How workers died last week: rollovers, falls, firefighting, vehicular collisions, stabbings, tree care, falling objects, hits-and-run, shootings, crane incident, and electrocution. 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.
‘I heard POP!’ San Diego County tree trimmer recounts friend’s death on the job
SAN DIEGO, CA — The final moments before a San Diego County tree trimmer died on the job Sunday were witnessed by his long-time friend and coworker. The final moments before a San Diego County tree trimmer died on the job Sunday were witnessed by his long-time friend and coworker. One of the safety ropes was still hanging from where Evaristo Bernabe Sanches died atop a eucalyptus tree near Horton Road in Bonita around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Construction Worker Struck & Killed On NJ Turnpike In Edison, Driver Charged
EDISON, NJ — A 47-year-old man was killed on the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison early Tuesday. New Jersey State Police said the driver who struck him, an Edison resident, has been charged. Around 3:52 a.m. on Tuesday, troopers responded to a crash on the Turnpike’s southbound outer roadway at milepost 87.7 in Edison Township, state police said. Brian Flanagan of Manchester was working inside a marked construction zone with a two-lane closure, according to the preliminary investigation. A GMC SUV entered the work zone and hit Flanagan, police said. He suffered fatal injuries.
Service member dies after rappelling fall at a UT San Antonio game
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A military service member has died after he fell hard as he rappelled from the ceiling to midfield before a University of Texas at San Antonio football game where the military was honored. Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs said the service member, Ian Patterson, assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, was taken Saturday to a local hospital, where he later died. An investigation was underway into what led up to the incident at UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game against Navy.
A video of the fall that was posted on social media showed the man, in combat fatigues, quickly descending to the ground feet first. The fall occurred with fans in the stands and a band assembled nearby on the field. He was treated on the field for several minutes and taken away on a gurney.
Searcy man killed in fiery truck crash
FAYETTEVILLE, AR — A Searcy man died when his semi-truck struck multiple trees before bursting into flames. The crash happened at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 11 on Interstate 49 in Fayetteville, according to Arkansas State Police. The preliminary fatal crash report said Dustin Kelly Garvin, 32, was northbound when his 2019 Volvo left the roadway and struck multiple trees. Trooper Christopher Belt said Garvin’s trailer then struck the back of his cab and became engulfed in flames.
Paving worker killed on I-55 in Mississippi, company says
MEMPHIS, TN — An employee at a Memphis paving company was killed on the job Tuesday when he was hit by a pickup on a Mississippi interstate. The Mississippi Highway Patrol says it happened around 1:30 in the afternoon in Grenada County, when a Ford F-250 driven by John King, 41, of Philadelphia, Mississippi collided with a construction worker. Nicholas Rice, 36, of Grenada received fatal injuries from the crash and was pronounced dead on the scene, MHP said. King was not injured.
52-year-old dies after workplace incident at Phillipsburg manufacturer
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ — An Easton family is demanding answers after a loved one was killed on the job. Phillipsburg police confirm that a 52-year-old man died last Friday at McWane Ductile, where he worked as a mechanic. His name was Henry Marmol, and he had been working at the factory for 6 years.
Contractor Dies in Industrial Accident at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
PALM DESERT, CA — A contractor died Wednesday morning following an industrial accident at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, authorities said. Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Palm Desert station responded to the incident at about 9:05 a.m. Paramedics pronounced the individual dead at the scene. Deputies reported no signs of foul play. The zoo said the incident occurred in a behind-the-scenes area and did not involve visitors or animals. It was also unrelated to animal care operations or the Lions Ridge development project.
Utility worker electrocuted in Acres Homes, HPD says
HOUSTON, TX — A utility worker was killed after coming into contact with power lines in Acres Homes Wednesday afternoon, according to HPD. Police said the man was in a bucket truck which became energized when he inadvertently struck the lines and was electrocuted. Power had to be turned off in part of the neighborhood, and it took several hours for crews to safely remove his body. HPD said OSHA would likely be called out to investigate and determine if any safety protocols were violated.
Goose Creek man charged after construction worker killed in hit-and run on Rivers Avenue
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC — A 40-year-old Goose Creek resident was arrested in connection with a Sunday evening fatal collision of a highway construction worker on Rivers Avenue, according to the North Charleston Police Department. Carlos Alberto Castro Pineda was arrested and charged with reckless vehicular homicide, hit and run resulting in death, and driving under suspension for DUI 1st offense. According to police the collision occurred on Sunday at approximately 10 p.m. on Rivers Avenue and NAD Road. A highway construction zone worker was hit in the incident and reportedly died two days later on Tuesday. He was later identified to be 59-year-old Anthony Valentine from Virginia.
70-year-old worker dies after falling from lift while hanging holiday lights at Bass Pro Shops
LEEDS, AL — A 70-year-old man died after falling from a lift at Bass Pro Shops in Alabama on Sunday. Authorities said Kurt W. Kralovec was hanging holiday lights outside of the store and fell from a bucket lift. Kralovec’s death is under investigation.
Worker killed in crane accident during Brent Spence Bridge Corridor construction
CINCINNATI, OH — A crane operator died after an accident in a construction zone that’s part of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project. Cincinnati Police say the worker was operating a boom lift crane at West Third and Pete Rose Way when the crane shifted. The operator suffered life-threatening injuries and died at UC Medical Center. The Cincinnati Police Criminal Investigation Section and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.
Meriden community honors crossing guard killed on the job
MERIDEN, CT — A beloved crossing guard named Dale Chavous was hit and killed on the job in Meriden on Wednesday morning, and now the community and his family are honoring his memory. Chavous became a Meriden crossing guard in August. He helped hundreds of kids get to school and home safely, but only two months into his job, his life was cut short. Chavous was hit and killed on Broad Street Wednesday morning while on crossing guard duty.
Employee fatally shot inside East Flamingo Road business, police say
LAS VEGAS, NV — A man was shot and killed Thursday morning during an attempted robbery at a shared business in the east valley, Las Vegas police said. At about 11:40 a.m. Thursday, LVMPD Dispatch received a call reporting a person shot in the 3400 block of East Flamingo Road near South Pecos Road. Officers from the Southeast Area Command responded and found a man inside a business suffering from a gunshot wound, police said. Officers rendered aid until medical personnel arrived, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Teen shooter kills 4 at Oregon elementary school before being shot by a witness
BEND, OR — A 16-year-old shot his way through locked doors to get into an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher. He was then shot by a person at the scene who followed him inside, authorities said. The suspect was found dead inside the school minutes after the shooting was first reported, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said. The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to the hospital in critical condition, he said.
Pilot killed in Myakka City helicopter crash identified
MYAKKA CITY, FL — A mosquito control helicopter hit an unlit private radio tower and crashed behind several Myakka City homes Thursday night, killing its 63-year-old pilot, authorities said. Isaac Moore, a veteran pilot with more than 25 years of flight experience, died at the scene after hitting the structure during a spraying mission near Magnolia Hill Subdivision, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and district officials.
2 semi drivers die in I-65 crash north of U.S. 231 exit in White County
MONTICELLO, IN — An Indianapolis-area man and a man from Kansas died Wednesday afternoon in a two-semi crash on Interstate 65 in White County, Coroner Tony Deibel said Thursday. Desaun L. Hallam-McClain, 38, of the Indianapolis area, was driving his semi in the left lane of southbound I-65 about 4 p.m. Wednesday, when a northbound rig driven by Donald W. Soar, 41, of Ozawkie, Kansas, lost control, crossed the median and hit Hallam-McClain’s semi head on, according to Indiana State Police. The crash happened about a mile north of the U.S. 231 exit in White County, according to police. Both semis came to rest in the southbound lanes, causing the closure of those lanes while police investigated the accident. Hallam-McClain and Soar died at the scene, Indiana State Police said.
Sanitation truck driver killed in crash with train
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, TX — A 29-year-old sanitation worker was killed in a fiery crash between a sanitation truck and a train on Thursday in southern Nacogdoches County. Billy “BJ” Griffith Jr., who is originally from Garrison, was pronounced dead by Nacogdoches County Justice of the Peace shortly after the crash on County Road 525, also known as Press Road, authorities said Friday.
Driver dies in crash between two log trucks outside Oakland, Oregon
OAKLAND, OR — An Oregon man died early Tuesday morning in a crash involving two log trucks near Oakland, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said. The crash was reported at about 3:15 a.m. in the 1600 block of Fort McKay Road. Deputies say Tyler Hunt, 37, of Sutherlin, was heading west on the road in a Peterbilt truck when he crashed with a driver in a loaded log truck heading the opposite direction. Crash investigators said the other driver’s truck was partially in the opposite lane. First responders tried to save Hunt, however, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
U.S. Forest Service employee dies in the line of duty, responding to fire
ALEXANDRIA, LA — The U.S. Forest Service has announced that one of their employees, Kaitlyn “KK” Gallagher of Alexandria, died in the line of duty. Gallagher died on October 14. She was hit by a tree when responding to the Broken Creek Fire, a 10-acre wildfire which is now contained, that happened in Rapides Parish on the Kisatchie National Forest.
Clay Township police officer killed in crash near Milbury
MILBURY, OH — A Clay Township police sergeant was killed early Friday morning in a crash at the intersection of State Route 51 and State Route 795 while responding to a separate crash at the same location. In a Facebook post, the Clay Twp. Police Department identified the officer as Sgt. Jacob Roesler, 26, who had served in that role for three years.
DoorDash driver dies, teen brother critical after being ambushed while delivering food, father says
NASHVILLE, TN — A man and his younger brother delivering food were allegedly ambushed by gunfire Thursday night at an apartment complex in the Nashville area. Metro Nashville police said the shooting occurred at the Birchstone Village Apartments. The reported victims, identified by their father as 22-year-old Jhon Diaz Santos and 14-year-old Alan, were said to be working for DoorDash that evening and drove into the apartment complex parking lot in a black Infiniti sedan. According to authorities, a man approached Santos’ car and began shooting, police said. Two more men walked up, and one of them also started firing. Police said Santos attempted to get away, backing his car into a fence. All three men ran off afterward. Santos’ father, Juan Díaz, said his son had been a DoorDash delivery driver for more than a year. According to the father, he found out about what happened when a police officer knocked on their door, telling him his sons had an accident. The father said it “shattered his soul” to learn that one of his sons had died. Fourteen-year-old Alan was also taken to the hospital in critical condition after being shot in the head, the father said.
Security officer killed in GVSU campus hit-and-run; student arrested
ALLENDALE, MI — A Grand Valley State University student is in custody after a security officer on campus was killed in a Friday morning hit-and-run, according to a statement from the university.
Sanitation worker dies following road rage shootout while driving garbage truck
PRICHARD, AL — A sanitation worker in Alabama has died after being injured in a road rage shooting in August. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Clifton Eugene DuBose Jr., 54, died this week after being hospitalized following a shooting on Aug. 4. Investigators said DuBose got into a confrontation that day with those in another car on Jarrett Road while he was driving a garbage truck.
Semi-truck driver dies after I-84 crash east of Boise
BOISE, ID — A semi-truck driver died after police said his truck overturned on Interstate 84 east of Boise early Monday. Idaho State Police said the 74-year-old Reno man from Reno was driving eastbound near milepost 62 around 3:08 a.m. when he went off the road, down an embankment and rolled. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he later died. Police said he was not wearing a seat belt.
Minnehaha County deputy dies from injuries received in Sioux Falls shooting
SIOUX FALLS, SD — Authorities say a South Dakota sheriff’s deputy shot in the line of duty has died from her injuries. The Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office identified the deputy as 26-year-old Katherine Frank. Frank was shot in an incident in western Sioux Falls Friday night. Few details have been released. She died in a hospital on Monday.
Marysville Save Mart worker killed in grocery store stabbing; bystanders detain attacker
MARYSVILLE, CA — A Save Mart employee died and another person was injured in a stabbing at a Save Mart in Marysville on Sunday, officials said. Bystanders detained the attacker at the scene until officers arrived, police said. Inside the store, officers located a man with at least one stab wound. Despite lifesaving measures from officers and bystanders, the man died on scene, according to police. A second victim took himself to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers confirmed the stabbing was related to the Save Mart assault. On Tuesday, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office identified the person who died as 64-year-old Douglas Lee Eid of Clearlake.