Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Autopsy: Industrial worker died from head trauma

Dec. Vancouver, WA - A man killed in an industrial accident Wednesday died from blunt head trauma while he was operating a dump truck, according to the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office. Anatoliy V. Yarosh, 42, died in the accident that happened at a rock quarry, Southeast 192nd Avenue and Brady Road. The accident took place while Yarosh, an employee of Slavco Rock Products of Clackamas, Ore., was operating the truck, although it was still unclear what happened.


Worker killed in fall from scaffold Downtown

Dec. Indianapolis, IN - A construction worker died this morning after falling from scaffolding at a parking garage near Conseco Fieldhouse. Police have identified the victim as Jose Ramirez, 49, Indianapolis. He was an employee of Carl Most Construction. Ramirez was part of a crew working on a parking garage at 155 S. Delaware St., said Sgt. Paul Thompson of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. The 911 call came at 9:14 a.m., Thompson said.


APS opens probe into death of utility worker on the job

Dec. Pheonix, AZ - Arizona Public Service Co. is investigating the electrocution of a 45-year-old employee Tuesday at a facility serving the Saguaro Power Plant north of Tucson. Miguel Avena, was in a five-person team conducting maintenance at a switchyard that serves the natural-gas power plant when he was killed. He had worked for APS since 1997. "This is a tough time for everybody, especially those that worked closely with Miguel," APS spokesman Damon Gross said. "There is no indication this was anything more than a tragic accident."


Man Dies In Oil Tanker Explosion

Dec. MIAMI, FL - A man died and another was injured Thursday afternoon when an oil truck exploded at the EMC Used Oil Corp. in the 8400 block of Northwest 68th Street, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials.The man’s 20-year-old son, who was standing at the rear of the truck when it exploded, told firefighters that his father was welding the tank when the blast occurred. The victim’s son suffered minor injuries. He told firefighters that his father was an experienced welder and he was working with his him as an apprentice.


Second Person Dies After Refinery Explosion

Dec. Waco, TX — An explosion and fire on Nov. 20 at a refinery in Tyler has claimed a second life. Jim Hammett of Tyler died Thursday at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, one day before he would have turned 53. Parkland administrative assistant Connie Booth confirmed the death to The Associated Press, but provided no other details. The Nov. 20 explosion at the Delek Refining Ltd. plant is under investigation. James Dale Sharman, 49, died the day after the explosion. Refinery manager Frank Simmons, in a statement released after Hammett's death, said he and others were "deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague."


One person dies in industrial accident in Salem

Dec. Roanoke, VA - A 22-year-old Bedford County woman was killed in an industrial accident. Authorities were called out to Tecton Products LLC just before 12:30 a.m. Friday after Kasey St. Clair became entangled in a piece of equipment. St. Clair died at the scene. Co-workers who tried to rescue her were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries after being exposed to chemicals. Roanoke County Police are investigating the accident, along with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.


'A good man' killed in train-truck collision

Dec. Denver, CO - Jerry Rivera, the switchman killed Wednesday when a truck rammed into the train on which he was riding, was "a good man and a good dad," his sister said today. Rivera, 33, had worked for the railroad for about four years, Sonya Rivera said. He leaves behind three daughters, teenager Ariana and two younger ones, Jessica, 9, and Katie, 5.


Construction worker dies after fall from roof

Dec. New Bedford, MA - A New Bedford construction worker, who fell from the roof of the Fairhaven home where he was working on Monday, died Tuesday evening at Boston Medical Center, hospital staff said. Michael Soares, 39, of 109 Birchwood Drive, New Bedford, was working on the front porch roof at 31 Point St., Fairhaven, when he lost his balance and fell 12 to 15 feet to the concrete sidewalk. He suffered significant head injuries, Fairhaven Police Chief Gary F. Souza said.


Construction worker dies after being hit by falling tool

Dec. Charlotte, NC - A construction worker has died after being seriously injured working at the Wachovia tower at Stonewall and Tryon in uptown. 24-year-old Jonathan Beatty was installing elevators when a tool fell from the 11th floor, hitting him on the head. OSHA is investigating the accident. This was the third accident at the Wachovia project in the past month. The most recent accident was in mid-November, when a load of steel beams fell from a crane, smashing out windows as they fell to the ground. No one was injured in that incident.


Worker killed in Oak Island bridge collapse

Dec. Oak Island, NC — A worker was killed Wednesday when a girder fell during construction of a bridge to Oak Island, state officials said. A second worker was critically injured and was being treated at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Authorities withheld the workers' identities. The state departments of Transportation and Labor were investigating the incident Wednesday afternoon. Work began on the 4.52-mile bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway in August 2007 and is scheduled for completion in December 2009.


Gunmen kill guard in robbery at mall

Dec. Miami, FL - An armored-car guard was shot dead inside a store at Dadeland Mall, and police were searching for two robbers. Police are hunting for two robbers on Tuesday morning after they shot and killed an armored-car driver inside the Express clothing store at Dadeland Mall as frightened shoppers took cover. The armored-car company that employed the slain man, Carlos Alvarado, 51, offered a $20,000 reward for the killer. The FBI sent agents to help Miami-Dade police. Officers issued a bulletin for a 2000 white Lincoln sedan, which was believed to be the get-away car.


UPS driver killed in two-truck collision on SR-36

Dec. Tooele, UT - A UPS driver was killed in a two-vehicle crash Monday morning at the intersection of SR-138 and SR-36 in Stansbury Park.Alan Christofferson, 54, of West Jordan, was traveling 60 mph south on SR-36 in a UPS delivery truck at approximately 9:20 a.m. when a Peterbilt dump truck in the northbound lanes pulled out in front of him while attempting to turn west onto SR-138, according to Cpl. Andrew Prescott of the Utah Highway Patrol.Christofferson was found pinned inside the UPS truck and had to be extracted. He was pronounced dead on scene, according to Prescott. The driver of the dump truck, Steven Jakeman, of Tooele, was ejected from the vehicle. He suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. He was airlifted to University Hospital.


US 150 to remain closed overnight after deadly crash

Dec. LOUISVILLE, KY - One driver was killed and another injured Tuesday afternoon in a crash involving a car and a semi on US 150 in Galena, Indiana. The driver of the semi, 58-year-old David Purlee of Salem, IN, was killed after being trapped in the cab of the truck which caught fire after the crash. The driver of the Camry, 57-year-old Patrick Best of Greenville, was flown by helicopter to University Hospital in Louisville for treatment of their injuries which are described as being serious, but non-life threatening.


Officer hit by police cruiser dies

Dec. SAN ANTONIO, TX — A 26-year-old San Antonio police officer injured when he was hit by a patrol car while clearing roadway flares has died. Officer Robert Davis died Monday after officials said his family removed him from life support. Davis was injured Friday while clearing roadway flares in an accident. Police say Officer David Seaton was driving his patrol car to a shoplifting call when his cruiser struck a car. The collision caused that car to spin out of control. Seaton's car veered to the right and struck Davis, who was pinned beneath his colleague's patrol car.


Worker dies in logging accident

Dec. PINE PLAINS, NY — A logger was killed Monday when a tree rolled onto him and trapped him beneath it. Eric Donaldson, 36, of LaGrange, was working for J&J Lumber of Dover Plains when the accident occurred. He was pronounced dead at the scene. At about 11:35 a.m., state police and the Pine Plains Fire Department responded to a call about a logger who had been trapped under a tree and was in cardiac arrest at a location about a quarter-mile from the road. The caller performed CPR until the first trooper arrived on foot with an AED.


Rider Fatally Stabs City Bus Driver and Flees

Dec. New York, NY - A New York City bus driver was fatally stabbed in Brooklyn on Monday after refusing to give a transfer to his assailant, who had not paid his fare, the police said. Witnesses said the killer jumped off the bus, slipped the hood of his black sweatshirt over his head and ran away. Investigators said the victim, Edwin Thomas, 46, driving the B46 route, was attacked at a bus stop on Malcolm X Boulevard at Gates Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant shortly after 12:30 p.m. by a tall, thin black man about 35, who had boarded the northbound bus about half a mile away.


Nelson police chief dies in wreck

Dec. Atlanta, GA - The 32-year-old police chief of the small town of Nelson was killed Monday in a wreck being blamed on icy weather conditions.At least four others were injured in the wreck that killed Clay Adams, the police chief and only full-time officer in the town of about 1,000 people that straddles Cherokee and Pickens counties.The driver of a second vehicle, trying to enter the roadway, lost control on a sheet of ice and stuck Adams’ 2007 Chevy pickup and another vehicle, the coroner said. Adams was ejected from the truck and had head, chest and leg injuries, Callihan said. A medical helicopter was to take Adams to a hospital in Atlanta, but diverted to a closer facility when he went into cardiac arrest, she said.Adams was pronounced dead at 1:51 p.m., the coroner said.


Deputy: Myakka City farmhand shot by co-worker

Dec. MYAKKA CITY, FL — A farmhand allegedly shot a co-worker in the face Sunday afternoon as the two worked at a dairy farm in East Manatee. Sotera Peralto-Melgarejo, 27, of Myakka City, allegedly shot his co-worker, 45-year-old Pedro Hernandez, of Myakka City, with a .357 magnum revolver, authorities said. The shooting took place while the two worked at Dakin Dairy off Betts Road in Myakka City, just before 2:19 p.m., said Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Lt. John Baroncelli.