Many of these came from news articles sent to us by friends at NIOSH. Thanks and keep up the good work!State to investigate after worker dies in trench collapseSept 30 MCMINNVILLE, OR - The state plans to investigate a construction company after a
trench caved and killed one of its workers.
Kevin Doyle Ivey of Sheridan died Monday after being buried by dirt and rocks at a Haworth Inc. construction site in McMinnville. He was
47. Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division spokeswoman Melanie Mesaros says an investigator will look into whether Haworth's safety procedures violated state codes. Troy Haworth of Haworth Inc. says Ivey was on a crew installing a culvert, and he was dug out by co-workers and rescuers from the local fire department.
Construction site accident claims lifeOct 1 San Antonio, TX - A worker gathering metal scraps at a far West Side business was killed Tuesday morning when he was run over by a front-end loader, according to a police report.
The death was accidental, the report said. The man, identified as
Epifanio Gonzalez, 47, was working at Olmos Construction in the 400 block of Pinn Road when just before 9 a.m. he was hit by a front-end loader that was moving rock.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident
KREMLIN WORKER'S BURNS PROVE FATALOct 1 Oklahoma City, OK - A contract worker who was burned at a Garfield County industrial site near Kremlin has died.
Rick Cappo, who suffered second- and third-degree burns over 35 percent of his body Sept. 21, died Sunday at Integris Baptist Medical Center, officials said. He was a contractor for Oxbow Calcining when he was injured. Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are investigating.
AG seeks to block inmate early release programOct 1 OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) — A
silo has collapsed at Owensboro Grain Co. in western Kentucky, killing a truck driver and injuring a worker. Deputy Daviess County Coroner Darrell Day says the man who died was
77-year-old
Shelby Morris of Owensboro. The Messenger-Inquirer of Owensboro reported on its Web site that the collapse was reported about 7 a.m. CDT Wednesday and emergency crews responded to the scene. Owensboro Grain chief financial officer Jeff Erb told the paper that the injured employee worked for the company and the truck driver worked for Rudy Farms.
Four charged in store clerk's slayingOct 2 FLINT, Michigan - Warrants were sworn out for four men Wednesday in the
shooting death of a store clerk.
Geoffrey L. Lawson, 19, who police believe shot
Monir G. Alyatim, 35, during a robbery Sept. 21 at Saba's Mini Mart, was charged with felony murder, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Farmer dies in tractor accidentOct 3 OAKES, N.D. - Dickey County authorities say a farmer died after he was
run over by a tractor. Authorities say
Robert Roney was killed Thursday afternoon near Oakes. Authorities say Roney was attempting to stop a tractor but was run over by the rear wheels.
Trucker dies from Sept. I-95 crashOct 2 Va - A North Carolina trucker has died from
injuries caused by a fiery Sept. 20crash on Interstate 95 in Colonial Heights. Virginia State Police Sgt. Tom Cunningham said
David Bowens died Monday at VCU Medical Center, where he had been listed in critical condition since the crash. Cunningham said Bowens was driving a 2003 International tractor-trailer just before dawn when he swerved to avoid a wreck that had just occurred near the Temple Avenue exit. The tractor-trailer jackknifed, struck the barrier wall, overturned and rode along the top of the barrier before it burst into flames, Cunningham said. Two other people in the wreck that Bowens was trying to avoid were treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. All lanes of Interstate 95 near mile marker 56 were snarled for hours.
Umatilla man dies trapped in water tank PENDLETON - A
37-year-old Umatilla man died in a
fire while working for a rural Pendleton trucking company, the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office reported Friday.
Michael Dale Dewey was trapped inside a water tank at Woodpecker Truck & Equipment, 40275 Clark Lane, west of Pendleton, when a fire broke out in the company's shop at 10:15 a.m. Thursday. Employees put out the flames before emergency crews arrived, but Dewey already was dead. It's not clear what sparked the blaze. Oregon's Occupational Safety & Health Administration is also investigating, said OSHA spokeswoman Melanie Mesaros. The accident still is under investigation.
Worker crushed to death as 2-ton metal plate falls in WestfordOct 4 Massachusetts - A
62-year-old man was killed in an industrial accident early yesterday morning when a
metal plate weighing an estimated 2 tons fell on him, police Capt. Victor Neal Jr. said. Police and rescue crews responded to Graniteville Recycling, 49 North Main St., just after 7:30 a.m. Police identified the victim as
Manuel Neves of Pawtucket, R.I. Neves was employed by Boston Power and Crushing, which was working on the site.
Paso Robles Construction Accident Kills Two WorkersOct 4 CA-
Jacob Gaines, 24, of Bakersfield and
Manuel Villagomez, 38, of Elk Grove died in a Paso Robles construction accident on October 2, 2008 after an
excavator hit a water line and submerged both men who were working on a pipeline. According to an article in The Bakersfield Californian, the accident occurred at the intersection of Niblick and South River roads when Gaines and Villagomez were working in a trench. The San Luis Obispo County Coroner’s officials say that the men most likely drowned; autopsy results are pending. Both Gaines and Villagomez were employees of Teichert Construction, a Sacramento-based company. Work on the pipeline has been suspended as investigators from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health are looking into what caused this tragic 10/2/08 construction accident.
Contractor disputes Chesterfield collapse report; Finding stated that firm should have braced stud in fatal Chester accidentSept 10 Virginia - The contractor for Fountain Square Condominiums is disputing an engineering report that faults his company for the fatal collapse of the building in Chester last month. R. Webb Moore, an attorney for McBar Industries Inc., said yesterday that he and his client are still reviewing the report by W. Carter Sinclair Jr. The structural engineer was hired by Chesterfield County to analyze and give an opinion on what caused the two-story building to collapse Sept. 10. While a multijurisdictional grand jury found no criminal negligence, Sinclair concluded that the contractor failed to properly brace the metal studs in a first-floor wall that buckled under the weight of a shipment of drywall on the second floor. "McBar Industries is gratified that the grand jury has determined that it was not negligent, but strongly disagrees with the engineer's conclusion that McBar Industries was somehow not diligent," said Moore, an attorney at Hirschler Fleischer law firm in Richmond. The report was made public by Chesterfield on Thursday afternoon, even as the family consid-ers litigation over the death of
Scott Giordano, a
38-year-old Prince George County man who was installing insulation for McBar in the first floor of 4301 Fountain Square Plaza when the building fell.
Stories conflict in death of Wallington contractor Sept 29 PASSAIC, NJ — A week after the death of a
28-year-old Wallington man, much about his demise remains murky, but one thing is certain.
Lukasz Brodzinski, a 6-foot-10, 350-pound Polish immigrant died Sept. 29, six days after
two granite slabs crashed onto him at Counter Revolution, a supplier of stone countertops to contractors. An attorney representing Brodzinski's widow claims the stone yard was negligent because one of its employees allegedly stacked the slabs in Brodzinski's pickup truck in a way that caused them to topple over. Richard Vrhovc, whose practice is based in Clifton, also claims the stone yard's employee failed to call 911 after witnessing the accident. But the owner of Counter Revolution says that Brodzinski actually bought stolen property. Thomas Landers said the accident revealed an after-hours fencing scheme run by at least two employees who had access to the company's accounts and the keys to its premises.
State to investigate fatality Oct 7 The NC - Department of Labor will investigate a fatal accident that occurred Monday when a local trucker was
crushed by a bale of tobacco that fell from a truck at a Wilson receiving station.
Walter Gorman, an independent contractor for Premier Transportation, was killed Monday after he was crushed by a bale of tobacco being unloaded from an 18-wheeler truck at Wilson Tobacco Services at 3565 U.S. 301 N. Gorman was not unloading the tobacco at the time, but was helping another trucker at the receiving station. Neal O'Briant, spokesman for the department of labor, said the department's occupational safety and health division will be doing the investigation. He said workplace-related fatalities require the department to investigate, unless the fatality is by natural causes, by vehicle or is a homicide. He said fatality investigations typically take two to three months.
Police arrest man in Texas car salesman's slaying Oct 9 DALLAS, TX — A car salesman was pushed or fell to his death along a highway as he went on a test-drive with a customer, authorities said. A 42-year-old man with a history of mental illness was charged with murder. Witnesses told police that salesman John Phinney was
pushed or fell from the passenger side of the pickup truck during the test drive Tuesday evening, and the vehicle slowed down but did not stop.
James Thorpe, 42, was arrested later Tuesday and was being held on $3 million bond at a Dallas County jail. In jailhouse interviews with reporters, Thorpe denied pushing Phinney out of the vehicle. The Dallas Morning News said Thorpe referred to himself as the "anti-Christ" and claimed Phinney got angry and jumped out after Thorpe told him "to repent if he wanted to save his soul." The Manuel Dodge dealership in suburban Richardson had contacted police after Phinney, 53, didn't return from the test drive.
Dump truck driver dies on I-97, Apparently has heart attack before crossing six lanesOct 08 - Jenny Janeski-Endley was heading to the bank about 1:20 p.m. yesterday when she got a call from her husband, Charles. The
57-year-old dump truck driver for Reliable Contracting told his wife he was leaving Annapolis and was on his way home to Mountain Road in Pasadena. Mrs. Janeski-Endley said she'd call him back when she was done running errands.
Charles William Endley Jr. had a medical emergency while driving his 2005 International dump truck north on Interstate 97 near Route 178 at 1:45 p.m., said Sgt. Mombray of the Maryland State Police. The dump truck crossed left over three lanes, through a paved median for emergency vehicles, andacross three southbound lanes of the interstate before
crashing into the woods on the roadside.
Owner: Road curve a dangerous situation Oct 8 WALKER, FL — A plumber’s helper having morning coffee was killed early Tuesday when a pickup slammed through an outer wall and into the break room of Kent’s Plumbing Inc., Police Chief Hunter Grimes said. The truck, driven by Donald James Weaver, 17, of Denham Springs, was eastbound on Burgess Avenue in Walker when he
lost control in a curve, ran off the roadway and went through the side of the building around 6:53 a.m., Grimes said.
Michael Chad Bourgeois, 24, of Denham Springs, died instantly, Grimes said. Police arrested and booked Weaver into the Livingston Parish Detention Center in Livingston on counts of negligent homicide and failure to maintain control of a vehicle, Grimes said.
Logger killed by falling limbOct 9 London, Kentucky - While family members tearfully waited to hear word of his condition, first responders hiked up a mountain to try to save logger
William Rose, 71, Monday. Despite their efforts, Rose, of Barbourville, was declared dead from
blunt force trauma at 12:20 p.m. Around 90 minutes earlier, Ambulance Inc. of Laurel County responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting Rose had been hit by a falling limb. “He was cutting a tree and noticed one of the branches had broke,” Ambulance Inc. Capt. David King said. “He jumped back to avoid the branch, but it fell in the opposite way. It hit him in the head and knocked him back 30 to 40 feet.” Rose’s son, Jefferson, was working with his dad at the time and came down the mountain to call for help. When paramedics and members of the London-Laurel County Rescue Squad arrived, they faced a steep 1-mile climb. Paramedic Daniel Jones, Rescue Squad members Tony Brown, Carl Hacker, Ryan Rush and Bush firefighter Jason Lewis made the ascent, but, upon reaching Rose, realized there was little that could be done.
Driver killed in rolloverHEBRON — Crews continued to work late Thursday to clear the scene of a
rollover crash that killed the driver of a tanker truck and gridlocked traffic on eastbound Interstate 70 and U.S. 40 for hours. The truck driver,
H. Kevin Hollett, 48, of Columbus, was pronounced dead after being taken by emergency crews to Licking Memorial Hospital after the 3:40 p.m. crash, the Ohio Highway Patrol reported. Hollett had been attempting to exit from I-70 onto northbound Ohio 79 and failed to negotiate a curve on the exit ramp. He drove off the left side of the road and the truck, which had been transporting diesel fuel, rolled over twice, rupturing the tank and pinning Hollett inside. He was extricated by emergency personnel. Seat-belt use is unknown at this time, according to a patrol release, and alcohol use is not suspected. The crash remains under investigation, a spokeswoman said late Thursday.
Logger killed by falling branchOct 10 Salisbury, Maryland - A New Church man was killed Wednesday afternoon in a logging accident.
Paul Johnson Jr., 54, was assisting a logging company in a wooded area near H. West Avenue in Keller when a tree fell on him, said Accomack County Sheriff Larry Giddens. The accident occurred when a tree that was being cut down fell into a standing tree, apparently causing a large branch to fall onto Johnson, said Accomack Director of Public Safety Jason Loftus. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. The Sheriff's Office reported he was employed by Mills Boys Trucking in Pocomoke City. The firm could not be reached Thursday. Wachapreague and Melfa volunteer fire companies responded to the accident. The victim's body was taken by Cooper & Humbles Funeral Home to the Norfolk, Va., Medical Examiner's Office, which will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The Accomack County Sheriff's Office and the Virginia State Police investigated the incident.
Bremen man killed in construction accidentOct 10 WESTERVILLE, PA — Westerville Police have released the name of a worker killed in a construction accident Tuesday on Polaris Parkway.
Randall "R.J."Dale Studer Jr., 23, Bremen, was
crushed just before noon when a steel support beam fell from a crane that was four or five stories high, said Police Sgt. Ted Smith. The accident happened at the construction site of a high-rise office complex. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating. Studer was born Feb. 9, 1985, in Lancaster, the son of Randall Dale and Annette Marie (Poole) Studer Sr. R.J. attended Logan High School and was employed by Watertown Steel.
Wrongful death suit filed after recent fatality at BPOct 7 GALVESTON, TX - The family of a Galveston County contract worker who was killed while working at a local petroleum refinery three weeks ago is seeking damages from his employer and the facility's owner, recent court documents say. The estate of Ramon V.
Ramon Sifuentes Jr., 35 blames Gaia Environmental Incorporated and BP for an incident Oct. 9 at a dump site at the BP properties in Texas City. Court papers state that a
backhoe being used as a crane reportedly buckled and crushed Sifuentes, and his family alleges the defendants failed to take safety precautions.
Identity released in Addison farm-accident deathOct 17 Fond du Lac, Wisconsin - A 26-year-old Town of Addison man who died Wednesday in a farm accident at Goeller Family Farms has been identified. The Washington County Sheriff’s Department said today that the man is Gregory B. Goeller, Jr. The accident occurred at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the farm owned by Greg and Ellen Goeller at 5115 Highway 83 in the Town of Addison. According to a sheriff’s report, the accident occurred when two men were conducting routine maintenance on a self-unloading wagon. The wagon, with a box-like container with toothed beater bars at the front, was attached to a tractor and was located in a machine shed on the property. Goeller became entangled and pinned in the machine, according to the report. Firefighters removed portions of the wagon’s unloading mechanism to free Goeller.
Casco man killed in farm accident WednesdayOct 17 CASCO, Wisconsin — A
55-year-old town of Casco man was killed in a farm accident on Wednesday afternoon.
Gary Smith, E4637 Church Road, was using a tractor to move a large round hay bale to a feeding area about 12:45 p.m. when the load shifted and caused the tractor to roll onto its top, according to Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski. Smith was
pinned under the tractor until a neighboring farmer arrived with heavy equipment to lift the overturned tractor. Smith died shortly after arriving at a Green Bay hospital on Wednesday afternoon, Kewaunee County Coroner David Hudson said. He suffered abdominal injuries in the accident, Hudson said.
Man dies after industrial accidentOct 5 PA - A 59-year-old Spencer man died Tuesday of injuries he suffered Monday morning in an industrial accident at the C&C Ready Mix plant on Route 17C in the Town of Owego.
Myron Goodrich, 59, of Sabin Road, Spencer, died at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa., according to a nursing supervisor. Goodrich and Ron Brown, 60, of Loughlin Road, Binghamton, were injured at 10:48 a.m. Monday when they were working on a blacktop mixer about 14 feet above the ground. The two men and a motor
fell to the ground. Brown was taken to Robert Packer, where he was treated and released, according to the sheriff’s office, which is continuing its investigation.
Worker killed in north Ga. limestone mine collapse Oct 17 ELLIJAY, Ga. — A mine worker died Friday in a collapse about two miles deep in a limestone mine in north Georgia, authorities said. Emergency crews recovered the body of
Tony Allen Cruse, 45, about seven and a half hours after the
collapse Friday at the Ellijay Mine of Carmeuse Lime & Stone, said Lt. Frank Copeland of the Gilmer County Sheriff's Department. The cause of the collapse, which happened around 10 a.m. EDT, was not immediately known. The company and the Mine Safety and Health Administration are investigating. "We at Carmeuse Lime & Stone are saddened by the death and express our heartfelt prayers and thoughts to the family and loved ones of the deceased," Carmeuse said in a press release.
Fatal blast blamed on ignited vaporsOct 17 - WEST OAHU, HI - Welding work
ignited vapors from a waste oil tank, causing the Oct. 7 explosion that killed a
23-year-old welder and injured three others at Campbell Industrial Park, the Honolulu Fire Department said yesterday. The worker was welding part of a catwalk that was connected to the top of an oil storage tank, the Fire Department said. The 15-foot tall tank containing 8,000to 9,000 gallons of waste oil exploded. It was propelled about 30 feet into a sand pile on an adjacent business's property, authorities said. The accident occurred at Philip Services Hawaii, but the welding work was performed by an employee of Panco. The Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division investigated the case. However, state officials said the results of any such investigation are not released to the public, in accordance with state law. The explosion killed
Sean M. Norva, who was thrown more than 100 feet by the blast, and seriously injured two men working near the base of the tank, the Fire Department said.
Officials investigating mine death in White County, Ill.Oct 17 Carmi, Ill - Federal and state mining officials are continuing an investigation into the death of a Morganfield, Ky., man on Thursday at White County Coal in Carmi, Ill.
Tim A. Adamson, 45, died from injuries suffered in an accident inside Pattiki Mine, said White County (Ill.) Coroner Carl McVey. An autopsy is scheduled today. McVey said he could not release details of the accident because it was still under investigation. Investigators were interviewing witnesses to the accident, McVey said. He said his office was notified of the accident at 2:30 p.m., but he did not know what time it occurred. The last fatality at the mine occurred in January 2000 when
Mark Eugene Wargel, 38, of Equality, Ill., was killed while working as a roof bolt operator.
Calif. Man Dies In Nevada Mine AccidentOct 19 YERINGTON, Nev. ― A California man died after he
fell into a mine shaft in northern Nevada. Lyon County sheriff's deputies say
Terry Berardy of Mokelumne Hill, Calif., was unconscious and unresponsive after he was extricated Saturday from the shaft around the Ludwig Mine near Smith Valley. Deputies say Berardy fell at least 80 feet down the shaft as he and friends and family were exploring the area. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured. Emergency workers from Lyon and Washoe counties assisted with the extrication of the victim from the shaft. An investigation continues into the death.
Video store owner fatally shotOct 20 RIVERDALE Ga.- Riverdale police Monday morning released a composite sketch of a “person of interest” in Sunday’s
shooting death of a video store owner. Chief Samuel F. Patterson identified the victim as
Souphoth Thannavongsa , 54, of Forest Park. Patterson said police are looking for three black males in connection with the robbery and shooting that happened about 1:30 p.m. at Thai Video on Ga. 85 in Riverdale.
Police investigate murder of US-based Nigerian car dealerOct 20 Dallas, Texas - Dallas Police detectives are suggesting that the killing of
William Dikeocha, 45, a US-based Nigerian car dealer in Dallas, Texas, over the weekend may have been a targeted murder, Empowered Newswire, a US-based Nigerian news agency, reports. Detective Randy Loboda, who spoke exclusively to Empowered Newswire on Sunday said that Dikeocha might have been killed by someone who knew that he had some money at his car dealership on Saturday, since customers normally come and make payments on Saturdays. No one knows when Dikeocha died in what looks like a
bloody murder. But the Police only became aware when the slain Nigerian’s baby-sitter called at 3:47am on Sunday to inform them that Dikeocha had been murdered in his office. The baby-sitter visited the office out of curiosity when Dikeocha failed to pick up his child till late in the night. On arriving at the office, she discovered that the lights were on and the gates opened, while the Nigerian had been killed. The detective said the police were investigating the murder as a possible case of robbery, because sales money was taken away from the office and also his 1992 Jaguar with license plate 873-BYS was missing also.
'Spider bite' leaves web of doubts Questions linger over treatment in electrician's deathOct. 30 Denver, CO - Did Ernest Herrera die from the
bite of a brown recluse spider? His widow thinks so. And according to his death certificate, "spider bite" was a significant condition contributing to his death. But a spider expert said it is virtually impossible for Herrera to have died the way he did from a spider bite. The fact that it's an intriguing medical mystery doesn't soften the pain for Cindy Herrera, of Aurora, who said that her husband was "my love, my life, my friend." And it doesn't stop her from asking whether misdiagnosis and delays caused her husband to die unnecessarily.
Ernest Herrera, 52, an electrician, was moving boxes at a seldom-used Aurora Water Department warehouse on the last day of September when he felt a sharp pain in his forearm. He thought something must have bitten him. He came home an hour later, showed his wife the mark and said he was in some pain. She said she told him, "It doesn't look good, Ernie. You'd better keep an eye on that." By the next day, he was in severe pain, so he went with his foreman to a workers compensation medical clinic, Cindy Herrera said. Aurora uses two different clinics, and Ernest Herrera chose to go to the one run by Health One, said Jeff Baker, spokesman for the Aurora Water Department. Pain grew worse. Cindy Herrera said the doctor there gave her husband some intravenous antibiotics and spent several hours with him. But when they returned to the doctor the next day, after the pain got worse, "He only gave us three minutes of his time," she said. "And he never took my husband's vitals" even though Ernest Herrera said he was in excruciating pain and that it hurt all the way up his upper arm, she said. When she suggested that the wound on her husband's forearm looked like those shown in pictures of brown recluse spider bites she had found on the Internet, "(The doctor) laughed at me," she said. "He thought I was a joke." When she told the doctor that her husband had been hallucinating for two days, he told her it was probably just the medication, she said. On Friday, paramedics took Ernest Herrera to the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora. His liver, kidneys, lungs and heart failed, and he was pronounced dead Oct. 5.
State OK'd oil-pump site in June check, Independent federal agency to conduct probe after fatal blast in Marion County Oct 21 COLUMBUS, OH - An oil-pumping operation in Marion County that was the scene of a fatal explosion Sunday had been inspected nine times since 2002, most recently in June, and received good marks, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said yesterday. "The site has always been shipshape and well-managed," said agency spokesman Ken Leach. Mar Oil Co., based in Alberta, Calgary, in western Canada, operates seven wells there, said Leach, whose agency's Mineral Resources Management Division regulates 64,000 oil and gas wells across Ohio. Investigators from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other government agencies were at the scene yesterday of the
oil-tank explosion and fire that killed two workers in northwestern Marion County on Sunday. Welding directly contributed to the ignition of the explosion, said Shane Cartmill, a spokesman for the state fire marshal. Local authorities said the two workers were welding a catwalk on one of four large crude-oil storage tanks when a tank exploded. Both died instantly. The explosion killed New Bloomington residents
Jesse Price, 45, and
Kevin Fout, 53, while they worked on a tank at the small oil-well operation on private property just off Rubins Road, near LaRue.
W.Va. identifies miner killed at Consol mineOct. 20 CHARLESTON WVA — West Virginia’s Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training has identified the victim of a fatal weekend accident at a Consol Energy underground mine. Agency spokeswoman Jama Jarrett said Monday that
58-year-old miner
Victor Goudy was working on a track-mounted car Sunday that was
struck by another vehicle at Consol’s McElroy Mine in Marshall County. Jarrett says state investigators are trying to determine how Goudy was killed. A spokesman for Canonsburg, Pa.-based Consol did not immediately return a call Monday. Federal statistics show 23 other people, including seven West Virginians, have been killed in coal mining accidents this year. Consol operates 17 mining complexes in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Utah.
Downtown death investigated ; ACCIDENT; FEDERAL SAFETY AGENCY'S FINAL RE-PORT ON CITY INCIDENT COULD COME IN SIX MONTHSOct 21 Oklahoma City, OK - For a downtown parking garage attendant, a loud boom sounded like a trash truck dropping an empty bin onto concrete Monday morning. But when Veronica Cortes looked across Main Street between Broadway and Robinson ave-nues she saw the body of a man she had gotten to know over the past several months. The man, identified by police as
Efren Garcia, 30 of California, was painting the exterior of a parking garage at 100 W Main, at 9:15 a.m. when the aerial basket he was in toppled to the ground. Garcia was dead at the scene, said police Lt. Jay W. Barnett. Cortes, who works for Republic Parking, the company that operates the parking garage, had just returned to work after a vacation.
Ky. investigates bulldozer death at mine siteOct 23 HAZARD, Ky. — State authorities are investigating a fatality at an Eastern Kentucky mining site after a
bulldozer went over an embankment while grading a road. Ricki Gardenhire, a spokeswoman for Kentucky's Energy and Environmental Cabinet, said
Rodney K. Blevins, 40, of Cumberland, was operating a bulldozer at the AM&E Coal Inc. mine about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday when the accident occurred. Gardenhire said initial reports indicate Blevins was pushing dirt near the edge of the bench he was making and that the bulldozer's outside track got in soft dirt that gave way. It overturned and rolled down a steep hill, Gardenhire said.
Survivors recall fighting for livesOct 29 JUNEAU Alaska - The investigation into the
sinking of a fishing vessel off of Alaska's Aleutian Islands resumed Tues-day with more testimony from surviving crew members and Coast Guard rescuers. Harold "Ryan" Appling and Guy Schroder, shipmates from the vessel Katmai, spoke before the Ma-rine Board of Investigation in Anchorage. The men recounted details of working on the 93-foot, Kodiak-based vessel which sunk in a severe storm Oct. 22. Also testifying were helicopter rescue pilot Lt. Zachary Koehler and Petty Officer 1st Class Dave Coats, who was lowered into the water and helped four survivors into the helicopter. The Katmai took on water early that morning, and only four of the 11 crew members survived. They wore survival suits and were rescued from a life raft after 17 hours. Investigators will continue to hear from personnel who last examined the boat and previous crew members on Monday in Seattle. Rescuers found four survivors and five bodies. Two of the crewmembers were never found. The crewmembers who survived were found wearing survival suits and in a life raft. The five bodies that were recovered were in survival suits but floating in the water. On Sunday, the Coast Guard suspended the search for the two missing crewmen,
Carlos Zabala, 30, of Helena, Mont., and
Robert Davis, 49, of Deming, Wash. The five bodies that were recovered were identified as
Jake Gilman, 22, of Camas, Wash.;
Joshua Leonguerrero, 19, Spanaway, Wash.;
Cedric Smith, 38, Portland, Ore.;
Glenn Harper, 35, Portland, and
Fuli Lemusu, 44, Salem, Ore.
Feds list WVa accident as mining fatalityOct 4 CHARLESTON W.Va. - Federal regulators are listing a West Virginia machinery acci-dent as a coal mining fatality. The Mine Safety and Health Administration says
61-year-old bulldozer operator
James O. Woods died Oct. 4, 15 days after suffering
spinal injuries at Massey Energy's No. 1 Surface mine in Nicholas County. A preliminary accident report says Woods was operating a bulldozer that rolled several times. Woods worked for contractor Battlecreek Co.-Tri-Mountain Corp. A working telephone number for Battlecreek could not be located and a Massey spokesman did not immediately return messages Monday. Richmond, Va.-based Massey operates mines in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky. MSHA says 25 people, including eight West Virginians, have died in coal mining accidents this year.
Route 80 pileup kills truck driver; 2 others injured, road shutOct 28 TOTOWA, NJ A 32-year-old Pennsylvania dump truck driver was killed and two other men were injured Monday in a multi-vehicle, midmorning crash on Route 80 westbound that temporarily closed the highway and tied up traffic for most of the day. The dead man,
Robert Berger of Nazareth, Pa., was unable to reduce his speed as he drove over the crest of a hill near Exit 53 about 10:30 a.m. and came up on two slow-moving vehicles, Sgt. Stephen Jones of the state police said. One of them, a state Department of Transportation tractor mower driven by Ronald Kichko, 47, of Paterson, was in the right lane near the Wayne border as the dump truck approached, Jones said.
Man crushed to death in Kennecott accidentOct 30 Salt Lake City, UT - An
81-year-old contractor was
crushed to death in an industrial accident at Kennecott Utah Copper Wednesday morning. The accident happened on Kennecott property off I-80 near 10800 West just after 8 a.m., according to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. A contractor was preparing to unload nine pipes, each 50 feet long, 28 inches in diameter and weighing 3,000 pounds apiece, when one pipe broke loose and fell on him, said Kennecott spokeswoman Jana Kettering.
William Louie Kay, of Panguitch, was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation into how the pipe broke free was continuing Wednesday, Kettering said. There were people nearby, but no one witnessed the accident, she said.
Trucker burned in Toll Road crash diesOct 30 - BRISTOL, Ind. - Indiana State Police say a truck driver who was severely
burned in a crash on the Indiana Toll Road has died of his injuries.
Thirty-two-year-old
Vermond T. Dixon of Newark, Del., was taken by air to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich., following the crash Tuesday morning. State police say he died at the hospital on Wednesday. Dixon was injured when a semitrailer slammed into his stopped tanker, which was carrying liquid soap. Investigators believe a ruptured fuel tank caused the explosion.
Driver killed in tanker rolloverOct 30 Iowa - A Red Oak man was killed Wednesday when the tanker vehicle he was driving rolled over.
Ronald Ray Hawkins, 55, was hauling sewage on a dike for the East Nishnabotna River when the vehicle rolled off the gravel roadway into a ditch, according to the Iowa State Patrol's initial accident report. Hawkins was pronounced dead at the scene. He had not been wearing a seat belt, the report said. A cause of the crash was not described; the incident remains under investigation. The crash occurred about 1:45 p.m., roughly 100 yards north of Coolbaugh Street on the west side of Red Oak.
Detroit-area trucker killed in western Mich. crashOct 31 PAW PAW TOWNSHIP MI - A truck driver has died in a crash involving another semitrailer in Van Buren County's Paw Paw Township. Michigan State Police say
34-year-old
Omar Simmons of the Detroit area was ejected from the cab of his truck and pronounced dead at the scene Friday morning. Simmons' semitrailer crashed into a ditch off eastbound Interstate 94 about 60 miles south of Grand Rapids. It had spilled fuel and lost its load of steel.
The other driver, Danny Pack of Ypsilanti, was unhurt.
The accident is under investigation.
Maine trucker killed in crash on Route 4Oct. 31 TURNER, Maine - Police say a
56-year-old trucker who was killed when his tractor-trailer went off Route 4 in Turner and landed in a field may have
fallen asleep at the wheel.
M. Joseph Scott of Oxford was found dead at about 7:15 a.m. Friday. The accident is believed to have taken place nearly three hours earlier. Stephen McCausland of the state Public Safety Department said Scott was hauling paper products from Rumford to Auburn when his rig struck a sign post as it went off the road. Part of the sign post came through the windshield, striking the driver. Part of Scott's cargo shifted during the crash and ended up in the cab. The accident remains under investigation.
Job at tower gave worker new hope for his dreamDec 4, N.C. - The construction worker killed at an uptown job site this week was remembered by family Wednesday as a go-getter who hated being idle.
Jonathan Beatty, 24, died Tuesday after a tool fell from the 11th floor in an
elevator shaft inside the new Wachovia tower going up at the corner of Stonewall and South Tryon streets, according to a project manager. Reached Wednesday, Beatty's father said his son had been on the job uptown for about six weeks and was excited because it paid well. He said the recent economy had made it hard for his son to get 40 hours a week with other companies. “He had dreams and he was not afraid to work to make them come true,” said John Beatty, 46. “I know he felt this job would give him enough money to do some things.”
Piece of Oak Island falls; worker killedDec 4, Oak Island N.C. -
A construction worker was
killed Wednesday after a large concrete girder crashed to the ground as crews worked to build a new Oak Island bridge. Lee Construction Co. of the Carolinas identified the worker as
Jose Montalvo of Sumter, S.C. The Star-News of Wilmington reported that Montalvo was on the girder when it fell about 40 feet. He died at the scene. Man killed at Wachovia site wanted to build own home.
Rail worker killed in Adams CountyDec 4 Adams County - A train creeping through an unlit intersection hit a semi-trailer at 66th Avenue and Franklin Street in Adams County tonight, killing a Union Pacific conductor working outside the locomotive, according to the Colorado State Patrol. The 33-year-old
conductor has not been named, though his family members showed up at the crossing shortly after the crash at about 7 p.m., said Trooper Gilbert Mares of the Colorado State Patrol.
Bus driver stabbed to death over rider transferDec 2, Brooklyn, NY, USA - A bus rider turned on a driver who denied him a free transfer yesterday, stabbing him to death as other passengers saw the first killing of an on-duty New York City bus driver in more than a quarter-century.
Edwin Thomas, 46 was driving the B-46 bus in Brooklyn when the attacker got on shortly after noon yesterday, police said. The man swiped an invalid fare card and sat down before asking for a transfer slip usually available to riders. When Thomas told the man he didn't pay for the ride and couldn't get a transfer, the man punched him in the head and
fatally stabbed him in the torso in front of other passengers, police said. Thomas was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, and the attacker fled on foot. Police are offering a $12,000 reward for any information on him.
APPD Sergeant Dies While On Duty
