Sunday, July 13, 2008

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Platinum Triangle construction accident victim identified

ANAHEIM – Coroner officials say autopsy of Gonzalez scheduled after Thursday's machine collapse. Arturo Gonzalez, 34, of Anaheim has died after a forklift tipped over and hit him on a construction site in Anaheim's Platinum Triangle on Thursday morning. Gonzalez was taken away in an ambulance in critical condition after the car-sized scoop on the end of an extension arm hit him. Fire officials said he was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he later died. The incident was reported at 11:05 a.m. Thursday on a condominium construction site just west of the Bank of America at 1701 E. Katella Ave.


Man killed in industrial accident

HOUSTON, TX - A man has been killed in an accident at an industrial work site in northeast Harris County. At about 1pm Monday, deputies and emergency medical crews were called to an industrial accident at a company called Basic Engineering-PetroMaxx on Miller Road. According to the Harris County Sheriff's Department, a piece of equipment somehow came off of a large flatbed truck, fatally striking a man at the scene. The company has no comment on the incident at this time. The victim's identity has not been released.


Teenage worker killed during robbery at Waterfront restaurant

Pittsburgh, PA - An armed robber killed a 19-year-old male worker at Damon's Restaurant at The Waterfront shopping and entertainment complex in West Homestead early today. Allegheny County Police said a man entered a rear door of the restaurant at about 12:40 a.m. as two employees were closing for the night. Police said the robber met with "minimal resistance," but he shot one of the workers and then had the other open the restaurant safe. The robber, described only as a tall, black man, then escaped through the same rear door.


Man killed in accident at construction site

Pensacol,FL - Bucket filled with concrete falls on worker's head. A man was killed Thursday afternoon at a construction site adjacent to Pensacola Regional Airport. The man was on scaffolding when a bucket of concrete suspended in the air by a forklift fell, said Lawrence Northup, executive vice president of Greenhut Construction. "It fell on this employee, and from everything they can determine, (it) killed him instantly," Northup said. The worker's identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin. He was an employee of Selective Masonry, one of the project's subcontractors, Northup said. The accident happened at the 5700 block of Tippin Avenue, where a $21 million fleet storage facility is being built for the airport's car rental companies.


Whitley school worker killed clearing trail

Fort Wayne, IN - Columbia City police and the Whitley County coroner are investigating the death of a Columbia City High School custodian in what appears to be an accident. John A. Clifford, 52, was found about 12:45 p.m. Thursday in a wooded area east of the high school, 600 N. Whitley St. Clifford was in the woods trying to clear a trail with a tractor; a large limb had fallen during a recent storm, blocking the trail. Investigators believe Clifford was trying to push the limb with a bucket loader when a branch struck him, the coroner’s office said.


Police Look For Suspects Who Killed A Store Clerk At Nellis & Harris

Las Vegas, NV - Police are looking for two suspects who shot and killed a store clerk Tuesday night at the intersection of Harris and Nellis. It happened just before 9:30 Tuesday night at The Liquor Outlet. 42 year old Paul V. Stitt was on the job just eight months when he was shot in the head Tuesday. James Beak lives on the street, and says Paul always looked out for him. But Tuesday night when James went into The Liquor Outlet, he found Paul bleeding on the floor. James called 911, but it was too late.


27-year-old plumber found dead outside job site

Jacksonville, FL - A 27-year-old plumbing company worker was declared dead at Shands Jacksonville Thursday after he was found unresponsive in a work truck in downtown Jacksonville, police said. The worker, whose name was not immediately available, was wrapping up a job on West Adams Street with other workers when he went out to the truck, where the air conditioning was running, said Sgt. Marsha Hurst. He was found in the truck about 20 minutes later. When police arrived shortly after 2 p.m. rescue workers were trying to revive the worker, Hurst said. She said the cause of death was undetermined.


Construction worker dead after being crushed

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A construction worker has died after being hit by the scoop on a piece of heavy construction equipment at a work site in Anaheim. The 34-year-old man was pronounced dead at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center after the machine tipped forward and the car-sized bucket struck him around 11 a.m. Thursday. Maria Sabol, a spokeswoman for the Anaheim Fire Department, describes the machine as a similar to a forklift, but with a bucket on a long arm that can extend out and up. She says a crew building a condominium complex was using the machine to remove trash from the second story when the accident happened. The worker was part of a six-man crew applying stucco at ground level. Sabol says the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating


Circus employee dies inside NorthPark mall

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- A Florida woman faces murder and willful injury charges in the stabbing death of her ex-husband. Investigators say a 52 year old circus employee, Mauricio Drogett of Sarasota, Florida was walking around NorthPark Mall with a co-worker around 7am Thursday morning. The ex-wife approached them and stabbed the man numerous times and killed him. Davenport police say they got to the mall within two minutes after Mauricio Drogett or Lit to his friends was stabbed to death by his ex-wife Debi Joy Olson. Captain David Struckman explains where she got him with the knife, "There were numerous stab wounds to the upper torso and a couple to the lower torso."


Shenandoah Man Killed In Woodstock Construction Accident, Department Of Labor And Industry Investigating Incident

Woodstock, VA - An employee of Lantz Construction in Harrisonburg was killed while setting up a crane at the wastewater treatment facility in Woodstock early last Tuesday. Lewis Pierre “Petey” Boucher Jr., 29, of Shenandoah was providing assistance to the operator of a crane owned by Dean Steel Erectors. Lantz Construction is one of several groups hired for a capacity expansion project at the Woodstock wastewater treatment facility. “Workers were setting up the crane when a part fell off of it and struck Boucher,” said Lt. Jeff Coffelt of the Woodstock Police Department. Woodstock fire and rescue squads were called to the Mill Road site about 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday. According to Coffelt, rescuers first transported Boucher to Shenandoah Memorial Hospital. He was then immediately flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. Later that day, Boucher died from complications related to injuries sustained in the accident.


Woman shot at restaurant; man arrested

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Police have arrested a 19-year-old man on a murder charge in the death of an employee of a Chinese restaurant who was killed during an armed robbery.
Donte Power was being held on $1 million bond on an open count of murder, tampering with evidence, robbery and child abuse. Police say a man walked into the Golden Star restaurant, brandished a gun and demanded cash Wednesday afternoon. Police accuse him of shooting and killing 26-year-old Qiu Seng Chen as her 4-year-old son watched. A criminal complaint says he fled with nothing but an empty tip jar. The restaurant is in a strip mall alongside a hair salon, a financial business and a toy and comic store. Business owners say several stores in the area have been robbed in recent years.


Heat Possibly Claims Worker's Life

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Wednesday's scorching temperatures appear to blame for the death of a Delano man. 42-year-old Abdon Felix of Delano spent Wednesday morning and early afternoon working for Sunview Vineyards in Arvin. According to the coroner's office, while Felix was returning to Delano in a company vehicle, he became unresponsive while the vehicle was on Highway 99 near Lerdo Highway.


Driver of beer truck dies after vehicle flips on Ohio 73

Oxford, OH — A semi-truck driver hauling a trailer full of beer died after his vehicle flipped on its side and struck a tree on Ohio 73 Wednesday morning, July 9. The tops of the truck's cab and the trailer were shorn off by the impact, spilling boxes of Miller Genuine Draft in the grass beside the road. Michael Scheidler, 41, of Coldwater, Mich., was apparently driving west on Ohio 73 from the Miller Brewing plant in Trenton when he lost control of the truck, which slid off the north side of the road and left tracks in the grass for about 50 feet before striking a Sycamore tree. "I didn't even hear it," said Kenna Carozza, who lives on the stretch of Ohio 73 where the crash occurred. "I just happened to look up and I thought, 'Is that a truck in my front yard?'"


Chrysler worker, 31, died after ‘cardiac event

BELVIDERE, IL — A 31-year-old Janesville man suffered a “cardiac event” Monday night during the second shift at Chrysler’s Belvidere assembly plant and was pronounced dead at 1:50 a.m. today at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. Work was halted at the plant after Craig Woychik collapsed near the end of the second shift, but production was up and running for today’s first shift. Company and United Auto Workers officials said the death was not work related. The plant hasn’t had a work-related death since 1986.


Worker Killed in Ga. Ports Accident

Savannah, GA - A longshoreman employed by SSA Marine is killed in an accident. It happened just before 10 this morning, when a cable reportedly snapped at Georgia Ports Authority’s Ocean Terminal. According to a spokesman with the City of Savannah, 69-year-old Lee Fluker was working in an area where they were unloading large, heavy metal pipes called tubular steel. Somehow one of those pipes fell off a forklift and knocked Mr. Fluker down. At the same time, the driver of another forklift headed in his direction saw Mr. Fluker on the ground and slammed on the brakes. A steel pipe from that forklift fell on top of Mr. Fluker.


Contractor crushed by 8,800-pound machine at Exeter's Osram Sylvania plant

EXETER, NH — A 38-year-old man was severely injured after being pinned by an 8,800-pound machine at the Osram Sylvania plant in Exeter on Sunday, July 6. Osram Sylvania spokesperson Stephanie Anderson said the man was an employee of J.P. Sorrows, LLC, a rigging company based in Arkansas. At the time of the incident, he was working in the plant as a contractor relocating equipment. Anderson said Osram Sylvania is cooperating with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to investigate the incident. The man's identity will not be released until the investigation is complete, she said. J.P. Sorrows was hired by Osram Sylvania to relocate machinery used to produce light bulb equipment, Anderson said. The machine molds ceramic to the bulbs, she said.


Northrop worker's death probed

Torrance, CA - An employee who collapsed at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s El Segundo facility while treating parts with a sand blaster has died, the company said Monday. Stephen Najera, 23, was pronounced dead at 12:10 a.m. Saturday at the Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center in Marina del Rey. The cause of death was undetermined, pending further testing, according to Ed Winter, assistant chief at the Coroner's Office. During the evening shift on June 30, the Baldwin Park resident was working inside a grit blast booth, a room that uses a sand blaster to treat parts before they are painted. "He was found unconscious by fellow employees in the booth, and they began administering CPR," said Brooks McKinney, a spokesman for Northrop's El Segundo-based Integrated Systems sector.


Tree worker's death investigated

Richmond, VA - Virginia regulators are investigating a fatal accident involving a Henrico County tree worker last week. James L. Duty Jr., 48, was buried yesterday in Henrico, five days after falling to his death while cutting a tree in Chesterfield County. A tree climber for 30 years, Duty worked for B&S Tree Service of Henrico. The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry is investigating Duty's death as a workplace accident through its occupational safety and health program. B&S officials did not respond to a request for comment. Duty fell an estimated 60 feet Wednesday as he was cutting a tree on the 10700 block of Chalkley Road, near state Route 10.


Driver Killed in 18-Wheeler Collision

Jackson, MS - Two 18 Wheelers Collide and One is Dead. One man is dead after his 18-wheeler slammed into the back of another truck. It happened Monday afternoon on Highway 49 at Cox Ferry Road in Flora. An eyewitness says one truck came from behind at a high rate of speed and collided with the second 18-wheeler. The driver of the speeding truck was killed instantly. The second driver was not injured.


Man Killed in Alstom Industrial Accident

Chattanooga, TN - Investigators ruled forty eight year old Larry Barbee's death an accident. An eyewitness says Barbee was working on a catwalk, discarding metal into it to a container below when he fell. A man dies after an industrial accident today. Alstom employees build a variety of turbines and generators, and we're told one man was working somewhere inside of Alstom this afternoon when he fell to his death. An ambulance responds to a fatal accident at Alstom Power on Riverfront Parkway today. "Any time there's a medical call resulting in a fatality we come out to see if there's any foul play," Sgt. Jerri Weary, with the Chattanooga Police Department, says. But Sgt. Jerri Weary says investigators ruled forty eight year old Larry Barbee's death an accident. An eyewitness says Barbee was working on a catwalk, discarding metal into it to a container below when he fell. "We were advised that the fall was about thirty to forty feet and the fall did cause his death," Weary says.


Tony's worker dies after fall

Salina, KS - A Salina woman died eight days after she suffered head injuries in a June 22 fall at Tony’s Pizza. Deborah Ann Carter, 56, had worked at Tony’s Pizza for 26 years, and was on a safety committee. She worked in the bakery section. It’s not clear how it was that she fell. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. “No one is sure exactly what happened, as no one witnessed the accident,” said Schwan’s Global Supply Chain in a statement issued after the company was contacted by the Salina Journal. The company, which owns Tony’s Pizza, declined to answer questions about the accident, which became public after coworkers contacted the Journal.


Correctional officer dies in crash; funeral Friday

Madison, WI - Rock County Sheriff officials said an autopsy conducted Sunday failed to turn up any likely medical-related incident that could have led to the death of county correctional officer Dale Bryant, who was killed when his car was hit by a semitruck on U.S. 14 Saturday afternoon. Bryant was on his way home from his shift at the Rock County Jail at the time of the accident. The Sheriff's Office said Bryant, 44, crossed the centerline of U.S. 14 between Janesville and Evansville at 3 p.m. Saturday and collided head-on with a semitrailer pulling a milk trailer. The driver of the truck and his wife, Randy and Lori Ulrich, both 40, were not hurt. The Sheriff's Office said Bryant was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. "Further information will be released as information is determined and events warrant," the Sheriff's Office said in statement Monday afternoon.


Farm Worker Killed By Tractor Remembered, UFW Says Accident Should Never Have Happened

ARVIN, Calif. - Dozens of people came out to remember an Arvin man who died after getting pinned between a truck and tractor two weeks ago. Family and friends packed St. Augustine’s Church to say their final goodbyes to Javier Pantoja, 40. Pantoja was trying to jumpstart a tractor with a pick-up truck in an Arvin field. That's when the tractor went into gear, crushing Pantoja.


Trucker killed by falling pipe in east Harris County

Huston, TX - A delivery driver was killed this afternoon when an industrial pipe rolled off the trailer of his 18-wheeler and landed on him in east Harris County, sheriff's deputies said. The man, whose name was being withheld, died at the scene about 12:30 p.m. shortly after he brought a load of heavy pipes to Basic Equipment, 7215 Miller Road No. 2, deputies said. Most of the employees were having lunch when the driver, who did not work for the company, pulled into the pipe yard. As he started to loosen the safety straps, a worker advised him to wait until the load could be secured with a crane, deputies said.


Teague volunteer fire chief dies after fighting blaze

Waco, TX - The fire chief of the Teague Volunteer Fire Department died Saturday from injuries sustained fighting a fire in downtown Teague, the Freestone County Sheriff’s Department said. Robert Knight, 42, died in a hospital in Tyler where he was being treated for his injuries, an employee at Bowers Funeral Home said. Knight was a longtime resident of Teague and a 1988 graduate of Texas A&M University, his obituary said. He joined the Teague Volunteer Fire Department in 1989 and became chief in 1999, it said. He also had volunteered as a paramedic. Knight is survived by his wife, son and two daughters. Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Teague followed by burial at Greenwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Bowers Funeral Home in Teague. The fire department declined to release further information.



Pell City, Alabama officer hurt in wreck dies

AL - A Pell City police officer injured last month when a tractor-trailer hit his patrol car died Friday. Greg Surles, 29, died Friday morning at University Hospital, said hospital spokesman Troy Goodman. Surles, a six-year veteran of the Pell City Police Department, had become the center of a community fundraising effort after his accident on June 18. Friends had staged a benefit walk, a blood drive was planned and police from other towns had offered to fill in so his fellow officers could visit him in the hospital.


Worker dies after falling 40 feet

HONOLULU, HI - A worker identified as a 67-year-old man, was involved in an industrial accident at Menehune Water Company in Halawa on Thursday. Sources say he was working for Commercial Roofing on a project at Menehune Water when he fell 40 feet to the ground. He was rushed immediately to Kaiser Moanalua Medical Center where he later died from his injuries.


Slain officer a beat cop to the core

Chicago, IL - When Chicago Police Officer Richard Francis got roughed up by a drunk a few weeks ago, injuring his back, his fellow officers told him to take it easy and ride out the rest of his year or two on medical leave before retiring. But soon, Francis, a 27-year veteran of the department known to many as "Buzz," was back at the Belmont District roll call. He told his brothers in blue that they would have to push him out. When he did finally leave, he would do so quietly. They would never know he retired—he would simply not be there one day. Early Wednesday morning, while on a seemingly routine assignment on patrol alone, Francis was shot and killed in a struggle with a woman who had caused a disturbance with a CTA bus passenger less than a block from his police station, police said.



Worker Falls After Fall at Construction Site

Lincoln, NE - A Colorado man dies one day after a fall off a Wal-Mart roof. Lincoln police say 40-year-old Delfonso Bahana fell about 25 feet off a ladder around 9:45 Monday morning. Initially, he was awake, alert and talking - but complaining of back pain. But police say the fall caused some internal injuries, including cuts to his spleen and liver. Bahana died early Tuesday morning. Bahana was working for Superior Roofing of Aurora, CO.


Slain Realtor beloved by friends, co-workers

MI - Troy Dennis VanderStelt was an "all-around good guy" who was dedicated to his family, physical fitness and a career in real estate, friends and co-workers said. Many today are mourning VanderStelt, who was shot by a gunman just before 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Nexes Realty Inc. office in Roosevelt Park and died a short time later. VanderStelt, 33, who worked at the office as a Realtor, was shot in the head by a client who allegedly was disgruntled over a real estate transaction, authorities said.


Construction worker, 54, killed by roof collapse in Montana Vista

El Paso, TX - A 54-year-old construction worker was killed when a roof collapsed and fell on top of him Tuesday evening in Montana Vista. The accident occured at about 6:15 p.m. at a home in the 3700 block of Vista del Este. The man was identified as Fernando Ortega Mandujano, 54, from 1400 Tierra Venado, El Paso County sheriff's deputies said.


Two rig workers die in separate accidents

Casper, WY - Two Wyoming drilling rig workers were killed in separate, unrelated accidents recently. Both accidents are under investigation by the Wyoming Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Sam Aurther, 56, of Lander, was killed June 23 while working on a rig drilling in the Black Mountain field near Thermopolis. He's been on the job for just two weeks but had 30 years of experience in the industry, according to King Brown, president of Range Drilling.
Eric Tuscan-Rice, Jr., 24,
was killed June 24 when a pipe fell and struck him on the head, according to reports. The accident happened at about 1 a.m. on the north end of the Pinedale Anticline natural gas field. Tuscan-Rice died at a clinic in Pinedale from head injuries. He worked for Nabors Drilling, a contractor for Shell Exploration and Production. A Wyoming OSHA official said these were the first drilling fatalities in Wyoming since February 2007.


Monticello man killed when tractor-trailer rolls over him

A 51-year-old Monticello man was killed instantly when a tractor-trailer rolled over him Sunday afternoon, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Jose Meraz was working alone at the Walker & Sons dairy farm on Waukeenah Highway when it happened, said Maj. Bill Bullock. Meraz was an employee there for at least 10 years. He used the tractor-trailer to distribute feed for the cattle. The Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene about 1:30 p.m., Bullock said. “It looks like he dismounted from the tractor, and the tractor started rolling away,” Bullock said. “It was not in park, and he attempted to remount the tractor and get it stopped. He didn’t make it into the cab. He somehow got under the wheel and the tractor rolled over him and killed him.”


Builder Charged With Murder In Worker's Death

MORELAND, GA - A subcontractor who had gone to a construction site in Newnan County to install drywall was shot to death, and the project's builder has been charged with murder. The builder, Richard Jason Veitch, 28, said the shooting Saturday morning was not intentional. On Monday, a magistrate judge ruled against reducing the murder charge to involuntary manslaughter. Veitch said he had been staking out the property because of a series of thefts. Coweta County Sheriff Mike Yeager said Veitch spotted a truck driving onto the property, and told deputies he did not recognize the men. Yeager said Veitch called 911, but the shooting took place before officers arrived. Deputies said Gaston Gonzalez, of Norcross, was killed when Veitch jabbed a gun into the man's neck and it discharged.


Trucker dies in I-81 crash near Scranton

Scranton, PA - A UPS driver was killed Monday night when his tandem tractor-trailer crashed on Interstate 81 northbound near the Davis Street exit and burst into flames. "When I got here the cab was completely engulfed," state police trooper Rick Janesco said. Police did not release the name of the driver. Another man who tried to pull the driver from the flames was taken to a hospital to be treated for possible smoke inhalation, police said. According to witnesses, the rig was in the right lane around 8:30 p.m. when it swerved sharply to the left, went off the road and into a rocky embankment.


Ranger Killed By Falling Tree Remembered

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. - A 28-year-old man who was making a career out of working in the great outdoors was killed while on the job Saturday. State park Ranger Nathan Howell died when a tree crushed the cab of his pickup truck while patrolling Paynes Prairie State Preserve, just south of Gainesville. The accident happened just after 2 p.m. The Florida Highway Patrol said Howell's Ford Ranger was stopped on Puggy Road behind downed tree. As Howell sat in the vehicle waiting for a storm to pass, another tree fell on the pickup, causing the roof to collapse.


Worker Killed by Fallen Branch

Harrisonburg, VA - A tree trimming service worker cutting trees in Charleston has died after being struck by a fallen branch that officials estimate weighed between 500 and 800 pounds. Charleton Police Sgt. C.A. Dickinson says the victim, whose name hasn't been released, was part of a two-man crew working to remove a smaller tree Monday morning. When the smaller tree was moved, a weak branch on an adjacent larger tree fell about 40 feet, hitting the victim. The accident occurred near Greenbrier Street and Hillcrest Drive.


Worker Killed In Explosion At North Salt Lake Business

Salt Lake City, UT - A man has been killed in an explosion at a business in North Salt Lake City. The accident occurred just after 9:30 a.m. at Mountain States Trailer located at 54 North 700 West in North Salt Lake. "A trailer was being repaired in a bay in the building. An explosion occurred involving the trailer. The individual who was working on the trailer died from injuries he received in the explosion,” said Steven Simmons, Nort Salt Lake City Police Department. No one else was injured in the blast. The name of the victim has not been released.


OSHA to investigate death at Hamburg construction site

Newark, NJ - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accidental death of a day laborer who was killed when he was run over by an excavator at a construction site in Hamburg, authorities said today. Ivan Romero Gonzalez, 27, died Friday around 12:42 p.m. when he was crushed by a large Hyundai excavator at a construction site on Route 23, between King Cole Road and Prince Street across from Granny's Pancake House, police said. Gonzalez, a native of Ecuador, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Sussex County Medical Examiner, said Hamburg Police Chief Jan Wright. The death appears to have been an accident, he said.


Utility worker crushed by own truck

HARROGATE, TN - A utility worker was fatally crushed by a rolling truck Sunday while he was working on a water line in the Shawanee community in Claiborne County. Marion Steven Young, 70, of Harrogate was working for Alfred-Shawanee Utility District at about 9:53 p.m. when he reached into the cab of one of the district's trucks from the outside. He meant to hit the lever that opens the hood, but instead he released the emergency brake, causing the vehicle to run over him. J.B. White, manager with Alfred Shawnee Utilities, said Young worked for the district for 33 years and that everyone called him "M.S." "Everybody that works with him is going to miss him." White said. "He was the oldest employee and a good man." More details as they develop online and in Tuesday's News Sentinel.


Video images may hold clue to copter collision

FLAGSTAFF, AZ - Images captured from a hospital parking lot surveillance camera might help explain how two medical helicopters en route to the hospital collided in midair Sunday, killing six of the seven aboard, authorities said. The authorities also said shortly before the collision, one of the two helicopters had just dropped off a flight nurse at the Flagstaff airport because of concerns about weight and the craft's ability to gain lift. It was flying north to drop off a patient at Flagstaff Medical Center when it collided with another hospital-bound medical transport copter going south, officials said. "The question is why they didn't see each other," said Mark Rosenker, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Monday afternoon. "We hopefully will learn that and prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future." The others aboard the Air Methods who died were identified as pilot Tom Caldwell, 54, of Page; and medic Tom Clausing, 42, of Leavenworth, Wash. All three people on the Classic Helicopter craft were killed. They were identified as pilot Pat Graham, 50; flight nurse Shawn Shreeve Clyde, 36, both of Flagstaff; and a patient, Raymond Zest, 54, of Winslow. Zest, a retiree, lived at Patio Gardens Mobile Home Park in Mesa until earlier this month, and he was planning to return to his native Winnipeg in Canada, said manager Helen Moden.


Insurance Agency Worker Killed In Holdup Attempt

Insurance agency worker killed in holdup attempt; Office manager, avid gardener had hoped to start her own business. Usually every block has one house where all of the neighborhood kids feel welcome. In Jeniel D. Morgan's South Holland neighborhood, her home was that kind of house. "It was the one house where all the kids would come. She'd welcome them in and wouldn't turn anybody away," said her sister-in-law Yolanda Morgan. "I knew I could drop my son off at her house and never be worried." And despite the fact that children were usually in the house, "she was great at decorating and it was always immaculate." Mrs. Morgan, 42, was killed Tuesday in a robbery at the insurance agency in Dolton where she worked. Her killer was shot dead by police after refusing to drop his gun.



Community Honors Memory Of Fallen Police Officer

BELTSVILLE, Md. -- Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley ordered the state flag be flown at half-staff until sunset Thursday in memory of 39-year-old Prince George's County police Cpl. Richard Findley, a 10-year veteran of the county police who was killed in the line of duty Friday. Services to remember Findley will begin Wednesday. Findley was killed during a traffic stop in Laurel. He was part of a team investigating car thefts and was killed after he got out of his cruiser and was dragged by a truck that had been reported stolen.


Teen in MDOT group killed during first day on job

Detroit, MI - Farmington Hills teen Elisa Skinner-Bell was one of 100 metro Detroit teens with high marks and excellent school attendance selected for a summer youth work program with the Michigan Department of Transportation. After doggedly searching for her first job, the 16-year-old was elated to start work Friday cleaning up the side of I-696 in Southfield and eventually gaining insight into transportation careers, her family said Saturday. But her first day on the job turned suddenly tragic when a 60-year-old driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the van Elisa and a 19-year-old man were exiting.


Worker Killed in Crawford County Accident

Little Rock, AR - A job site accident leaves one man dead and makes another man a hero. It all happened in Crawford County Friday when a ditch collapsed on workers who were digging a sewer line. When emergency crews got there they saw a man (Tony Webb) stuck in the trench surrounded by fast-rising water. Another digger jumped in to help rescue his co-worker, but it was too late. The man, who many are calling a hero, escaped with minor injuries. "This individual who just got rescued was very bold very brave for jumping in and trying to save his fellow co-worker and friend," Aaron Brashears said with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Dept. Officials still don't know what caused the water mane to break, or whether or not the man died from drowning or the impact of the caved in walls.


Worker killed by pipe at FPL site identified

Palm Beach, FL - A worker killed Friday when a steel pipe fell on him at the Palm Beach Aggregates has been identified as Jimmy Lane Harvey of Leesburg, Ga. According to a Palm Beach Sheriff's Office spokesman, Harvey, 61, was working for Zachary Construction as a pipe fitter, helping build a new Florida Power and Light plant. He was on a platform from 30 to 40 feet high, when one of two large pipes he was trying to fit together rolled onto his chest, pinning him against an I-beam. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Harvey had more than 30 years of experience in the field, according to the sheriff's office. An investigation continues into whether the incident was an accident.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Moss landscaping in Houston had a fatality of a tree climber on tue 9-18-12. Climber was tied into a limb that broke causing him to fall an die. He left behind 2 babies and a wife.

Anonymous said...

Several of your listed accidents here ARE NOT ACCIDENTS and are based on greed of the almighty Dollar. Working under an extended boom on a forklift like machine is manslaughter caused by those who through weight greater than the machine into the trash bin above thus it tipped over killing the person underneath.
The forklift hoisting concrete to another platform is entirely wrong as the forks are smooth no grip can be made to have a forklift act as a hoist.
The forklifts hauling the pipes were overloaded. Any tip or slamming on a break will cause the lifted product to shift weight forward and even off of the forklift's tongs.
These are not accidents at all , because all the drivers of these machines should be held for manslaughter as they used the machines they drove so either they could finish on time or were paid by the load they carried. Making money seems to out way safety measures every time.
Put teeth back into laws that already exist and make safety an issue. Not those killed or hurt while they are doing their jobs as they were not killed by accidents...., but by..... Others who took shortcuts for the almighty dollar.

Tammy Spivey, Founder said...

Anonymous, I agree we never call them accidents we call them incidents because they are preventable.

We post them in the hopes that people will see just how many are lost and to honor their life.

Unknown said...

All loads on a forklift must be secured from tipping rolling or sliding. This is part of the operators training. Hoisting material with the forks is called free rigging and is illegal per the manufacturer of the equipment. Too often the workers involved are not encouraged by their employers to perform risk assessment before performing a task. The employers are the ones that should be held responsible per The General Duty Clause. We are so active in construction, we too often overlook the obvious risks in each individual task.

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