 7:30 p.m. Troopers say the driver went off the road and struck a tree. The truck caught fire, and the driver was killed, troopers said.
Plane Crashed on Second Attempt to Land in Heavy Fog in Alaska, Killing all 8 Aboard, Officials Say
JUNEAU, AK — A plane that crashed at a remote military site in western Alaska, killing all eight people on board, was making its second runway approach in heavy fog when it lost contact, authorities said Friday. The Cessna’s two pilots could not see the gravel airstrip and were flying solely by instruments when the plane crashed about midday Thursday, Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, told a virtual news conference.
Construction worker dies following ‘worksite incident’ at Norristown High
WEST NORRITON, PA — A construction worker died following a “serious worksite incident” on Monday at Norristown Area High School in West Norriton Township, according to Norristown Area School District Superintendent Dorrell Green. While circumstances leading up to the incident were unclear, Green confirmed the fatality to MediaNews Group Wednesday evening. He added in a statement that the “incident did not involve a Norristown Area School District employee or student.” “The individual was transported to a hospital, where we learned he later passed away,” Green said.
Convenience store employee dies after shooting in Crockett County during armed robbery; suspect captured
CROCKETT COUNTY, TN — The Crockett County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an armed robbery at a convenience store that left an employee dead. Deputies received a 911 call at 2:34 a.m. from a customer at the Exxon Safari Corner Market, located at 5054 Highway 412 South in Bells, who found the cashier lying on the floor. Deputies, investigators, and Crockett County EMS all responded to the scene. The victim was taken to a local hospital, but did not survive their injuries.
City of Rolla Fire and Rescue firefighter dies
ROLLA, MO — The Lake Area Firefighters, Local 3987 Facebook page announced on Saturday the line-of-duty death of Firefighter Alan Hill of the City of Rolla Fire and Rescue. Hill, 57, died on Aug. 21 from occupational cancer, the post read.
Volunteer firefighter dies in crash while responding to emergency call
KAPLAN, LA — A volunteer firefighter was killed and his passenger was seriously injured in a single-car crash on Louisiana Highway 14 Friday afternoon. The Louisiana State Police responded to the wreck shortly after 3:00 p.m. State troopers say 49-year-old Robert Hughes was driving east on Highway 14 while responding to an emergency call. Investigators say his vehicle went off the roadway and into a ditch. Hughes, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the vehicle. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Big rig driver killed in crash on I-10 near Chiriaco Summit
HAYFIELD, CA — The driver of a semi truck was killed after the vehicle overturned on its side today on eastbound Interstate 10 in the community of Hayfield near Chiriaco Summit, prompting a Sig Alert for several hours. The crash was reported shortly before 7:30 a.m. Friday west of Red Cloud Mine Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. A green Freightliner tractor hauling a trailer drove into the median, causing the big rig to overturn and land on its left side, the agency stated. It was unclear how fast the vehicle was going. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as Marco Rodriguez-Lopez, 41, of Los Angeles.
City of Richton mourning loss of beloved neighbor killed in crash
RICHTON, MS — The City of Richton is mourning the loss of a beloved neighbor and community icon killed in a wreck on Thursday. Rev. Matthew Keith Stringer and Harold Pitts were riding in a city dump truck when the truck left the roadway and crashed into the tree line. Pitts was critically injured and airlifted to a Mobile hospital. Unfortunately, Stringer, 54, was fatally injured during the crash. The community is looking back on the positive mark Stringer leaves behind, remembering the city worker fondly.
Out-of-state truck driver killed, others injured in fiery 4-semi crash on Tennessee interstate
MAURY COUNTY, TN — A Texas truck driver was killed and two other drivers were injured in a fiery four-semi crash on Interstate 65 in Maury County, according to a preliminary Tennessee Highway Patrol report. All four semi-trucks caught fire, troopers said. The trucker was identified to be 59-year-old James Ebbinger.
Racer dies after crash at KD Motorsports Park
SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) – Chris “Block” Gordon, owner and racer for Block Motorsports, as well as a beloved member of the racing community, died Saturday evening following a crash at KD Motorsports Park. KD Motorsports tells WSAZ that Gordon later died in the hospital. The Scioto County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the deadly crash that involved at the KD Motorsports Park. The South Webster-Bloom Township Fire Department got the call about the crash at 8:05 p.m. Saturday, and crews were on scene at KD Motorsports Park minutes later. “It was a very fast response due to the seriousness of the crash,” said Jay Stewart, the department’s Assistant Fire Chief. “This was not just a drag car hitting a wall and the driver is getting out. It’s more serious.” There’s still a lot of unknowns about the crash, including what caused it. It is unclear now if the crash was caused by a mechanical issue, Gordon losing control of the car, or something else.
Man Went Missing on Work Trip After Telling Police Men Stole Money from Him. His Body Was Just Found
Nashville, TN — Conor Anderson had flown from Colorado to Nashville to attend a work conference that started on Aug. 16. He never returned to his hotel after reporting to police that unidentified men had taken his $20 Police announced on Aug. 21 that Anderson’s body was found in a wood line adjacent to a parking lot The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department announced on Friday, Aug. 21, that the body of Conor Anderson, 31, was discovered in a wood line adjacent to a parking lot at 14 James Robertson Parkwa. “There are no immediate indications of foul play,” the department said in a statement. “The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.” Police previously said that Anderson was last seen early Sunday, Aug. 16, in the Woodland/Main Street area of East Nashville. He had flown from Colorado for business and checked into the Millennium Maxwell House hotel. According to authorities, at about 1 p.m. local time Sunday, Anderson flagged two East Precinct officers who were in their car to report an encounter he had with unidentified men outside of a nearby bar.