Weekly Toll: Three Weeks of Death on the Job

Excuse the length of this depressing exercise, but I’ve been away for a couple of weeks and unlike me, workplace death takes no vacation. The usual falls, machinery deaths, vehicle accidents. Also several sanitation workers lost their lives over the past several week, as well as retail workers shot on the job. From Alabama to Wisconsin. From Idaho to Mississippi.  From Massachusetts to California and on to Guam.  The toll of workplace death goes on.

College Station police: Man, 24, dies in workplace accident

Brighton man killed in accident involving large tilling machine identified

BOULDER, Colo. — Authorities have released the name of a Colorado man who was killed in an accident involving a large tilling machine. The Boulder Daily Camera reports 65-year-old Ray Garner, of Brighton, was in a field when his clothing became entangled in an auger Monday afternoon. He died at the scene. The Erie Police Department, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Weld County coroner’s office are investigating.

Construction worker killed after car crash

Gainesville, FL — A construction worker was killed after he was hit by a car on West Newberry Road early Friday morning, Gainesville Police said. A car driving east struck 45-year-old Yamil Hernandez as he was working in a construction zone on the side of road at about 12:50 a.m., said GPD spokesperson Lt. Jorge Campos during a press conference. It is unknown which construction company Hernandez worked for.

Man Killed In Farm Accident

Van Buren County, MI — The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a farm death in Hartford on Friday. It tells us deputies were sent to Red Arrow Dairy on County Road 362 around 6:30 a.m. when a 35-year-old male worker was found unresponsive. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s office says the man was 35-year-old John Garth Cummings of Middleville. Emergency life saving procedures were conducted by employees of the dairy and first responders, and the man was taken to Watervliet Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Deputies learned the worker, who was from Middleville, was subcontracted for a company out of Grand Rapids and was on site to conduct testing. He was found buried in corn silage, which is fermented high moisture food fed to tjhe cattle. Police believe the victim was near the roughly 30 foot-high corn silage when some of it broke away and fell on to him. Officials from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration were contacted and are investigating. The victim’s name has not been released.

Employee dies at West Fraser’s Florida mill

Estill, SC — John Youmans, a 10-year CSX employee and father of three, was struck and killed by a train while welding on CSX track in Estill, South Carolina on Friday at 10:30 a.m. “Safety is CSX’s highest priority and our goal is for every employee to return home safely to his or her family at the end of every day,” CSX said in a statement. “Losing a fellow railroader is difficult for everyone at CSX, and we will fully investigate this incident to understand what happened and how it could have been prevented.” The fatality comes in the same month as two derailments that occurred on back-to-back weekends in central Georgia; no injuries  or spills were reported in either derailment. The events highlight safety problems that have plagued an otherwise robust operational turnaround at the Jacksonville-based railroad.

Man killed when nitrous oxide tank explodes in Sanford

SANFORD, N.C. — Authorities are investigating a fatal building explosion Thursday night in Lee County. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to an industrial accident at Sadler’s Automotive at 6342 Lemon Spring Road just after 7:30 p.m. Witnesses told deputies that a man was preparing to fill a nitrous oxide tank when it exploded. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Video from the scene showed the explosion caused the ceiling of the building to cave in and the windows had been blown out.

Patient, EMT dead in ambulance crash on I-40E in Nashville

NASHVILLE, TN  — Two people are dead after a crash on I-40 east near Charlotte Pike on Friday night involving a West Tennessee ambulance, according to Metro Police. Metro Police said the private ambulance, affiliated with West Tennessee Health Care and Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, was traveling east on I-40 near Charlotte Avenue when the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve and crashed into a rock wall.  The patient in the ambulance, 36-year-old Nyema Jackson of Jackson, Tenn., and the medic in the rear of the ambulance, 36-year-old Zachary Pruitt of Humbolt, Tenn., were ejected from the vehicle. They were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in critical condition where they later died.

Construction worker killed near movie studio

Employee dies in Ozinga industrial accident in Lemont

Lemont, IL — An employee was killed Monday afternoon in an industrial accident at an Ozinga concrete plant in southwest suburban Lemont. The accident happened at 1:44 p.m. Monday at 11400 Old Lemont Road, near the Chicago Shipping and Sanitary Canal, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.  The man, identified as 30-year-old Michael James McClaren of Naperville, was pronounced dead at 2:15 p.m., the medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy Tuesday found McClaren died from multiple injuries from an industrial accident. The person’s identity was being withheld pending notification of family. A statement from Ozinga referred to the person as an employee of the company.

64-year-old Mercersburg man killed in industrial accident at Chambersburg warehouse

FRANKLIN COUNTY, PA — A 64-year-old Mercersburg man died early Thursday morning in an industrial accident at a Franklin County warehouse. The accident occurred at about 2:50 a.m. at Franklin Storage LP on the 900 block of Kriner Road in Chambersburg. Fire and emergency officials dispatched to the scene discovered the victim lying under a 1,800-pound stack of plywood. The victim, identified as Glenn A. Shelly, was dead at the scene.

Solid waste employee hit and killed by car

Iowa Construction Worker Dies at Turtle Creek Wind Farm

St. Ansgar, Iowa — An Iowa construction worker was killed in what authorities are calling an “industrial accident” in St. Ansgar, Iowa over the weekend.  The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office says the man was killed while loading heavy equipment but says it is not a criminal matter and that the incident is now being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. White Construction Inc., which is working on the Turtle Creek Wind Farm Project in St. Ansgar, says the victim was one of its employees named Joseph Hill.  The president of White Construction Inc., David Berthelsen, says Hill was based out of Iowa and in his mid 40’s.

Tow Truck Driver Killed in Hit-and-Run While Trying to Help Stranded Motorist

Fort Worth, TX — A 51-year-old tow truck driver was hit and killed while trying to help a stranded motorist early Tuesday morning in Fort Worth. It happened at around 12:20 a.m. in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35W near Sycamore School Road. Police said Charles McGough had pulled over on the shoulder and was outside of his vehicle operating the controls on his wrecker when a passing semi struck his vehicle, killing him. McGough was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the semi did not stop; no arrests have been made.

Box-truck driver killed in crash on I-4 on-ramp in Osceola County, FHP says

Orlando, FL — The driver of a box truck was killed Wednesday morning during a traffic crash that occurred on the ramp from State Road 417 to westbound Interstate 4 in Osceola County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The crash happened at about 6:20 a.m. and closed the on-ramp, FHP spokeswoman Lt. Kim Montes said. The accident also involved another box truck and a semi-truck.

Odessa man dead after pipes from truck bed fly through cabin

ANDREWS COUNTY, TX (KWES) – Troy Gonzales, 32, of Odessa, is dead following an accident on State Highway 128, 17 miles east of Jal, New Mexico. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, Gonzales was towing a semi-trailer loaded with pipe behind a truck tractor headed west on SH 128 when he failed to make a curve. Gonzales attempted to come to an abrupt stop causing the pipes loaded on the trailer to shift, and pass through the cab of the truck.

Conrath man killed when front-end loader drops

Sheldon, WI — The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a 911 call requesting emergency medical services at 12:21 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, at Tractor Central in Sheldon. The caller said a person was pinned underneath a front-end loader on a tractor. The victim was David Nelson, 52, of Conrath. He leaves behind his wife of 21 years, Laura Dutter-Nelson, and children, Jon, a senior, and Emmalee, a freshman, at Flambeau High School.  Rusk County Ambulance, Rusk County First Responders, Sheldon Fire Department and Rusk County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the business. Prior to first responders arriving, Tractor Central employees had removed Nelson from under a frontend loader attached to a farm tractor. He was transported to the Sheldon Air Ambulance loading zone, where they were met by Life Link III. Nelson died from his injuries prior to being transported by Life Link III.

18-year-old charged in fatal shooting of convenience store employee

HOUSTON, TX – An 18-year-old man was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a convenience store employee at a northwest Houston store. Jose L. Bonilla-Ortiz is charged with murder in the shooting death of Faruk Bhuiya, who was killed during a robbery on Nov. 10, according to the court documents. Police said they found the employee dead at the store located in the 1600 block of Witte Road. They believe the employee was shot during an attempted robbery.

22-year-old farm worker drowns in manure pit near Loudonville

LOUDONVILLE, OH — A dairy farm worker drowned Friday morning while moving manure into a holding pit north of Loudonville. A 22-year-old worker was operating a skid loader with a squeegee on the front, pushing cow manure from a barn to a holding pit, when he apparently lost control of the machine, according to Ashland County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Carl Richert. The man’s name was not released at the time of publication. The machine traveled too close to the edge of the holding tank and fell down into the pit, Richert said, adding that the cause of the accident remains unclear. The ground was not icy at the time, but it was wet and muddy, according to Richert. Richert said the pit was about 40 feet wide and approximately 12 feet deep. It contained about eight feet of manure and water product.

Englewood construction worker dies in Berthoud accident

Englewood, CO – A 43-year-old man died Thursday after being hit by a truss that fell from a crane while working at a construction site in Berthoud, according to the Larimer County Coroner’s Office. Larimer County deputy coroner Debbie Reisdorff told the Reporter-Herald Friday afternoon that the victim was Walter Vasquez-Caballeros of Englewood. Reisdorff said Vasquez-Caballeros suffered multiple blunt-force injuries at the construction site at 151 S. Eighth St. and later succumbed to his injuries in the emergency room of McKee Medical Center in Loveland.

Construction worker killed in Mass Pike accident, highway closed

BECKET, MA – A construction worker was killed at a work site on the Massachusetts Turnpike Thursday afternoon. Massachusetts State Police are investigating the death of  Brian M. Simard, 26. They did not give details about how the worker died. The accident happened at about 2:25 p.m. all westbound lanes of Interstate-90 were closed for several hours at the 17.2 mile marker near Westfield, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Worker Killed in North Carolina Industrial Accident at MillerCoors Plant

Eden, NC — Authorities have identified a man who was killed in an industrial accident in North Carolina. The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office said 44-year-old William A. Villatoro of Bayshore, New York, was part of a team contracted to remove metal from the vacant MillerCoors plant in Eden. A news release from the sheriff’s office said Villatoro was using a cutting saw Monday when it kicked back and hit him in his upper body

Chalco, NE — A 60-year-old Bellevue man died Wednesday after falling 20 to 30 feet at a construction site near Chalco. Jerome “Jerry” Charvat fell from a platform at the Andover Pointe apartments at 12860 Chandler Plaza. The accident at the site, near Interstate 80 and Giles Road, happened around 8:40 a.m., according to a release from the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office. Charvat was taken by helicopter in critical condition to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy, where he died. Charvat was one of the owners of B&B Grill and Arcade in Bellevue.

Community gathers to pay respects to Greensboro officer killed in line of duty

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Hundreds of family, friends and law enforcement officers gathered to pay their respects to Greensboro Police Officer Jared Franks as he was laid to rest on Saturday. Franks was 24 years old when he died while responding to a call for a possible robbery last Saturday. Franks was trying to avoid hitting another patrol car and crashed his patrol car into the foundation of a home.

Carroll Twp. firefighter dies after crashing into pond

CARROLL TOWNSHIP, OH – A Carroll Township firefighter responding to a call Thursday died after his truck ran off the road and into a pond near Wall Street and Toussaint Club Road. According to an Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office report, divers attempted to rescue the firefighter, Dan Lucius, 33, and were able to pull the person from the submerged vehicle. Lucius was taken by ambulance to Magruder Hospital in Port Clinton where he was pronounced dead. Lucius was responding to an emergency call on Wall Street when he called 911 around 10 p.m. Thursday and said he had crashed his vehicle into the water. While rescue personnel were en route to the scene, contact with the caller was lost, the report said.

Firefighter Dies After Being Hit by Vehicle

California — The statewide wildfires that are raging across California have taken another tragic turn. A firefighter from Washington, who was in California to help battle the state’s Woolsey fire, died Thursday after he was struck by a vehicle. His cause of death is listed as chest trauma. The firefighter, whose name has not been released, was on loan from the the South Kitsap Fire Department. A spokesman said he had been on the job for more than 21 years.

Lynx bus driver dead, another injured after one bus crashes into another, police say

ORLANDO, Fla. – One Lynx bus rear-ended another, crushing and killing a driver standing between the two. The bus that was broken down didn’t have its hazards on, officials said.  The crash happened not far from the bus yard  on West Princeton Street, east of John Young Parkway. Union officials said this crash didn’t need to happen. The union president said that bus was supposed to be on hold and it has broken down on other drivers and needed a jump out in the field. Officials also said Lynx is in talks about issuing reflective vests to bus drivers. “The first bus just died out and there was no reflective,” said union president, Ismael Rivera. The driver of that bus, 59-year-old Prosper Nazaire, got out and went to the back of the vehicle near the engine compartment, according to Rivera.

TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN I 59 HEAD ON COLLISION OF TRACTOR TRAILERS

Dade County, FL — Dade County Sheriff Ray Cross says one driver is dead and the other under arrest. The driver of the second truck heading south was killed.  The driver of the northbound truck that crossed the median is being facing several charges.

Arrest made in deadly armed robbery at Vidalia shop

VIDALIA, Ga. — Toombs County sheriff’s deputies arrested a man in connection with a deadly robbery at a Vidalia store. Deputies arrested Tyron Burns, of Vidalia, Saturday morning. Vidalia police say Burns walked into the RJ Pope menswear store on East First Street around 1:15 p.m. Friday. What followed led to the death of Brooke Joiner, who worked at the store.

Widow of Dollar General employee killed at work says he would be alive if store security was better

NORTH ST. LOUIS, MO – The widow of a Dollar General employee who was murdered on the job says he would still be alive if the store had better security measure. On November 2, Jolanda Woods’ life changed because of what happened inside a Dollar General store near the intersection of Grand and Kossuth. A suspect entered the store and fatally shot her husband Robert.  According to police, the shooting took place at the Dollar General at Grand and Kossuth, near Fairground Park, on November 2. The suspect entered the store with a firearm and began shooting, police said.  Police said the victim, Robert Woods, 42, was found unconscious and not breathing. He was a clerk at the store. The neighborhood where the store is located has a high crime problem. Jolanda says because of that, she wishes the company would do more concerning security, adding that if the company had done so, then her husband would still be alive. “That’s not enough staff to secure your store with no security. You can’t expect them to watch the aisles, work the cash registers, watch the thieves and stop the thieves,” Yolanda said.

Hempstead sanitation worker dies after being injured on duty, officials say

Hempstead, NY — An “exemplary” Town of Hempstead worker standing on the back of a sanitation truck died from injuries to his chest and abdomen suffered when the vehicle backed up toward a parked truck on Wednesday, officials said. “It is with profound sadness we report that longtime Town of Hempstead Sanitation worker Jean Macdonald was killed in a tragic accident yesterday while working on his route in Wantagh,” Town Supervisor Laura Gillen said in a statement Thursday. Macdonald, 60, of Freeport, had worked for the town since 2006. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the supervisor and Nassau County police.

Truck driver killed after hitting tree in road on Hwy 56 in Laurens Co. ID’d

LAURENS Co., SC (WSPA) – The driver of a tractor trailer who died after a crash in Laurens Co. early Thursday morning has been identified. According to South Carolina Highway Patrol, the crash happened at 4:15 a.m. on Highway 56 near Young Road, about 1.86 miles east of Clinton. SCHP said the driver was traveling east when the vehicle hit a tree lying in the road. The driver continued on, ran off the road and then hit a guardrail. The victim died at the scene. The person was wearing a seat belt and was entrapped. The Laurens County Coroner’s Office identified the driver as William Lee Weger, 58, of Edgefiled, SC.

Third man dies after industrial accident at Moab potash mine

MOAB, UT — A man who was injured in an industrial accident at a mine near Moab has died. Arthur Secrest died of his injuries Tuesday, San Juan County Sheriff Rick Eldredge confirmed. The incident took place about 12:40 p.m. Saturday at the Intrepid Potash mine, southwest of Moab, officials said. Secrest and two other men were using a forklift to pull a pump out of a pond on the property in an attempt to move the pump into the back of a pickup truck, officials said Saturday. Part of the equipment they were using came in contact with a power line, and the three men were shocked, according to authorities. Russell Helquist and Matthew Johnston died at the scene of the accident. Secrest was left in critical condition and was taken to the University of Utah Burn Center in Salt Lake City.

Raymond man died Friday in workplace accident

RAYMOND, MN — A 31-year-old Raymond man died last week in a workplace accident. An obituary notice and a fundraising web page to benefit his family identifies Ryan Boonstra as the man who died Friday. The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office said an accident took place near the intersection of 60th Street and 150th Avenue Southwest in Holland Township where a construction company was installing tile in a field.The Sheriff’s Office in its initial news release reported the accident victim might have been pinned between heavy equipment. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police chief ‘saddened’ after officer killed armed guard — ‘a brave man who was doing his best’

Chicago, IL — Jemel Roberson had dreams of becoming a police officer. He was killed by one. The 26-year-old was working as an armed security guard Sunday when he tried to intervene during a shooting outside a Chicago-area bar. Officers arrived, and — officials later said — saw a man with a gun. A Midlothian police officer opened fire after ordering the man to drop the weapon. That man was Roberson. He was trying to subdue one of the suspects, investigators later said, when the officer shot him. Roberson later died at a hospital. Now — amid an uproar and questions about police training and operations — the city’s police chief said he is mourning the loss of Roberson.

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Reposted from Confined Space