Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Volney man killed in garage accident

April 19, Volney, New York – State Police in Fulton have investigated a freak accident where a flatbed truck fell on top of a mechanic killing him. At about 10 a.m. last Thursday, police responded to a report of a man pinned underneath a vehicle at 3054 County Route 4 in the Town of Volney in Oswego County. The investigation revealed that the owner of Wally's Towing, Paul Sage, 66, was performing mechanical work under his 1995 GMC flatbed tow truck. A second tow truck, owned by Sage, raised the front end of the flatbed using a linked chain, which subsequently broke, resulting in the flatbed truck falling on top of him.


Worker Dies in Accident at KCP&L Plant

April, 19, Lacygne, Missouri - A man died in an accident at KCP&L's LaCygne Generating Station early Saturday morning, according to a spokesman for the utility. According to KCP&L, the victim was a contract worker at the generating station in LaCygne, Kansas. The name and age of the victim, as well details about how he was killed, have not been released. Officials say an investigation into the accident is continuing. The LaCygne facility is co-owned by Westar and KCP&L.


Santa Ana man dies after 4-story fall at construction site

April 19, Dana Point, California – A Santa Ana man fell from the fourth floor of a Marriott hotel and died of his injuries Saturday, Orange County sheriff's officials said. Construction worker Daniel Varela Jr., 59, was declared dead at 12:05 p.m. at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center shortly after he plunged four stories. Varela was helping with construction efforts on a new wing of the Laguna Cliffs Resort & Spa at 25135 Park Lantern in Dana Point, according to Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino.


Branford Police ID Dead Man in Truck

April 17, Farmington, Connecticut - Branford Police have identified the man found dead in the trailer part of a tractor trailer at the T.A. Travel Center Friday morning. An autopsy on the body of Dale Lynn Anderson, 47, of Redlands, California was scheduled for Saturday, police said. Investigators have labelled the death an apparent homicide. The driver called police about 10:44 a.m. Friday. Anderson's body was removed from the scene shortly after 5:00 p.m. Friday, and taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington.


Cincinnati man dies in I-75 crash

He was driving one of three semi-trailers involved in a chain reaction.

April 17, Harrison Township, Ohio — A 48-year-old Cincinnati man was killed Friday, April 17, when his semitrailer slammed into the rear of a truck that had come to a stop along Interstate 75 south to avoid blocked traffic, the Dayton post of the Ohio Highway Patrol said. Lydel Turner was pinned and crushed in the cab of his Pitt Ohio Express rig in the accident about 4:24 a.m. on the interstate between Needmore Road and Wagner Ford Road, patrol Sgt. J.C. Chesser said. The roadway was shut for about five hours after the accident, the patrol said.


2 Dead, 1 Arrested In Warehouse Shooting

April 17, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Two people are dead after an armed man opened fire outside of a business in Bristol Borough, Bucks County. It happened around 3:30p.m. Friday at the Simon & Schuster publishing warehouse on the 2200 block of Radcliff StreetPolice said a man, who is a former employee, walked up to the front door of the building and started shooting. He was taken into custody at the scene, wearing a t-shirt that read, "Stupidity Is Not A Crime...So You're Free To Go." Co-workers identified the suspect as Robert Diamond. They said he was a disgruntled and confrontational employee who walked off the job four months ago. ("Did you hear any gunshots?" Fox 29 Reporter Nefertiti Jaquez asked a witness. "I only heard two.") One of those gunshots killed 52-year-old Reggie Woodson, who was leaving the warehouse, but never got to his car. The husband and father of four was shot and killed by the rear-loading dock. He was a forklift operator at the company since 1988.


Forrest bus driver dies after wreck

April 17, Hattiesville, Mississippi - A Forrest County school bus driver involved in a collision with a log truck Wednesday died Thursday in Forrest General Hospital's intensive care unit. The cause of death could not be determined for Jackie Keys, 50, of Glendale, who'd been a bus driver with Forrest County School District for more than 10 years. Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict said an autopsy will be performed. Keys had just dropped off students Wednesday morning at Earl Travillion Attendance Center and was headed back to her home when the bus she was driving rear-ended a loaded log truck on the Glendale Avenue Bridge spanning the Bouie River.


Houston building collapse kills 1 construction worker-injures 2

HouTex Inn building renovation site collapses killing 1 construction worker.

April 17, Houston, Texas – Houston Fire Department and Houston Police Department responded to a 911 building collapse call on Tuesday at the old HouTex Inn. Construction workers at the southside motel, located in the 6300 block of the Gulf Freeway, were replacing joists on the first floor when the building undergoing renovations collapsed ontop of the unsuspecting laborers. Supervisors for Camden Builders, the contractor hired by Houston city officials and New Hope Housing partnership, stated four men were working at the site when the unstable structure collapsed. When the roof and supporting structures toppled and collapsed, the building renovators were crushed by hundreds of pounds of lumber and concrete. Houston emergency search and rescue teams used dogs, cameras, and high powered tools to cut through the roof, debris and rubble to rescue the trapped workers.


2 dead, 1 critical in SoCal hospital shooting

April 16, Long Beach, California — A hospital employee shot another employee to death, critically wounded another and then killed himself Thursday, police said. Police Chief Anthony Batts said the violence erupted just before noon at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Batts would not identify those involved but said they were all male. He said the motive remained under investigation, but noted it came amid a flurry of recent shootings in the U.S.


4th Oakland Police Officer Dies

April 16, Oakland, California - A fourth Oakland police officer gunned down in a weekend shootout with a wanted parolee has been taken off life support. Sergeant John Hege was taken off life support this morning at Highland Hospital. The Alameda County Coroner's office confirms that his body was delivered to them under police escort this morning. Sergeant Hege was a veteran traffic officer who was shot during a traffic stop on Macarthur Boulevard and 74th avenue.


Man dies after falling at Piscataway construction site

April 15, Piscataway, New Jersey — A Burlington County man died late Wednesday afternoon after falling at a construction site on New Brunswick Avenue, police said. The construction worker, a Delran resident, fell about 10 feet and suffered head trauma minutes before 3:30 p.m., Lt. Kenneth Blair said. He was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he died about an hour after the fall. Police were withholding the man's identity pending notification of next of kin, and did not immediately know his age.


Worker Killed at Highway 65 Construction Site

April 15, Fair Grove, Missouri -- A Columbia man is dead after a construction accident along Highway 65 just north of Fair Grove. The Missouri Highway Patrol says 53-year-old Lance Trager was standing next to a tractor-trailer. As the semi pulled forward, Trager fell under the wheels of the trailer and was run over. He died at the scene. A patrol reconstruction team was called in to investigate. However, it appears the truck was moving to move some equipment.


Independence County Worker Struck, Killed In Roadside Accident

April 16, Little Rock, Arkansas - An Independence County worker cleaning up storm debris has died after being hit by a car. Authorities say 53-year-old Jimmy L. Jackson was cleaning up debris from last week's storms along a road when he was struck and killed Thursday morning. Police are still investigating the incident. So far, there's no word on who the driver was or whether any charges will be filed.


Truck driver killed in early morning crash

April 15, Danville, Pennsylvania - A unidentified truck driver was killed early Thursday morning when his rig ran off a exit ramp from Interstate 80 and crashed into a stream. The load on the trailer shifted and crushed the tractor. State police at Milton reported the 1:40 a.m. accident happened at Exit 199 (Mile Run). The rig apparently went down the exit ramp, failed to stop at the stop sign and continued through the intersection. It crashed through the guide rails across the intersection, then became airborne and struck the opposite bank of a small stream.


A-1 employee dies from work injury

April 14, River Falls, Wisconsin - An accident near Lakeside Foods in New Richmond at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14, led to the death of one man. Eugene Hakes, of Cadott, was cutting a water pipe when his saw kicked back, striking his throat. The New Richmond Ambulance Service responded and transported Hakes to Westfields Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Hakes was working for A-1 Excavating at the time of the accident. The company had been contracted by the city to install new water meters near Lakeside Foods.


Worker dies after truck runs over him on U.S. 65

April 15, Springfield, Missouri - A man doing construction work on U.S. 65 in Fair Grove died after he was run over by a tractor trailer. Columbia resident Lance Trager was 53. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a report from the Highway Patrol. The accident occurred around 4:10 p.m. on U.S. 65 in Fair Grove. Trager was standing next to the tractor trailer. As it pulled forward Trager fell under the wheels and was run over, the report from the Highway Patrol said.


Deadly Farm Accident

April 15, Eau Claire, Wisconsin - It happened northwest of Bloomer about 10 this morning on a farm at Highway 64 and County Road "DD". Chippewa County Coroner Kay Gerrits says 55-year-old Michael Johnson was working for a local feed mill. She says he was at the farm loading grain into a bin, when his clothes got caught in a piece of machinery. Johnson was working for Ed's Feed Service based in Bloomer. Jay Ruf, who owns Ed's Feed Service, says as Johnson knelt down to load the grain, his shirt got caught. Coroner Kay Gerrits says the farmer tried to free him by cutting his clothing and then called for help but it was too late. He was pronounced dead at the hospital in Bloomer.


Illinois man killed in accident at cement plant

April 15, Ste. Genevieve, Missouri - An Illinois man is dead after an accident at the Holcim (US), Inc. cement plant in Ste. Genevieve Tuesday. Vincent Lavite of Wood River, Illinois died after some type of accident at the plant around 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Ste. Genevieve county coroner. Lavite was taken to a hospital in Festus and later air-liefted to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis where he died. An autopsy is expected to be conducted Wednesday.


Schnucks security guard is shot, killed by suspected shoplifter

April 15, East St. Louis, Missouri - A grocery store security guard died Tuesday afternoon after a suspected shoplifter grabbed his gun and shot him twice, East St. Louis police said. Wayne Groom, 43, of Smithton, died in the shooting, St. Clair County Coroner Rick Stone said. Groom was shot in the back of his head and in his right leg. An East St. Louis man was in police custody. The shooting occurred at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday at the Schnucks supermarket, 2511 State St.


Texas Man Dies In Heavy Equipment Accident

April 15, Kilgore, Texas — Donald Joseph Cain, 71, of Clarksville died when a piece of heavy equipment he was operating overturned. Kilgore police said Cain was operating a Caterpillar roller Tuesday when it overturned on a slope. Cain was thrown from the cab and pinned beneath the equipment. Police say Cain was dead at the scene. An autopsy was ordered. Kilgore police said Cain was an employee of Stephenson's Dirt Contractors.


Man killed in Buckhead by tree loved family, work, church

April 14, Atlanta, Georgia - At 5:30 a.m. Monday, Faye Jones walked her husband, Ray, to his truck. She carried his lunch and coffee for him. Mrs. Jones said “I love you” and “be careful.” Mr. Jones said “bye” and kissed her. That was the last time the couple would perform their morning ritual. Four hours after leaving his Ball Ground home north of Atlanta for a plumbing job in Buckhead, Raymond Jones was crushed to death by a falling tree. Raymond Jones attended Easter Sunday services at their church, Concord Missionary Baptist, in Fairmount one day before his death. “He loved his job, he loved his work,” said Faye Jones. “I’m glad he went like that. I didn’t want him to go, of course, but he died working.” Ray Jones, 63, provided plumbing services for a well-heeled list of clients in Buckhead and north Atlanta, his wife said. At around 9:30 a.m. Monday, Jones was driving south on Nacoochie Drive toward Peachtree Battle in Buckhead, when high winds uprooted an oak tree that fell on his truck, crushing the cab and likely killing him instantly, authorities said.


Investigation into firefighters' deaths begins

April 13, Houston, Texas - It was a somber day for Houston firefighters as they honor two of their own who died battling a house fire on Easter morning. Shortly after noon Monday, the bodies of Captain James Harlow and probationary firefighter Damion Hobbs were transported from the medical examiner's office, while their colleagues stood at attention. Both men died after being trapped inside the home. Investigators from several agencies made a thorough sweep of the gutted house on Oak Vista near DeLeon in southeast Houston Monday. They were there all day with representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, the state fire marshals' office, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, as well as investigators from the Houston Fire Department's arson division. It's their task to find out every detail of the fire.


Shooter Remains At Large

April 13, Richmond, Virginia - A day after a delivery driver was shot and killed in Henrico County, other drivers across the region are taking precautions. Yong Sun, a driver for The Great Wall Restaurant in Henrico's east end, was killed Sunday night after making a delivery. Driver Tim Nelson finds the killing hard to understand. "I can't believe someone would get killed over a twenty dollar delivery," Nelson said while driving and making his usual run Monday evening.


BREAKING NEWS: Man Dies In Elevator Accident At Former Holiday Inn

April 13, Columbus, Ohio - A 52-year-old elevator technician died today when an elevator car plunged down the shaft and crushed him at the former Holiday Inn on Lane Avenue. James C. Higgins, an Oracle Elevator Company employee, was at the bottom of the shaft about 8 a.m. on a ladder. He and a co-worker were preparing the elevator so workers could remove furniture from the closed hotel, Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Dave Whiting said. He said mechanical or human error may be responsible for the accident. "Because the elevator they were working on wasn't the one that came down, they may have not shut the elevator off," Whiting said.

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