Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Worker Dies After Falling Off Ladder

May 23, Bennington, Nebraska - A man taken to the hospital in critical condition Saturday night after a 20 foot fall, has died from his injuries. 40 year-old Mark Mahon was working at Keno Cabana in Bennington, setting up for an outdoor concert. The worker fell off a ladder but also came into contact with electrical wires. Police think it was a combination of the two that killed him. Mahon was flown to Creighton University Medical Center where he later died.


Farm worker dies in accident in west Michigan

May 23, Ganges Township, Illinois - Authorities in Allegan County say a farm worker died after his clothing became caught in machinery attached to a tractor. Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Kuhn says in a statement that 29-year-old Wenceslao Torres-Garcia was found dead at the scene of the Saturday accident at the Scenic View Dairy Farm in Ganges Township, about 30 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. The statement says Torres-Garcia was feeding livestock when a piece of his clothing became entangled in the spinning shaft of a tractor attached to a feed mixer-trailer.


Another worker dies at Cooper Tire plant

May 21, Albany, Georgia - For the second time in the last three months, a worker on duty at the Cooper Tire plant has died at the facility. Sixty-nine year old Thomas Norman Giddens suffered an apparent heart attack about 7:45 Thursday morning. Because Giddens died in the plant, coroner Emma Quimbley says his body will be sent to the crime lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.


Man Killed While On the Job

May 20, Huntsville, Alabama - Tragedy on the job. 63 year old Thomas Hardison died when he was run over this afternoon by a flatbed truck. Hardison was working at the Builders Supply Store in Sylvania when it happened. Police say the truck driver didn't even know he had run over Hardison. He said the truck was so heavy with supplies, he never felt the impact. Hardison was killed instantly.


1 Killed In Fire At Md. Army Base

May 21, Aberdeen, Maryland - A fire at an Army base in Maryland killed one employee and injured two others. At about 9:30 a.m., the blaze broke out in the Edgewood area of the Aberdeen Proving Ground, which is located where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay. A statement said the fire was caused by "apparent test vehicle malfunction." There was no danger to the public. Aberdeen is the Army's oldest active base for testing, training and research involving military weapons.


Construction worker killed when tunnel collapses in Tensas Parish

May 20, Monroe, Louisiana - A construction worker from St. Joseph died Tuesday afternoon when a tunnel collapsed, burying him alive. Tensas Sheriff Ricky Jones said Brandon Rush, 34, was killed when his work crew was putting in a culvert along the side of Louisiana 606 on Bruin Island in Tensas Parish. The cave-in at the tunnel completely covered Rush and buried fellow worker Tim Parks up to his waist. Parks later complained of severe pain in his legs and hips. A third worker, Ralph Griggs, was able to escape the collapse and suffered minor injuries to his legs.


Garbage truck driver killed in crash

May 21, Frederickson, Washington – A garbage truck driver was killed after being thrown from the cab when her truck collided with an SUV Wednesday. The Lemay garbage truck then slammed into a dirt embankment at 196th and Canyon Road East. It’s unclear if the 32-year-old Tacoma woman was run over by the truck after she was thrown from it.


Detroit Diesel worker dies on job

May 21, Detroit, Michigan - A 7-year employee of Detroit Diesel died Wednesday while trying to fix a jammed machine at the Redford Township machining plant. Jeff Malins, 51, of Canton, a skilled tradesman and toolmaker at the plant since 2002, became stuck in the machine at 4:20 p.m. “He and another couple of employees tried to fix it and the machine started back up,” Redford Township Police Chief John Buck said today. A nurse at the plant immediately tried to help Malins, but he was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:58 p.m.


Employee out for a walk, collapses, dies

May 21, Rockingham, Vermont – An employee at Chroma Technology out for a walk with fellow workers before noon Wednesday collapsed and died, Vermont State Police said. The man, who state police wouldn't identify pending notification of his family, started to walk up a steep embankment from the railroad tracks along the Connecticut River back up to the Rockingham Industrial Park. The incident occurred in back of Woodlan Tool. It is common practice for the many employees of the various businesses in the industrial park to walk around the area.


Iron worker killed in construction accident at Mohegan

May 20, Norwich, Connecticut - Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration joined Mohegan tribal safety officials today to investigate the circumstances of a fatal construction accident Tuesday. An unidentified iron worker died from injuries sustained in a fall while working on the Mohegan Government and Community Center overlooking Route 2A, said Mohegan Tribal Chief of Staff Chuck Bunnell. The man was taken to the William W. Backus Hospital where he died from his injuries, Bunnell said. Bunnell said co-workers have described the man as a hardworking family man.


Truck driver dies in crash on I-75

May 20, Gainesville, Florida - A Plant City truck driver died in a crash on Interstate 75 near Micanopy on Tuesday morning.The accident occurred at about 7:25 a.m. after the 2002 Freightliner being driven by Murry M. Davenport, 50, which was pulling an empty trailer north in the center lane, sideswiped a camper being towed by a Ford pickup truck in the right lane, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. The semi swerved to the right after hitting the camper and went off the northbound lanes onto the east shoulder at about mile marker 378 and struck a tree. Davenport was pronounced dead at the scene.


Two workers crushed to death by heavy equipment

May 19, Belle Grove, Louisiana - Two men are dead after an on-the-job accident in Assumption Parish. Sheriff Mike Waguespack says the men worked for a tree cutting company and were crushed under a small bulldozer known as Bobcat. Waguespack says they had tilted the Bobcat back to try to fix a broken part when the machine fell forward, crushing them underneath.


Mt. Carmel Worker Dies in Power Line Accident

May 19, Wabash County, Illinois - A Mt. Carmel man is dead following a work related accident in Wabash County, Illinois. Sheriff's deputies say Terry Brooks was power washing the performance plus building just north of the city when he came in contact with a power line. The coroner's office pronounced Brooks dead at the scene. The accident happened around 2:00 p.m. Monday.


Worker Dies After Being Struck by Tree Limb

May 19, Huron, New York - Authorities say Claude Shaver, 49, of Butler died after a large tree limb fell on him while he was cutting it at 11699 Ridge Road in Huron. Officials in Wayne County say the tree service employee was using a bucket truck to cut a limb off a tree outside a house in Huron when the accident occurred around 2 p.m. Monday. Wolcott emergency officials say the limb crashed on top of the bucket, trapping him underneath as the bucket crashed 30 feet to the ground.


Worker killed at Taum Sauk

May 19, St. Louis, Montana - A 48-year-old laborer with Ozark Constructors was killed this morning at the Taum Sauk Upper Reservoir Rebuild project while working on a concrete placement. She was taken to Barnes Jewish Hospital by helicopter where she died from her injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified and will be leading the investigation to determine the cause of the accident. Ozark is organizing counseling to assist employees and families in dealing with their grief.


Trucker killed in crash was Waipahu man

May 18, Honolulu, Hawaii - The driver of a tractor-trailer who died after his vehicle overturned off the H-1 Freeway yesterday has been identified as 51-year-old Russell J. Fox of Waipahu, the Honolulu Medical Examiner said today. The truck ran onto a grassy area along the Ewa off-ramp and flipped over, pinning Russell. A 12-year-old boy who suffered serious injuries was extracted from the tractor-trailer cab. Police said the tractor-trailer carrying lumber was swerving on the H-1, prior to turning off the freeway onto the off-ramp to Ewa at about 11:55 a.m.


Worker falls to his death at Miami International Airport

May 19, Miami, Florida - An American Airlines employee fell to his death in the predawn hours Tuesday while working on a lift at Miami International Airport. Thomas Jukovich, a 43-year-old customer service manager, was working outside on a lift at Gate E-10, according to airport officials. Hard rain and thunder persisted throughout the night as he worked outside. Airport employees said the Hallandale Beach man supervised several gates, including one that was assigned to American Airlines Flight 995. The red-eye flight to Sao Paolo, Brazil, was to leave at 11:30 p.m., but it was delayed. The plane was still on the rain drenched tarmac two hours later when the manager jumped onto a baggage loader, employees said. For yet-unknown reasons, about 1:50 a.m. Jukovich fell from the lift, which can go as high as 25 to 30 feet. He suffered fatal injuries, according to Miami-Dade fire rescue spokesman Lt. Eddy Ballester.


Trailer falls, killing worker

May 19, Sioux Falls, South Dakota - A 35-year-old Parker man died Monday when part of the trailer he was repairing fell on him. Robert Charles Gusso was working at Ludens Implement near Humboldt around noon when the flatbed trailer he was working to repair fell on top of him and crushed him. He died at the scene. Another Ludens employee who was working with Gusso on the trailer freed him, called 911 and attempted to perform CPR, said Sgt. Pete Jaros of the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Department, who investigated the accident.


Man Killed in Industrial Accident

May 18, Roanoke, Virginia - A Moneta man has died after being trapped between two semi-trailers at a Roanoke County warehouse. Police say 62-year-old Warren Simmons was taken to a local hospital and died Monday after the accident in a warehouse used by Kroger. Officer Mike Christian said an unattended tractor-trailer rolled across a parking lot and struck a parked semitrailer. The second trailer was pushed into another, and Simmons was caught between those two. Roanoke County police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident.


2 killed, 1 held in Calif. lumberyard shooting

May 19, Vernon, California — Authorities say two men have been shot to death at a Southern California lumber company and a third man is under arrest. Vernon police Capt. Daniel Calleros (kah-YER'-ohs) says a report of shots being fired sent officers to the Bohnhoff Lumber Co. around 9:30 a.m. Monday. The officers found the victims and saw a car speeding away. After a short chase, the vehicle crashed in neighboring Huntington Park and the driver was arrested. Calleros says a handgun was recovered. The identities of the victims and the suspect have not been released.


Officials Identify Man Killed In Tower Collapse

May 18, Honolulu, Hawaii - The Honolulu medical examiner identified the victim killed in Saturday's tower collapse as a California man. Juan Navarro, 54, was killed when he was trapped underneath tons of rubble when a 120-foot Hawaiian Cement cooling tower collapsed. Navarro and a coworker were inside working to weaken the structure. They were nearly finished with the job when the tower crashed, officials said.


Mill Worker Dies Under Falling Load

May 18, Newport Beach, California - A lumber mill employee at Horse Creek Sawing, Cerulean, Ky., was crushed to death beneath lumber he was helping to load onto a flatbed truck.Weaver W. Shirk, 45, was directing the truck to back into a loading bay when the vehicle's muffler caught one of the hoisted load's I-beams, according to state trooper Dean Patterson. When the driver began driving forward, the entire load toppled, pinning Shirk against the truck.


UPDATE

Factory worker's death shocks family

May 18, Nampa, Idaho - Shocked family members of Mario Munoz, the 45-year-old man killed while working at the Sugar Beet Factory Friday are filing into Idaho from all over the country. Sunday at Munoz' sister's home in Caldwell, his family remembers their brother, uncle and friend. Mario's niece Jackie Vargas wonders why he was taken from them so soon. "We loved him so much and I still don't believe it's true," Vargas said. "I don't believe that it was his time to leave."


Warren deputy killed in accident

May 18, Jackson, Mississippi - A Warren County sheriff's deputy died in a single-vehicle accident early Sunday while going to check on the safety of an ambulance crew. Just after 1 a.m., an ambulance was notified of a medical call but didn't answer the radio, so Deputy Tom Wilson left to make sure the crew was OK, Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said. His vehicle hit a patch of standing water on U.S. 61. The Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol is recreating the accident, but "it appears at this time that his vehicle hydroplaned and went off the right-hand side of the roadway and flipped over," Pace said. Witnesses stopped to help the deputy and called 911.