Monday, July 16, 2007

Weekly Toll: Death In The American Workplace

Highway Worker Killed On The Job Laid To Rest

FREDERICK, Md. Funeral services were held in Middletown Monday for a highway worker killed on the job last week. Richard Moser, 57, was buried on his family's dairy farm. The 21-year employee of the State Highway Administration was a maintenance team leader in the Frederick County maintenance shop. He was struck and killed by a pickup truck last week while clearing debris from a highway.


Electrician who fell from ladder dies

NJ - A 29-year-old electrician injured in a fall from a ladder in Atlantic City on Friday has died. Peter Anthony Borsani, of Egg Harbor Township, died Tuesday at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus. Atlantic City police said Borsani was working on a fire-suppression line at a store under construction at Michigan and Baltic avenues when he fell from a 15- to 20-foot ladder. Borsani landed on his head on a concrete sidewalk, they said. Borsani's mother, Patrice, said her son, who was an electrician for about six years, had been kept in a medically induced coma since the accident, partly because he was in great pain.She also said the family doesn't yet know what happened at the accident scene and is waiting to hear from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA.


Two found dead at Pine Hills office

FL - Orange County homicide detectives are investigating after two people were found fatally wounded Monday evening at an office in the Pine Hills neighborhood, a sheriff's spokeswoman said. An employee at Orlando Ultimate Healthcare found the man (Danny Rivera) and woman, whose names were not released, at about 6:15 p.m. , Cpl. Susan Soto said. Both victims worked at the business, located at 6001 Silver Star Road business, Soto said. One was taken by ambulance to Orlando Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead. The other victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives did not release what weapon was used.


Lawyers: Lack of oxygen killed plant workers

Stickney, IL - Oxygen levels in the air at a Stickney Water Reclamation Plant vault where two men were killed last month is far lower than it should be, according to tests commissioned by an attorney representing the widow of one of the workers. Tests conducted last week show the concentration of oxygen at less than 2 percent at 2 feet above the floor of the concrete vault, said Louis Cairo, the lawyer representing the family of Rodolfo Aguilera, 47, of North Aurora, in a civil lawsuit. A normal oxygen level is 21 percent oxygen. “It is virtually impossible to survive for more than 30 seconds at 2 percent oxygen,” Cairo said. Tests showed that about halfway down the 10-foot-deep vault, oxygen levels were 6 percent to 8 percent oxygen, a level Cairo said is difficult to survive in for more than a minute. Frederick Feldman, the attorney for the water reclamation district, declined comment on the lawsuit or test results. The civil lawsuit was filed days after Aguilera and his co-worker, William Kachavos, 45, of Flossmoor, died after entering an underground vault at the Stickney plant. The lawsuit against the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago seeks $50,000 in damages for Aguilera’s family, but also calls for the water reclamation district to put additional safety regulations in place.


Marlboro teen killed on the job

MARLBORO, NY - A Marlboro teenager died Tuesday afternoon while working construction in New Hampshire. Travis J. DeSimone, 17, was working on the renovation of a barn in Marlborough, N.H., when a 4-foot by 6-foot piece of concrete fell on him, said police. "He was bent over ... and a piece of a back wall came loose, fell on top of him, pinning him against the ground," said Detective Steven LaMears of the Marlborough, N.H., Police. At the time of the accident, DeSimone was alone in the barn at Corbett Creek Farm, off Rte,. 124. He was on his knees trying to remove a large structure called a stanchion when the wall gave way. He was unconscious when a co-worker found him some time later, LaMears said. "He was working, making summer money, tearing out a barn up here," said LaMears. "When someone first came and saw him, he was unconscious." Marlborough Fire Department personnel were able to lift the concrete off DeSimone, but LaMears said he may have died instantly.


Logger killed in on the job accident

OROFINO, ID - The Clearwater County Sheriff's Department says a 26-year-old logger died this week in an on-the-job accident. The department has not yet released the identity of the logger. But officials say the accident occurred Tuesday about 32 miles northwest of Orofino near the Mason Meadows area. Sheriff investigators and the Clearwater County Coroner are still investigating the case. So far, they say the logger was killed after losing control of a log skidder. They say the skidder went over a 10-foot bank and landed on its side, ejecting the operator.


Fallon tribal officer dies in crash

NV - A law enforcement officer for the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe died early Wednesday morning in a fatal automobile accident while responding to a medical emergency from the tribal colony to the reservation at Stillwater, according to a press release from the tribe. Officer Adam Menuez was killed at approximately 4:30 a.m., according to the release. Menuez had worked as an officer with the Fallon tribe since February after serving eight years in the U.S. Army with tours of duty in Afghanistan and working at the Pentagon following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.The accident is under investigation, and funeral services will be announced at a later date. "Officer Menuez served not only our Tribe honorably but also our country, and this loss wil be felt throughout our community for a long time to come," Tribal Vice Chairwoman Rochanne Downs said in a press release. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Menuez, his family, his friends and all of those that he served and protected."


Republic Services worker killed in trash collection mishap

LAS VEGAS, CA - A trash collector is dead after a mishap this morning (Thursday) while working on the east side of Las Vegas. Republic Services spokesman Bill Marion tells K-Dawn radio the man was run over by the truck he and a partner were operating in an apartment complex (near Charleston Boulevard and Tree Line Drive). Initial reports are that the man fell behind the truck before the driver backed up over him. Police say the case has been turned over to state OSHA investigators. The name of the victim and his partner haven't been made public.


Name of man killed by road grader released


TN - The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration today released the name of the man killed Tuesday in a construction accident. Elvis Ray Mayson, 66, died in the 12:45 p.m. incident, according to Milissa Reierson, TOSHA spokeswoman. Mayson was working for Clarksville-based Keay Construction. Earlier this week the Clarksville Police Department reported the man was crushed by a road grader at a Jenny Lane construction site. Mayson was pronounced dead at the scene. Keay Construction declined today to comment on the incident. Reierson said the TOSHA investigation should take four to six weeks, and a report will be issued once it is complete.


Baggage handler killed, shooter sought

TX - Homicide detectives are trying to find the person who killed an airline baggage handler. It happened while Donald Bruce Webb, 47, of Spring was at work Tuesday night at the Baggage Delivery Inc. It’s located on Lee Road at Upshaw near Bush Intercontinental Airport. Police say Webb was working when he became involved in a verbal altercation that lasted throughout the afternoon with an unknown man. At about 9:10 p.m. Tuesday, witnesses reported hearing gunshots coming for the alley at the rear of the business where Webb was working alone. The witnesses went to investigate and found Webb lying on the ground.


Man killed in FD Ice & Cold accident

AI - A man was killed Tuesday morning in an accident at Fort Dodge Ice & Cold, formerly Omaha Cold Storage. Fort Dodge Rescue was called to the cold storage facility shortly before 9:30 a.m. for a call that a man was unconscious after a pallet of frozen meat products fell on him. The man, who is not being identified pending notification of his family, was taken to Trinity Regional Medical Center where he was declared dead at 10:33 a.m. His cause of death has not been released pending an autopsy, said Staci Olson who was filling in Tuesday for Dr. Dan Cole, Webster County medical examiner. The man had lacerations on his face but had no other outward signs of trauma, she said.


Man Dies After Falling Off Scaffold in Brooklyn

NEW YORK -- A 43-year-old construction worker is dead after falling off the roof of a building in Brooklyn. The accident happened shortly after noon today at Front Street near Cadman Plaza West and the Brooklyn Bridge. Police say Singh Balihar of Jackson Heights, Queens, was working on the roof when he fell. Police say he fell about three stories. Balihar was taken to Long Island College Hospital where he was pronounced dead.


Man Dies at Andover Paint Facility

KS - Officials at the Sherwin-Williams plant in Andover say a man died at the plant Sunday morning. No further details were released about what happened. Sherwin-Williams says they are investigating along with OSHA and further details will be made available as soon as they're known.The company says it continues to offer support to the employee's family and co-workers in Andover.


Worker dies in I-205 construction zone accident

OR - A 47-year-old construction worker was killed Sunday night on Interstate 205, just north of Interstate 5. David Leroy Lasley, a worker for Oregon Mainline Paving, died after he was pinned between a backhoe's stabilizer landing gear and the rear bucket while working on a project to add a lane at the Stafford exchange.


Backhoe Rolls, Killing Two Construction Workers, OSHA Investigates Incident In New Home Development

PARKER, Colo. -- Two construction workers were killed Tuesday morning when a backhoe rolled backward, over them, as they were trying to lay electrical wire in a ditch. One worker died at the scene. Another worker was transported to Littleton Hospital, where he later died. Neither have been identified. The incident occurred at about 9:20 a.m. off Hess Road, near Triple Crown Drive and Pardee Street, where a new home development is being built by Advocate Homes.



Gunman kills 2 at store in N.H., Police hunt suspect; 3d victim in hospital

NH - A massive manhunt was launched after a gunman in fatigues opened fire yesterday in a military surplus store in Conway, N.H. , and fled into mountainous woods after killing two people and wounding a third, authorities said. Residents were on edge through the day and evening, as police restricted movement, closing the main thoroughfare, Route 16, and urging residents to stay in their homes or workplaces while law enforcement officers searched the area with helicopters and canine teams. Two people died at the scene, and a third was flown to Maine Medical Center in Portland and placed in a special care unit, authorities said. Kristi Riley of Fryeburg, Maine, identified one of those killed as her former husband, James Walker, 34, of Conway, manager of the Army Barracks, where the shooting occurred.


Farm Tragedy Claims Five

BRIERY BRANCH, VA — A tragic farm accident claimed the lives of four Rockingham County Mennonite family members and a hired hand early Monday evening. Scott Showalter, 34, his wife, Phyillis, 33, their two daughters, Shayla, 11, and Christina, 9, all died, apparently from deadly methane gas emanating from a manure pit, as did Amous Stoltzfus, 24, who worked at the Showalters’ dairy farm, said Rockingham County Sheriff Don Farley. "It’s just a tragic, tragic event," said Farley. Emergency dispatch received a rescue call at 6:47 p.m. from the dairy farm, which is located on Pine Grove Road, a private road off Nazarene Church Road, south of the Briery Branch community, Farley said. Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Department, Rockingham County Fire and Rescue, Clover Hill Rescue Squad, the Harrisonburg Fire Department and Harrisonburg Rescue Squad also responded, he said. Following the end of the day’s work, Farley said, Scott Showalter apparently was transferring manure from one small pit to a larger one measuring 20 feet by 20 feet and 8 feet deep. "This is something Mr. Showalter had done hundreds of times," Farley said. At some point, the pipe that was transferring the manure from the smaller pit to the larger became clogged, and Scott Showalter climbed inside to fix the blockage, Farley said. When he went into the pit to clear the obstruction, he apparently was overcome by methane gas, which is one byproduct of the liquefied manure, Farley said. Emergency workers speculate that Stoltzfus, who was from Pennsylvania, climbed into the pit in an attempt to rescue Showalter. When the two men didn’t come out, Phyillis Showalter and then the couple’s two daughters apparently made their way in, all succumbing to the deadly gas.


Pizza delivery driver beaten to death

HOUSTON) - A pizza delivery driver was beaten on the job and died from his injuries.
It happened when he stopped at a tire shop on Houston's southside. Eyewitnesses tell us a man confronted the delivery driver, yelling at him and then beating him. Road rage may have led to the death of the young driver. News of this incident spread quickly to other pizza shops in the area. One manager says he's reminding all his drivers to be vigilant. "I'm telling my drivers if you have a problem stop where people can see you," said Domino's Pizza manager Herman Garcia. From his pizza shop on telephone, Garcia says Courtney Speche's, 22, death has been the talk of the day. "When it happens to one, even if it's not in the same company we understand," Garcia explained. "We're all here trying to do a job and do it the best we can." See Video


NE Texas deputy fatally shot - Suspect found dead in apparent suicide outside New Boston

NEW BOSTON, Texas – A Northeast Texas deputy was shot and killed with his own service weapon early Saturday during a scuffle with a suspect, who was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. Bowie County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Page, 34, was responding to a report of a car running into a telephone poll on a road north of New Boston when he was shot around 1 a.m., authorities said. After arriving at the accident scene, the deputy pursued a man he saw fleeing through a yard and into a thickly wooded area. A scuffle apparently ensued in the woods, and Deputy Page was hit on the head and shot in the upper shoulder, Bowie County Sheriff James Prince said. Paramedics and officers found Deputy Page trying to walk out of the woods. The deputy died later in the hospital.


Contractor dies at State Capitol

OKLAHOMA CITY - A contractor dies today while performing electrical work at the state Capitol. Authorities say 35-year-old Tim Caldwell was discovered dead about 2:30 pm in an attic above the Capitol's fifth floor. Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain Chris West says Caldwell arrived at the Capitol about 10 am and was replacing light bulbs or performing other electrical work. West says there is no indication that the area where the contractor was working was unsafe. West says he did not know the name of the company the Choctaw resident worked for.


Decatur man dies in crash while delivering Huntsville fire truck

AL - A 27-year-old Decatur man died Thursday in Florida while delivering a new fire truck to Huntsville, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Gary John Sherrill, an employee of North Alabama Fire Equipment Co. of Decatur, was killed when he lost control of the fire truck on Interstate 10 near Greenville, Fla., about 30 miles east of Tallahassee at about 5:25 p.m., according to a report released this morning by the highway patrol. The $700,000 fire truck, which Sherrill was delivering from Orlando to Huntsville, was totaled, according to highway patrol. A message on the North Alabama Fire Equipment Co. Web site this morning says that Sherrill had worked for the company for 10 years. "He was a very dedicated worker and wonderful friend to us all. We know he had many friends and touched many lives," the Web site states. The Web site posting invites friends to leave condolences for Sherrill's friends and family at www.nafeco.com.


Missouri Officer Dies after Crash

MO - The Officer Down Memorial Page is reporting the death of Buchanan County, Mo. Deputy Charles Cook. Deputy Cook succumbed to injuries sustained 5 days earlier while pursuing a motorcycle on the Belt Highway. The motorcycle and been observed harassing a St. Joseph police officer by continuously driving past the officer and doing wheelies while the officer was conducting a traffic stop. The officer radioed the situation in to dispatch and Deputy Cook responded to the scene. As the motorcycle fled northbound on the highway Deputy Cook attempted to catch up to it. As he crested a small hill he encountered a semi truck turning left across the highway. Deputy Cook swerved to avoid striking the truck but his patrol SUV left the roadway and struck a traffic control box. He was transported to a local hospital where he remained in critical condition until succumbing to his injuries. The motorcyclist who caused the incident was not captured.


Murder suspect had killed before, UCD student was surveying forest

CO - Park County officials have arrested a 44-year-old man with a lengthy criminal background in connection with the killing Tuesday of a 24-year-old geology student as she cried "Help me! Help me!" into her radio. Robert Amos is being held for investigation of first-degree murder in the death of Alyssa Heberton Morimoto, whose body was found in the woods of rural Park County near Antero Reservoir just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday after a 10-hour search. Marimoto was a geology student at the University of Colorado-Denver and was mapping the area with instructor Karen Houck when she was murdered. Amos was camping alone in the area when police found him and had a rifle, Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said.


Bluffton Worker Dies After Falling Nearly 150 Feet

GA - A Georgia man is dead after falling from a tower in Bluffton. The worker fell almost 150 feet from a cell phone and communications tower on Ulmer road, just off of Burnt Church Road. Authorities still aren't sure what happened, but they've called in Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate and figure out what went wrong. Charles Moore was working about 10 feet above his tools when something went wrong and he fell to his death. But the question everyone is asking is how did it happen? The day started out like any other day on the job for Moore and his fellow workers, climbing more than a hundred feet straight up. Officials say the workers were in the process of installing reinforcement steel clamps on the tower to help secure the cables, and had just started the work yesterday.


1 Worker Dead In Trench Collapse

PHOENIX -- A construction worker died on Saturday after a trench he was working in at the Spectrum Mall collapsed, burying him up to his chest. The pressure from the dirt and debris was so much that he died on the scene before rescuers could pull him out. Investigators from OSHA rushed to the scene at the Spectrum Mall at 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road. They will examine the worksite and determine what exactly happened and if the conditions were safe for workers.


Man who shot, killed bakery worker is sought

PA - An employee of a Larimer bakery was shot to death yesterday afternoon just as he was completing his shift. Floyd Johnson Jr., 26, of East Liberty, who worked at Stagno's Bakery in the 200 block of Auburn Street, was shot multiple times in the chest at 4 p.m., city police said. Mr. Johnson was taken to UPMC Presbyterian, where doctors preformed emergency surgery, but he died at 5:22 p.m. Police said the victim was approached by a muscular black man wearing an orange reflective construction vest and a yellow or green hard hat. The shooter left the scene on foot, detectives said. An autopsy is scheduled for today.


Worker drowns in golf course lake

CARLSBAD, CA – A maintenance worker cleaning a lake on the golf course at the La Costa Resort and Spa was found dead after apparently drowning in about 12 feet of murky water early yesterday, authorities said. He was identified as Domingo Lorenzo Ramos, an Encinitas resident in his 20s. Ramos, who was wearing chest-high waders, was standing in 3 feet of water on a ledge in the lake near the No. 2 hole of the resort's North Course about 8:30 a.m., authorities said. While skimming the water's surface to remove algae, leaves and debris, Ramos fell into deeper water. It appears his waders filled up and he drowned, said Carlsbad police Lt. Kelly Cain. It was Ramos' first day on the job, Cain said.


Worker Killed in Explosion

Williston, Vermont - A Colchester man was killed on the job Tuesday afternoon following a powerful explosion at Demag Construction in Williston. Anthony Boisvert, 20, had been an employee at the business for three years. "It's under investigation," Williston Police Chief Jim Dimmick said. "Unfortunately, we lost a life today." Dimmick said Boisvert was alone in the company's service bay, using a blow torch to open a safe that had been discarded. It is not known what was in the safe, but it exploded when sparks from the blow torch came in contact with it. He said there was no indication of foul play -- it was just a tragic accident.


Lightning strike kills worker who sought shelter in unfinished house

GA - A 27-year-old construction worker was killed by lightning Monday afternoon at a new home site in southern Forsyth County, fire officials said. Capt. Jason Shivers with the Forsyth County Fire Department said the man had sought shelter about 4 p.m. in a house under construction on King's Hill Drive, south of Cumming. The lightning traveled into the building, where it hit the man and sent him into cardiac arrest. Bystanders performed CPR until emergency personnel arrived, Shivers said. Shivers said the man, whose name has not been released, was with a group of four to five other workers, none of whom were hit. Shivers said the man was taken to Northside Forsyth Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. It was the first lightning-related death of the season in Forsyth County, Shivers said, and first in recent memory. Plus, he added, "For him to be indoors and be struck is very unusual." Not only that, but the death comes on the second day of Lightning Awareness Week.


Deadly Accident at Work Site

The Lackawanna County coroner confirmed the name of a man killed Monday morning in an accident at a job site. Martin Anstett, 60, of Wilkes-Barre died after he was hit by a van at the construction site for the Sears Distribution Center off Route 435 in Covington Township. Anstett worked for ACE Electric Company. Police said the driver of the van was backing up and said he didn't see Anstett. By the time he realized he had struck the man, Anstett was trapped under the van. No charges will be filed against the driver. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, will investigate the incident.


Worker dies in accident at G-P

GA - A cleaning subcontractor died last week of injuries sustained in an accident at the Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Cedar Springs. Ernest Robertson, 51, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Monday night, June 18, at Southeast Alabama Medical Center after he was injured that afternoon by a high-pressure cleaning device he was operating. Celia Bostwick, spokesperson for Georgia-Pacific, said Robertson had been using a high-pressure hose to clean a clogged drain during a maintenance outage at the mill. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident. The Cedar Springs plant has logged 591,000 work hours with only three recordable injuries this year, Bostwick said. So far this year, the plant has an OSHA Incidence Rate (OIR) of 1.01, under the industry standard of 4.4. "The safety and welfare of all who work at the mill is our highest priority," Bostwick said.


Consumers Energy worker pinned to death

CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP, MI -- A Consumers Energy worker was killed early Tuesday afternoon in an accident near the Caledonia campus of Davenport University. Consumers Energy was in the area working on power lines. They were using their off-road vehicle to reach some of the power lines. When they returned to the main truck and were loading the off-road vehicle, the man was pinned and crushed to death. Rescue workers from multiple agencies arrived at the scene shortly after the accident. The Kent County Sheriff Department said James Rus, 33, was standing on a flat bed trailer helping to position the off-road vehicle when he was crushed between the vehicle and a portion of the trailer. He died instantly.


Farmer killed when wagon rolls over, pins him

FREEBURG, Ill. - A 48-year-old farmer who was trying to secure a tarp over a load of grain was killed when the wagon rolled over on top of him. Kent Heidenreich died Monday while working in a field on the family farm near Freeburg. Authorities with the St. Clair County sheriff's office say Heidenreich was trying to secure the tarp on a wagon that was missing a wheel when it tipped over, pinning the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Heidenreich's mother, Elsie Heidenreich, says he started helping his father on the family farm when he was six years old and never stopped. She says he was in the process of purchasing the farm.


Man Killed in Work-Site Accident at Clayton Bypass

Clayton, NC - An accident in the construction zone around the Clayton Bypass left one man dead Tuesday, authorities said.At around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said a soil-stabilizer mixer driven by Mark Zurcher, 36, of Tennessee, ran off the side of Ranch Road. The mixer rolled down the embankment, killing Zurcher. Zurcher worked for Pozzolanic Contracting and Supply, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based road construction firm, authorities said. The accident occurred in the work zone for the U.S. Highway 70 bypass near Clayton. Charges will not be filed in the accident. The Johnston County Sheriff's Office, the state Department of Labor, the state Department of Transportation, the state Division of Motor Vehicles and ST Wooten, the contractor for the bypass project, investigated the incident.


Fiery crash kills trucker, snarls traffic

MICHIGAN CITY, IN | A fiery three-semitrailer wreck Monday afternoon killed a truck driver and paralyzed traffic on Interstate 94. Eastbound lanes were closed from 1 to 8:30 p.m. as police officers, firefighters and hazardous materials crews cleaned up charred wreckage less than two miles from the Michigan border. Westbound lanes also were closed for two hours after the wreck. At 5 p.m., crews still were trying to pull the driver's body from the burned semi cab, said John Sullivan, LaPorte County chief deputy coroner. Neither the LaPorte County coroner nor the Indiana State Police released the dead driver's name Monday night. A state trooper said at 9:45 p.m. investigators didn't know the dead driver's identity and failed to reach the driver's trucking


Construction Worker Falls 30 Feet To His Death

KY - A construction worker is dead after falling off a roof in Bourbon County. The accident happened Monday morning in the town of Little Rock, just outside Paris. Neighbors say two workers were repairing the roof of the Little Rock Masonic Lodge, when a sprinkling of rain made the tin roof very slippery. We're told 43-year-old Donny Burkhalter fell about 30 feet to the ground. "He started slipping, so he grabbed the friends legs and his friend was trying to hold tight and he just dropped, he let go," said neighbor, Dorothy Pruitt. Pruitt says she could tell from the way Burkhalter landed and the height of the fall that he wasn't going to make it.


Reynosa Officer Killed on First Day of Work, Rookie shot point blank in the face

REYNOSA, TX - A Reynosa police officer is gunned down on his first day. Filiberto Cortez received his certification, badge, and gun at 8 a.m. He was dead by 11:30 a.m. Reynosa Police Commander Armando Salinas says it happened when officers responded to a robbery in progress. Police saw the suspects running away. The 18-year-old rookie chased one of the suspects a few blocks and saw him jump over a brick wall. We're told Cortez tried to look over the wall to see where the suspect was. That's when he was shot point blank in the face. See Video


Corrections officer killed at campus medical center

A Utah Department of Corrections officer was shot and killed today during a brazen escape by a white supremacist prisoner. Curtis Allgier is placed into a police car after a high-speed chace that ended at an Arby's on Redwood Road. Allgier is suspected of killing a corrections officer during his escape from custody. (Scott G. Winterton, Deseret Morning News)Scott G. Winterton, Deseret Morning News Curtis Allgier is placed into a police car after a high-speed chace that ended at an Arby's on Redwood Road. Allgier is suspected of killing a corrections officer during his escape from custody. Authorities said Stephen Anderson, 60, of Bluffdale, was killed inside a medical exam room at University Hospital's Orthopaedic clinic with Curtis Allgier, an inmate with a history of burglary, forgery and weapons violations. "This is a time of mourning for us," said corrections chief Tom Patterson. "This is, of course, one of the risks in the job we perform." Police said Allgier was scheduled to undergo an MRI this morning for lower back pain. Anderson was alone in the medical exam room with Allgier. "In the exam room, something happened," said University of Utah Police Chief Scott Folsom. "We presume an altercation. There was signs of a struggle in the room." Folsom said it appears Allgier took the officer's gun and fired "at least one shot," hitting Anderson in the head.



Worker on Life Support After Falling Through Classroom Skylight

NORTH KANSAS CITY, MO -- A roofing worker is on life support after falling through the roof at a Kansas City elementary school on Friday. Chris Zeyler worked for Delta Roofing, and he was not responsive when he was rushed from the school by ambulance and taken to an area hospital. Zeyler fell 15 feet through a skylight into a classroom. Clark Mershon, the Assistant School Superintendent, said 300 students were taking summer classes but none of the students witnessed the accident."No kids were around when the accident occurred," Mershon said. "They probably heard the emergency vehicle arrive as they approached the campus."


Ambulance mechanic crushed to death

NJ - A mechanic working on an ambulance in a Jersey City garage was crushed to death yesterday morning when the ambulance apparently fell on him. A co-worker discovered 65-year-old Shokry Guirgius about 11 a.m. in the garage for the Jersey City Medical Center Emergency Medical Services vehicles, located at Central Avenue and Prospect Street. It was not known how long Mr. Guirgius had been dropped under the ambulance since he was working alone. John McKeegan, a spokesman for LibertyHealth System, which operates Jersey City Medical Center, said Mr. Guirgius was transported to the trauma center but died a short time later from his injuries.


City employee killed after rolling compactor falls on him

MONTROSE, CO - A 38-year-old Montrose city employee was killed when a rolling compactor fell on him during maintenance work. Police Commander Gene Lillard said Shane Deines came too close to the side of the machine, which hit loose dirty and fell on him. Lillard said co-worker saw the accident Friday and ran to help as another called 911. The first witness used a backhoe and chain to lift the roller off Deines. He was transported to the Montrose Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before noon. Deines began with the city as a utility worker in February 2005.


Bulldozer crushes Sebring man

SEBRING, FL -- The Highlands County Sheriff's Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Sebring resident Keith Brian Williams. Williams, 43, was crushed to death in what appears to be an industrial accident. His two daughters, Karen Hampton and Heather Musselwhite, both live in Arcadia. The incident unfolded about 6 p.m. Wednesday on a construction site on Phillips Road in Leisure Lakes. Williams, an employee of Hickey Excavation, was helping off-load a Komatsu model 31PX bulldozer from a tilt-type trailer at a construction site. As a tilt-type trailer is unloaded, the front rises near the cab and then goes back down, explained Lt. John Chess of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. Williams was crushed by the trailer while attempting to move some heavy chains from the front of it. The trailer leveled out when the dozer was moved by its operator. The victim was not in the operator's line of sight, Chess noted. Williams died at the scene.


MTA conductor killed in Harlem shootout

NY - An MTA employee was killed early Saturday morning in a shootout in Harlem before police intervened, shooting and wounding the alleged gunman, officials said. New York police said a 20-year-old man opened fire about 12:20 a.m. on Warren Dandridge, 26, a subway conductor from Staten Island, outside a fried chicken restaurant near the intersection of 110th Street and Fifth Avenue. Dandridge was struck in the abdomen, buttocks and ankle, police said.


Worker falls to his death at Elgin factory

IL - A 22-year-old man crashed through a skylight at an Elgin factory Friday and plummeted 30 feet to his death. Police identified the victim as Luckpakoun S. Vongphakdy, of the 1800 block of Mission Hills Drive, Elgin. Vongphakdy had been painting support beams on the roof at Ball Corp., 1717 Gifford Road, when he took a break and rested on a glass skylight bubble around 12:36 p.m., police said. The glass shattered, and Vongphakdy fell about 30 feet to a wood pile and concrete floor, Kane County Coroner Chuck West said.


Pilkington worker in Rossford dies in forklift accident

OH - An employee of Pilkington Group Ltd. was pronounced dead at the plant in Rossford this afternoon after an accident involving a forklift, a news release from the company said. The company did not immediately release the name of the victim. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating, and the company release said it would conduct its own investigation as well.


Foamex employee fatally shot at plant, Assailant was estranged husband

LINWOOD, Pa. — A Foamex employee was fatally shot by her estranged husband in the parking lot of the foam supplier’s corporate headquarters here Monday morning, a company spokesman said today. Christine Coleman, who had recently taken a protective order out against her husband, Stanley Coleman, had worked in accounts payable since 1999.


City employee dies at construction site

MONTROSE, CA — A man working for the city of Montrose was killed Friday morning after a rolling compactor he was operating fell on him. Shane L. Deines, 38, was operating the machine on the Cerise Park access road when it rolled over an embankment. He came too close to the side and hit loose dirt, Montrose Police Cmdr. Gene Lillard said. "It laid over on its left side, which ejected Mr. Deines," Lillard said. "He fell underneath." A co-worker saw the accident and ran to help as another called 911. The first witness used a backhoe and chain to lift the roller off Deines, Lillard said.


Bulldozer crushes Sebring man

FL - The Highlands County Sheriff’s office is investigating the circumstances surrounding.the death of Sebring resident Keith Brian Williams. Williams, 43, was crushed to death in what appears to be an industrial accident. His two daughters, Karen Hampton and Heather Musselwhite, live in Arcadia. The incident unfolded about 6 p.m. Wednesday evening on a construction site on Phillips Road in Leisure Lakes while Williams, an employee of Hickey Excavation, was helping off-load a Komatsu model 31PX bulldozer from a tilt-type trailer at a construction site. As a tilt-type trailer is unloaded, the front rises near the cab and then goes back down, explained Lt. John Chess of the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office. Williams was crushed by the trailer while attempting to move some heavy chains from the front of it. The trailer leveled out when the dozer was moved by its operator. The victim was not in the operator’s line of sight, Chess noted.


Worker hit, killed working on Interstate 12

WALKER, FL — Police continued an investigation Wednesday into an accident late Tuesday afternoon that killed a worker on the side of Interstate 12. A car hit the worker as he was picking up a sign on the side of I-12 shortly before 5 p.m., Police Chief Hunter Grimes said. Grimes identified the victim as Ellery P. Landry, 42, of Westwego. Landry worked for a contractor repairing a guardrail for the state, police said. The eastbound vehicle that struck Landry was driven by Carmen Letourneau, 23, of Denham Springs, Grimes said.


Landscaper Dies From Lightning Strike, Man Was Working On Lawn When Lightning Hits Tree

PINECREST, Fla. -- A lawn worker is dead after allegedly being struck by lightning Thursday. Miami-Dade police said David Canales was standing next to a tree at 15000 S.W. 62nd Ave. when lightning struck the tree and then struck him. The 44-year-old man was hit while working on the front lawn of a home in the affluent suburb of Pinecrest about 1 p.m., said Lt. Elkin Sierra, a spokesman for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Canales was hit by "dry" lightning, which means it was not raining at the time the lightning struck. Canales was taken to South Miami Hospital where he died.


Store clerk killed during robbery

MOULTRIE, GA — A convenience store clerk was fatally shot during an armed robbery at the Quick Mart at 1100 W. Central Ave. Tuesday night. He died at Colquitt Regional Medical Center during surgery. Shantilal Bhaya Bariya, 48, of 2809 Fifth St. S.E., Apt. E-2, was shot once in the left arm. The bullet went into his chest and hit his lung and other vital organs. The incident occurred at 10:39 p.m. One police officer responded to the convenience store while another officer was chasing a suspect on foot. When the responding officer entered the store, he saw another employee, Ghanshyam Trivebi, giving aid to Bariya for the gunshot wound.


Man pulled from trench dies; state officials are investigating Temecula incident

TEMECULA, CA - A Lake Elsinore man who was rescued from a Temecula trench last week has died from his injuries, officials said Tuesday. The 21-year-old man was pronounced dead at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, a spokesman for the San Diego County medical examiner's office said. His death came three days after rescuers lifted him from the trench. State officials also said Tuesday that an investigation into the incident is ongoing. The man's name has not been released pending notification of family members, who are in Mexico, the spokesman said. The cause of his death is listed as cardiopulmonary arrest and not receiving enough oxygen to his brain, according to the medical examiner's office. The afternoon of June 11, he and another man operating a backhoe were digging a trench for a septic tank in the area of Estero Street and Ormsby Road. The man lost his footing and fell into the 15-foot hole, followed by a wall of dirt that completely covered him. The backhoe operator jumped in and, using a shovel, was able to dig out his co-worker to the man's mid-thigh, freeing his head and upper body from the dirt, officials said.


Two workers killed at water reclamation plant

IL - Two workers (William G. Kachavos, 45, of 8 Thornwood Dr. in Flossmoor, and Rodolfo Aguilera, 47,) are dead in a construction accident at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's Stickney Water Reclamation Plant. The men were killed in an accident at the plant, located at 39th and Central in west suburban Stickney, a source said. Stickney firefighters responded to a call of two men trapped in a hole about 3 p.m., according to dispatch reports. A Cook County Medical Examiner's office spokesman confirmed two fatalities as of 5:25 p.m. and said investigators were en route to the scene. An unconfirmed report said at lease one of the victims drowned. A spokeswoman for the water reclamation plant confirmed the accident occurred on plant property, but had no details on the accident. She said the two workers killed were subcontractors for Metropolitan Biosolids Management, which is project manager for the plant. The spokeswoman referred all further questions to MBM, which did not return messages as of 5:40 p.m. The Stickney plant is the largest wastewater treatment facility in the world, serving 2.38 million people in central Chicago and 43 suburbs, according to the district Web site.


Highway Worker Killed On I-12 Near Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE, La. -- A highway worker was killed Tuesday afternoon along Interstate 12. The victim was part of a crew that had been repairing a guardrail and was picking up signage along the highway when he was hit by a car. The man worked for a company called Traffic Solutions and was doing work under contract for the state. A state worker was with the victim at the time, but was not hurt. The crash happened between the towns of Walker and Satsuma.


Construction worker killed in fall

AZ - A 29-year-old worker was killed Tuesday after falling 20 feet from a scaffold in north Scottsdale. Antonio Cruz Jimenez, 29, was working in a house in the 9900 block of East Toms Thumb Drive when he fell about 9 a.m., a Scottsdale police spokesman said. A helicopter was dispatched to pick him up, but when it arrived it developed "technical difficulties," said police Sgt. Mark Clark. nstead, the man was taken by ambulance to Scottsdale HealthCare-Osborn, Clark said. Six other workers said the victim was alone on the scaffold when they heard him tumble off, Clark said. Isham Drywall of Queen Creek is the employer. State work-safety investigators are working with police, but Clark said foul play is not suspected.


Oil rig worker killed near Freer

TX - A 24-year-old Victoria man fell 25 feet to his death Monday while working on a land oil rig near Freer. David Goehring fell from a 25-foot platform after being struck by an unknown object about 8 a.m., Duval County officials said. Officers from Freer and San Diego police departments, as well as the Duval County Sheriff's Department, responded to the accident, which happened 2.8 miles east of Freer.


U.S. Route 2 reopened after fatal truck wreck

WA - U.S. Route 2 was reopened to traffic at Baring and Index on Tuesday afternoon after crews finished removing a loaded fruit truck that plunged into the Skykomish River on Monday night, killing the driver. The state Department of Transportation said traffic resumed with flaggers in the westbound lane shortly before 1 p.m. The eastbound lane reopened about 2:30 p.m., restoring normal two-way traffic, department spokesman Mike Murphy said. "The debris was in so many places and that's what took so long," he said. The crash occurred about 11 p.m. Monday. The truck and its trailer, fully loaded with apples and cherries, dropped 150 feet down a steep embankment and landed in the river, the State Patrol said. A passer-by reported the accident. The westbound truck, which may have been from British Columbia, missed a curve on the highway, crossed the center line into the eastbound lane and hit, then apparently rolled over, a barrier along the eastbound lane before falling into the river, said a patrol spokesman, Trooper Kirk Rudeen. Divers on Tuesday morning found the body of the driver, Sekhon Kuldip, 35, of Surrey, B.C., in the river.


Farmer killed by drunk driver in tractor crash

BADGER -- A driving instructor who farmed at night was killed when his tractor was struck from behind by sports utility vehicle, which police say was driven by a drunken driver. Lance Ropte, 58, of Humboldt, was killed in the accident, which happened about 10:30 p.m. Thursday on a road just north of Badger, the Iowa State Patrol said. Ropte was thrown from the tractor and pronounced dead at the scene, the patrol said. The driver of the SUV, Georgia Christianson, 40, of Dakota City, was charged with drunken driving and taken to the Webster County jail. David Ropte, 29, said his father, a retired Iowa Air National Guardsman, was on his way home from a Badger grain elevator at the time of the accident.


Farmer killed when wagon falls on him

FREEBURG, Ill. - St. Clair County authorities say a Metro East farmer was killed when a grain-filled wagon fell on him. Forty-8-year-old Kent Heidenreich died yesterday. Sheriff's investigators say that -- after the wagon lost a wheel -- Heidenreich and another man were spreading a tarp across the top when the wagon came down, pinning Heidenreich beneath. Firefighters and emergency medical technicians finally got Heidenreich out but were unable to revive him. The accident happened near Freeburg, which is about 25 miles southeast of St. Louis.


Man dies in wreck

MS - An accident outside of Pace Monday ended the life of a United Parcel Service employee. Wilbert Woods, 46, of Greenville was traveling west on Mississippi Highway 8 yesterday when he lost control of the UPS truck he was driving and struck a utility pole. According to Highway Patrol Sergeant Roger Chambers, Woods crossed into the east bound lane of the highway. The sergeant said that Woods then traveled 75 yards before making impact with a culvert, eventually hitting the utility pole that ripped his truck apart. Rescue efforts were underway within minutes, with Bolivar County Search and Rescue Units responding to the scene.


DOT worker killed while working along Route 287 in central NJ

EDISON, N.J. - A New Jersey Department of Transportation maintenance employee was killed Tuesday afternoon while working along Route 287, officials said. Eduardo Jimenez, 23, who was doing landscaping work along the southbound lanes of the road, was killed around 1 p.m. when he was struck by two tandem wheels that had been lost by a flatbed tractor-trailer, said state police Sgt. Jeanne Hengemuhle. Jimenez, of Woodbridge, was pronounced dead at the scene, Hengemuhle said. Jimenez had been with DOT since December of 2005, Commissioner Kris Kolluri said in an e-mail to employees.


Worker's head crushed at non-profit recycling site

WA - A longtime employee at the SeaDruNar recycling plant died Tuesday after a hydraulic lift he was repairing collapsed on his head. Firefighters were called to the plant in Georgetown just before 11 a.m. following a report that the man was pinned under a lift, said Helen Fitzpatrick, a spokeswoman for the Seattle Fire Department. By the time help arrived, other workers had pulled the man free. "The injuries were significant," Fitzpatrick said, characterizing the man's condition as critical when aid arrived. Paramedics rushed him to Harborview Medical Center, where he died. The identity of the man, John Colombini, 46.


Recycling plant fire linked to friction in machine, Several state agencies taking look at VIM operation

ELKHART, IN — A fire that killed a man at a plant apparently was caused by friction in a mulching machine. Detective Jeff Roseboom, the lead investigator from the Indiana fire marshal’s office, said the fire at VIM Recycling was accidental. But he was careful with his wording on the details. "We can’t rule out friction build-up in a mulching machine that led to simultaneous explosions," he said today. Then, he went on to explain that friction in the machine created enough heat to cause three dust explosions in the mulching machine and connected equipment. The man who was killed, Jose Espiridion Garcia Olivera, 53, of Elkhart, was near one of the explosions, according to Roseboom.


ATF: Fire That Killed 9 Began at Dock

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - More of the nine firefighters killed in a furniture store inferno were laid to rest Saturday as a top federal investigator confirmed that the blaze started on the store's loading dock. Hundreds of people prayed and sang as members of a church choir clapped tambourines at a service. Killed in the fire, which caused the single heaviest loss of firefighters since the Sept. 11 attacks, were: Capt. William "Billy" Hutchinson, 48; Capt. Mike Benke, 49; Capt. Louis Mulkey, 34; Mark Kelsey, 40; Bradford "Brad" Baity, 37; Michael French, 27; Drayton, 56; Brandon Thompson, 27; and Melvin Champaign, 46.


Hard-hat dies in fall down Miami shaft

FL - A 19-year-old construction worker died Tuesday morning when he tumbled down an elevator shaft in downtown Miami. The worker was painting on the eighth floor of the building under construction at 300 Biscayne Blvd. when he fell. Co-workers rushed to his aid and performed CPR but they couldn't save him. A safety officer who aided the victim was himself transported to the hospital after experiencing medical symptoms. Ignatius Carroll, spokesman for Miami Fire Rescue, said it was the second serious accident at the building involving an elevator shaft. In the previous incident, a cinder block fell down an elevator shaft, striking a construction worker, who survived.


Cal Lutheran worker dies after cart overturns

CA -A 59-year-old worker at California Lutheran University was killed Monday after the utility cart he was driving hit a curb and overturned in a campus parking lot. A preliminary investigation showed that Roger Curtis died from injuries he suffered in the 12:15 p.m. accident, according to police. Further details on the accident were not available Monday. A resident of Simi Valley, Curtis worked as a paint and drywall expert at the Thousand Oaks campus, said Jannette Jauregui, a CLU spokeswoman. Curtis had worked for CLU since July 1999, she said. Cal/OSHA has classified the incident as an industrial accident, Jauregui said. "It is with deep regret that I inform you that CLU has lost one of its treasured employees today due to a tragic accident," CLU President John Sladek said in a letter to students and teachers.


Howard Co. officer dies from injuries

SAVAGE, Md. -- A Howard County police officer who was struck by a car while on duty over the weekend died early Monday from his injuries, police said. Officer First Class Scott Wheeler suffered serious head injuries Saturday afternoon when he was struck while working on a speed enforcement detail on Route 32 near Savage, Md. He was flown to University of Maryland Shock Trauma, where he died. Wheeler was in the process of flagging down a car driven by a 24-year-old woman. Investigators believe the woman did not see Wheeler in the roadway. No charges have been filed, but the investigation is continuing. The funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday at Grace Community Church in Fulton. Burial will be at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium.


Worker dies in accident on Miss. bridge

MS - A column under construction collapsed on a new bridge Thursday, sending nine workers plunging into the Bay of St. Louis. One worker died and another was missing. Eight workers were taken to area hospitals following the accident on the U.S. 90 bridge, a two-mile span that was built to replace one that was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and partially opened to traffic last month. Alger Pennamn, 51, of Jackson, was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, said Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove. The others were in stable condition, according to hospital officials.


OSHA Probes Worker's Death At Cookie Plant

GLUCKSTADT, Miss. -- A federal agency is investigating the death of a factory worker at a Gluckstadt cookie plant. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is looking into the death of a Hispanic worker at the De Buekelaer Corp. Employees said the plant worker died early Saturday morning after he got entangled in a conveyor belt. The Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance said they see dozens of accidents like this each year. The plant manager refused to comment on the investigation. OSHA has up to six months to complete its investigation.


Orange City man killed in semi accident

EARLY, Iowa -- An Orange City, Iowa, man was killed when two semitrucks collided Saturday morning west of Early. Myron Vandermeulen, 61, was driving a Freightliner north on County Road M-43 when another semitruck going east on 250th Street pulled out from a stop sign and struck his vehicle, the Iowa State Patrol reported. Vandermeulen's semi went into the east ditch and rolled, throwing him from the cab. He was not wearing a seatbelt. Vandermeulen was pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck. The other driver, 40-year-old Steven Lyons of Madrid, Iowa, was taken to Loring Hospital in Sac City, Iowa, for his injuries.


Northwest Iowa farmer is killed when tractor tips over

SD - A northwest Iowa farmer was killed over the weekend after he was pinned by a tractor in O'Brien County, authorities said this morning. Killed was Kenneth R. Woolston, 69, of rural Sutherland. Woolston was apparently "attempting to unload a tractor from a semi tractor trailer when one of the tractor tires slipped over the side of the trailer causing the tractor to flip over on its top," according to a statement from the sheriff's office. Shortly after 2 p.m., rescue workers found Woolston beneath the tractor, with no pulse.


Kansas Farmer Killed by Own Truck

KS - A 77-year-old northern Kansas man is dead after his pickup truck rolled over him in Phillips County. The highway patrol says Lewis Schneider of Logan had stopped his truck and stepped out to open a pasture gate near U-S 36 in Phillips County. But Schneider left the vehicle in neutral, and it rolled off the road, crossed the ditch and struck him as he opened the gate.


Brindley Mountain tragedy, Hartselle father, 28, dies after crane accident; talked of daughters to rescuers.

AL — Hanging upside down in the crushed cab of a crane, Justin “Curtis” Self of Hartselle uttered the words “I’ve got two little girls. Get me out of here.” That’s according to crane owner Ray Solley. It took 11/2 hours for rescue workers to cut Self, 28, from the cab, said Brindlee Mountain Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Jeff Burns. Self wrecked at the foot of Brindley Mountain at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. “He was conscious until they lifted him out, and then he went into shock,” Solley said. “He died as they were getting him on the helicopter to take him to the hospital.”


Father dies in Sunday truck crash

BEDFORD — Robert S. Holt, a Manchester Tank employee and father of three, was killed when his truck crashed Sunday. Holt, 45, 5007 Judah Logan Road, died in the crash on Old Ind. 37 North near Gulletts Creek. “He was a very good person,” said cousin Kim Wright. “He was a wonderful dad to all three kids.” Holt is survived by his wife Suzanna, stepsons Eric and Ricky Holmes, daughter, Sirta Holt and two stepgrandsons. Wright said Holt enjoyed his Harley-Davidson motorcycles. “I’m just heartbroken,” she said. “He was such a good person. He would help anybody.” Holt worked as a welder on the first shift big tank line at Manchester Tank. He was hired there in September 1994, said human resources director Angie Taylor. “Scott was a valued member of our team and his contributions will be sorely missed,” said Ken McGaha, vice president of ASME operations. “Our deepest sympathies go out to his family during this difficult time and they will be in all of our thoughts and prayers.”


Rumpke Responds After Tire Worker Dies From Injuries

OH - A Rumpke temporary tire worker who was injured on the job on April 27 has died. Scott Johnson, who sustained injuries at Rumpke Tire Recycling in New Miami passed away early Saturday morning around 1:00 a.m. in the hospital. Ohio Occupational Safety and Health Administration released the findings of their investigation on June 13, but details regarding the exact cause of the accident have not been released.


Painter dies after fall from ladder

FL - A North Lauderdale man was found dead early Monday, apparently after falling off a 15-foot ladder, the Broward Sheriff's Office said. Anthony Bucaro, 51, had been hired as a painter at Gennaro's Farmers Market, 5150 N. State Road 7 in North Lauderdale. He started work about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, a half-hour after the business had closed for the night. About midnight, the market's owner spotted Bucaro painting an interior wall. Another employee reported seeing Bucaro painting about 3 a.m., authorities said. But less than an hour later, a second employee saw Bucaro on the floor. His 15-foot ladder had toppled over, BSO said. Paint covered the floor. The employee rushed to tell the owner, who then called 911. ''It all appears to be accidental,'' BSO spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion says.


Postal worker killed in van

Osceola County, FL -- A postal worker was killed Saturday morning in Osceola County when his van overturned. Jhurel Villanueva, 35, of Kissimmee, was ejected from the van and died at St. Cloud Hospital from his injuries. Villanueva was driving the van south on Hickory Tree Road near Bullis Road at 10:30 a.m. in Osceola County and tried to make a left turn, according to a report by the Florida Highway Patrol. A vehicle driven by 65-year-old Peter Malzac of St. Cloud tried to pass and struck the rear left side of the postal van, causing the postal van to overturn.



Missing Worker's Body Recovered, Construction Scaffolding On Bridge Collapses, Sending 9 Workers Into Water

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- The coroner's office confirmed the body of a construction worker missing since Thursday afternoon was recovered late Friday afternoon. The worker was one of two killed when their scaffolding collapsed on the U.S. 90 bridge over the Bay of St. Louis. The coroner's office did not release the name of the worker pulled from the bay Friday. Nine workers fell into the bay. 16 WAPT spoke with the wife of the worker killed in the collapse. She identified him as Al Pennaman, of Jackson.


Hundreds mourn deputy killed en route to fellow deputy's funeral

COVINGTON, La. -- Hundreds of St. Tammany Parish sheriff's deputies gathered Saturday to mourn a co-worker killed when a tree fell on his patrol car during the procession to another deputy's funeral. "Sometimes there is nothing we can do, but for them to know that their brothers and sisters in this agency will be there for them and stand there with them as they go through this tragedy," Sheriff Jack Strain said. Cpl. Linden "Beau" Ramier died in the accident Wednesday; his passenger, sheriff's employee Marylin Mayo, remained in critical condition Saturday at a New Orleans hospital, Strain said. "It is an incredible loss to any family. There is a grieving process," Strain said. "Our family, as I said not too long ago, happens to be over 600 strong."


Corrections officer dies in car accident

IL - A Cook County Department of Corrections officer is dead after crashing his vintage car. Robert Williams, 43, died after he swerved to avoid hitting a motorcycle. It happened near the intersection of 85th Street and S. South Chicago. The man's 1967 Buick crashed into a parked truck. Williams was a 15-year veteran of the sheriff's office.


Farmer dies when big tank overturns

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP -- Fredrick Mueller earned his tractor permit at 14 and never stopped farming. "That's one of the things that gives me comfort," wife Cindy Mueller said. "He was doing what he loved doing." Mueller, 48, of Lexington-Ontario Road, was killed Thursday afternoon in a tractor accident on Wood- ruff Road. He was applying fertilizer to a corn field when he hit a groundhog hole, according to the Richland County Sheriff's Department. The fertilizer tank Mueller was operating overturned onto him. Mueller died of mechanical asphyxiation, Coroner Dr. Stewart Ryckman said. Mueller was described as a one-man farming business. He tended to more than 300 acres, sowing corn and soybeans on land he rented. Mueller recently served as president of the Richland County Farm Bureau.


Volunteer Fire Fighter Dies After Being Struck By Recoiling Tow Rope

South Dakota - On April 8, 2006, a 38-year-old male volunteer fire fighter (the victim) was struck by a shackle on a recoiling tow rope and died three days later. The fire department was dispatched to a controlled burn that had escaped its boundaries. Fire fighters arrived on the scene, extinguished the fire, and started departing the scene. An engine was being driven out of a soybean field when it became stuck in the mud. An attempt was made to tow the engine from the field using a tractor, tow rope and screw-type shackles on either end of the tow rope attached to the tractor and engine. With the victim sitting in the driver’s seat of the engine and another fire fighter sitting in the passenger’s seat, a farmer started moving the tractor forward. When tension was applied to the tow rope, the shackle on the tractor failed and the tow rope with it’s shackle attached recoiled toward the engine. The shackle smashed through the windshield, struck the victim in the forehead and then proceeded out through the back window.


County worker killed by train

AL - A Mobile County Public Works heavy equipment operator was killed shortly before 10 a.m. Friday when he drove a road grader into the path of an oncoming freight train at a crossing in the Grand Bay area of south Mobile County, authorities said. Mobile County spokesman Peter Albrecht identified Robert "Robbie" Begeman Jr., 45, as the man who was killed at the Paul Warden Road crossing off U.S. 90. CSX maintains the tracks where Begeman was killed.


Industrial accident kills one man and critically injures two others

LAWTON, OK-- One man is dead and two more are fighting for their lives following an industrial accident Friday morning in Lawton. It happened around 8 o'clock at the Lawton Transit Mix company located on F Avenue near 20th Street. The fire department says the man who was killed is 32-year-old David Heaverin. Authorities say he was crushed to death when a temporary wall made of concrete blocks collapsed on him and two other workers. A hospital spokeswoman says 49-year-old Mark Barker and 41-year-old Dick Tago are both in critical condition. Tago was later taken to an Oklahoma City hospital. The fire department says the three victims were standing in a sand pit Friday morning, waiting on a dump truck to bring in a new load. That's when something went terribly wrong. "Unfortunately it appears at this time that somebody pushed on the soil pile from the front side with a heavy piece of equipment, caved the soil in on the three men and trapped them. When it did the middle part of the wall bulged out and the wall collapsed on them," said Lawton Fire Department Deputy Chief Lonnie London.


Worker Dead After Flash Fire

CHICAGO, IL -- A 44-year-old man was fatally injured in a fire on the South Side Friday afternoon. The man was one of three workers coating a wooden floor in a South Side condo building in the 3900 block of S. Indiana Avenue when vapors ignited, causing a flash fire, officials said. All three men were critically injured following the fire. The worker, whose name is being withheld pending family notification, was pronounced dead at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, according to a spokesperson from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.


NYPD Officer Dies In Bike Week Crash, Victim Was Not Wearing Helmet

CENTER HARBOR, N.H. -- A New York City police officer has died from injuries he suffered in a crash during the Lake Region's annual Motorcycle Week, police said. William Weghorst, 39, lost control of his motorcycle on Route 25 late Tuesday night and ran off the road, police said. He was not wearing a helmet. He got immediate first-aid from two emergency medical technicians who were at a nearby house and was airlifted later to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, where he died Wednesday, police said.


Worker dies in accident

AL - A 22-year-old Whistler man was killed Thursday after he became pinned between two concrete beams and then fell in an industrial accident in Theodore, Mobile police said. Treveor Holcomb was loading concrete beams onto a barge Thursday afternoon at Standard Concrete Products at 7600 Mitsubishi Lane off Rangeline Road when one of the beams broke, police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant said. Holcomb became pinned between two of the beams and then fell at least 10 feet onto a barge below him, Gallichant said.


JPG workers take a water break while picking cucumbers in Edgecombe County on June 8.

NC-Six farmworkers died of heat stroke or suspected heat stroke in the past two summers. That’s double the number of heat deaths in all the state’s other industries combined during the same time. Pablo Ordaz spent the last days of his life working inside a metal barn where the temperature reached 106 degrees. Co-workers said his employer sometimes yelled at him for drinking water.State regulators believe the heat overwhelmed him. Ordaz, a legal migrant worker, died after walking off the job and collapsing in an isolated patch of the Person County farm, hundreds of miles from his family in Mexico.Ordaz's boss argued that he might have died of natural causes, but state officials say he is one of six farmworkers who died of heat stroke or suspected heat stroke in the past two summers. That's double the number of heat deaths in all the state's other industries combined during the same time.


Autopsy: NorthWestern lineman died of low-voltage shock


BILLINGS, Mont. A coroner's report says a NorthWestern Energy lineman, who died last month at Lockwood, died of a low-voltage electrical shock while on the job. Sixty-year-old Sebastian Fettig, of Billings, repaired and installed electrical lines. He was found unconscious by members of his crew on June 15th, and there were no obvious signs of trauma. Fettig never regained consciousness. He died June 19th at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings. It was the first on-the-job death of a NorthWestern Energy employee since November, when a worker in Thompson Falls died of injuries from a fall, while clearing a downed tree. NorthWestern spokeswoman Claudia Rapkoch says the company is conducting a review, to make sure all safety practices were followed at the Lockwood job site.


Portmouth Marine Terminal Worker Killed In Accident

VA - A worker at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal was killed Friday afternoon when a container crushed him. It happened after noon. Spokeswoman Linda Ford with the Virginia Port Authority says that the man was working on a vessel. He had just walked off the vessel and walked under a crane that was lowering a container. The container crushed the worker. He was pronounced dead on the scene. His body has been taken to the Medical Examiner's office in Norfolk for an autopsy. Ford says that the worker is a member of the Local ILA 1248. The investigation continues into how the worker died. His name is not being released. The Portsmouth Marine Terminal is on Seaboard


General Contractor Releases Statement on Death of Construction Worker

MIAMI, FL -- 07/13/07 -- Hunt/EllisDon, a joint venture construction manager for a Miami, Florida construction project, has reported that at approximately 1:30 PM on July 13, 2007, a construction worker employed by their concrete subcontractor, Jam Shell/Baker, died in a job site accident. It appears that no other workers were injured. "We regret any accident on a job site," said Jose Pienknagura, Vice President of Hunt Construction Group. "We are saddened by the incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and co-workers of the decedent." All appropriate parties have been notified and the investigation process is underway. Hunt/EllisDon is cooperating with the investigation of the accident and has no further comment until the situation is fully assessed.


Sikh taxi driver found dead in cab

WA- SEATTLE: A 43-year-old Sikh taxi driver, who had been a resident of SeaTac for four years, was found dead in his vehicle after in the wee hours after firefighters responded to a call about a car fire. Once the flames were extinguished, fire fighters the flames, they made the grim discovery near South 177th Street and 38th Avenue South. The police was investigating the death as a homicide. The victim was not being named by the media since he has not been officially identified. Sleuths are reported to have served a search warrant on a house Tuesday evening near where the cab was found. No arrests have been made till now. The Sikh cab driver was sent to pick up a passenger in the area just before he was killed. Described by fellow drivers as a nice, polite man, he used to work the night shift for Farwest Taxi and was married only in January. His wife is still in India and he wanted to get her here.

Worker killed in construction zone

LA CONNER, Wash. – A construction worker was killed on Highway 20 this morning after being backed into by a street sweeper, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. DOT says the victim was a contracted worker working on a repaving project around milepost 53 in LaConner. Washington State Patrol spokesman Kirk Rudeen says the crew was grinding down pavement so that it could repave the road. The grinder was being followed by the sweeper to get rid of dust and particles. The sweeper was backing up when it hit the worker standing behind it. The worker, a 51-year-old man from Everett, was flagging traffic at the time. Rudeen says it's not clear whether the beeper that warns people when the vehicle is backing up was working. “This is a terrible accident," said Project Engineer Dave Crisman. “Our sympathies go out to the family of the victim.” Investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol played role in what happened. The accident is blocking one eastbound lane at milepost 53. Even after the investigation, the lane will be closed for several hours due to the construction work. DOT is advising all drivers to use an alternate route. This is the second deadly accident in a road construction zone in the past three weeks. On June 22, 30-year-old Kollin Nelson was working along I-405 in Kirkland when a driver swerved and hit Nelson and another worker. Nelson died at the scene. The driver, Kyle Williams, has been charged with vehicular homicide.


Construction Worker Dies After Falling From 35th Floor

FL-MIAMI -- Authorities are at the scene of a fatal construction accident in Miami. A police spokesman said the worker fell from the 35th floor to the 11th floor Friday afternoon. He had been removing flooring at the time and died at the scene. Delrish Moss said the cause of the accident has not been determined. The name of the victim has not been released, but Moss said the worker was in his late 20s.


St. Petersburg city worker dies after being trapped underwater by lawnmower

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A veteran city worker died Monday after the lawnmower he was riding overturned, trapping him underwater in a canal, authorities said. Bystanders tried to hold 58-year-old Osby Green's nose and mouth above water until help arrived, but the 26-year parks department employee was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Osby was driving a riding mower about 10 a.m. Monday when it flipped into a canal. He was pinned under the mower in shallow water. Dave Hornberger, 64, said he and another man were unable to move the mower, but managed to help Osby get air for a few seconds at a time. "I think he might have died in my hands," Hornberger told the St. Petersburg Times. "He opened his eyes once and looked right at me."


Man changing tire killed when bus falls on him

PA-BASS RIVER — A man changing a tire on a charter bus along the shoulder of the Garden State Park was killed yesterday when a jack gave way and the vehicle fell on him, state police said. Jan Tengen, 25, an employee of the McCarthy Tire Service Co. of Absecon, was working on the bus at 11:13 a.m. on the southbound side of the parkway near milepost 49 when the accident occurred, said Sgt. Stephen Jones, spokesman for the New Jersey State Police. “The jack was in dirt or soft grass, and it shifted under the weight of the bus, and the bus fell on his upper chest,” Jones said.


Trucker killed after rig crashes into 2nd semi on Interstate 70

DENVER, CO- Westbound Interstate 70 is back open from Byers to Deer Trail following a crash that left one person dead. It happened early this morning when the driver of a truck carrying floor care products slammed into the back of another that was hauling meat. Helicopter pictures from the scene showed the first trailer and its cab completely destroyed by the fire -- to the extent that the cab melted to the ground. The trailer was still smoldering several hours after the crash. The drivers' identities have NOT been released.

2 comments:

Auto Angel said...
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boom truck said...

sad article...thanks for sharing though

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