Weekly Toll

Ex- National Park, Deptford Township police officer dies participating in Collingswood holiday parade

December 1, Collingswood, New Jersey A veteran of both the National Park and Deptford police departments who was also a member of the Philadelphia-based Polish American String Band died Saturday while performing at the borough's annual holiday parade. James "Jimmy" Magee, 48, of Cherry Hill collapsed on the parade route on Haddon Avenue and was attended to by Collingswood's Rescue Squad, but would later pass.


Farmer dies in farm accident

November 23, Albany, Georgia – A Ben Hill County man was killed when he was run over by his own tractor, near Luluville Road, off Hwy 129 North of Fitzgerald. 81-year old James Casper, a big Pecan farmer in the area, apparently fell off his tractor Friday afternoon and was run over by the tires. He was airlifted to Macon Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The coroner says he died from internal injuries.


Worker killed in accident at water reclamation site

November 30, Chicago, Illinois - A 38-year-old man was killed this afternoon in an apparent construction accident on the grounds of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago facility, police said. He was identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office as Jose Meza, of the 6000 block of South Washtenaw Avenue. He was pronounced dead 2:41 p.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Details were sketchy, but police said the victim was killed at about 1 p.m. in an apparent construction mishap in the 400 block of East 130th Street. The accident occurred at a water reclamation district facility.


Roseburg Forest Products worker dies in mill accident

November 30, Riddle, Oregon — A Tri City man died Sunday after a mill accident in Riddle put him in the hospital early last week. Internal and external investigations are under way. Family members decided to pull John Howze, 60, off life-support equipment Sunday and were planning his memorial service this morning.


Names Released In Great Clips Killing

November 30, Hillsboro, Oregon - A 20-year-old woman working at a hair salon Sunday was shot to death by her boyfriend in the salon's break room, police said. Sheena Mendoza and her 40-year-old boyfriend, Curt Wise, were arguing in the break room of the Great Clips Hair Salon on Imbrie Drive prior to the incident, said Lt. Michael Rouches in a Hillsboro Police Department news release. Wise shot Mendoza with a revolver and killed her, Rouches said. One bullet ricocheted off the wall into the Subway restaurant next door and grazed a customer, police said.


Worker dies after excavator flips onto him

November 25, Wheatland Township, Illinois - A utility worker died after a vehicle crash pinned him under an excavator Monday. Will County Sheriff's spokesman Pat Barry said the accident happened around 4:50 p.m. on Leverenz Road just east of Book Road. "A white Isuzu box van, driven by a 67-year-old Aurora man, was westbound on Leverenz when the vehicle ran off the north edge of the road and struck a Ditch-Witch-like excavator, flipping it over and pinning the operator underneath," Barry said. Nicor employee Gary Cichy, 52, of Hinckley, was taken to Edward Hospital in Naperville, but died from his injuries. Fog made it impossible for a LifeStar helicopter to transport Cichy, so an ambulance took him to Edward.


Cable worker dies from hit-and-run injuries

November 25, Taylorsville, North Carolina - The Highway Patrol is searching for a driver who hit and killed a cable television employee early Tuesday morning. Hank Pittman Jr., 61, was working on a cable television line when he was struck by a vehicle that kept going. Pittman had called his employer, Terra Design Inc., about 2 a.m. to report he had finished his assignment on Old Mountain Road, troopers said. Shortly before 3 a.m., a passing motorist called 911 to report a man lying in the road.


PotashCorp worker dies after accident

November 24, Pheonix, Arizona - A Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. employee has died after an incident at the company's Sussex, N.B., mine on Saturday. Company spokesperson Bill Johnson said at about 3 p.m. local time an employee was installing pipes underground when the accident happened. The man, who has been identified as 55-year-old Vincent Mitton, was treated at the scene but died of his injuries. "He was a longtime employee with the company and it's certainly a very, very sad time for the folks at New Brunswick and everyone in our company," Johnson said.


4 Lakewood officers slain; ex-con sought for questioning

November 29, Seattle, Washington - A 37-year-old Tacoma man, Maurice Clemmons, is being sought for questioning in the execution-style shooting of four Lakewood police officers this morning, according to law-enforcement officials. Clemmons was identified as a person of interest in the slayings, but not as a suspect. Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said Clemmons had been seen in the area of the shootings at the time they occurred. Clemmons, who was recently released from jail, has an extensive criminal record in Pierce County and Arkansas, court records show. He currently faces eight criminal charges in Washington state. The four officers were killed at about 8:15 a.m. by a scruffy-looking man who walked into a coffee shop and opened fire. The officers — three men and one woman — were found dead by deputies who arrived at Forza Coffee at 11401 Steele St. S., Troyer said. Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Greg Richards were identified as the officers who were shot.


Death toll from explosion at Garner ConAgra plant climbs to four

November 23, Raleigh, North Carolina - The explosion that tore apart the ConAgra Foods manufacturing plant in Garner in June has claimed another life. Curtis Ray Poppe, who was working at the plant for a contractor at the time of the blast, died Nov. 19 at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill, a hospital spokesman confirmed to the Associated Press on Monday. With Poppe’s passing, the death toll of the ConAgra explosion reached four. The June 9 blast injured dozens more and inflicted extensive damage on what was at the time the only manufacturing plant for Slim Jim beef-jerky snacks in the world.


Wyoming man's family still in shock after fatal accident

November 23, Morton, Illinois — Carl Ziemer's family and friends are still reeling from his fatal industrial accident. The 48-year-old Wyoming man died after a 30-foot-long, 2,500-pound pipe crushed his legs and pelvis during the unloading of several pipes from a truck Friday. "We're still in shock over most of it," said Ziemer's sister, Linda Legg of Tacoma, Wash. "We're just kind of waiting for the reports." A truck driver with Brubaker Transfer Inc. in Goodfield, Ziemer was delivering the pipes to G&D Integrated, 1601 N. Main St., about 3 p.m. when the accident occurred, Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said.


Fog may be to blame in Chi Ridge death

November 24, Chicago, Illinois - A 26-year-old Southwest Side man was killed late Monday when he was struck in the head by a forklift while working in an industrial park in Chicago Ridge. Dense fog may have contributed to the incident, authorities said. Shortly before midnight Jesus Hernandez-Blas was working for recycling company Resource Management when he was killed at 10111 Anderson Ave., Chicago Ridge Police Chief Tim Baldermann said. Hernandez-Blas was pronounced dead at the scene, the Cook County medical examiner's office said. An autopsy determined he died of head injuries and his death was ruled an accident.


Poquoson teen who died in wood chipper identified

November 24, Hampton Roads, Virginia - Police have identified the 14-year-old who died Sunday while working with a wood chipper as Frank Anthony Gornik. He was working as part of a three-person crew removing debris and tree limbs from a house on Wagner Road about 3 p.m. Sunday, Poquoson police Chief Cliff Bowen said. He was using a shovel to drop debris into the hopper of a large wood chipper when the shovel apparently got caught in the blades, and the boy was dragged into the machine. He died instantly, Bowen said.


Volusia deputy killed in W.Va. accident

November 27, Ormond Beach, Florida - Those who knew him best said Juan Santiago-Colon was a prince of a guy and a great public servant who did his job with pride. The 47-year-old Volusia County sheriff's deputy and father of three from Deltona died Tuesday while on a hunting trip in Ronceverte, W.Va., when one of his sons accidentally ran over him, sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said. "This was an incredibly tragic death that has us all in deep shock and sadness," he said Thursday. Santiago-Colon, a Navy veteran, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and worked the past 10 years for the Sheriff's Office.


Man dies at Enbridge site

November 24, Grand Forks, North Dakota - A driver for a Crookston gravel hauling company was backed over and killed by another truck driver from the company early Tuesday at a job site north of Crookston. Investigator Nathan Rasch with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the man, 54, had pulled into the Enbridge Pipeline site with a Bertils Gravel-owned Mack truck and semi-trailer filled with gravel, parked and was walking over to find out where to dump his load.


Brazoria County officer dies at 47

November 25, Houston, Texas — K-9 Officer Rick Opperud began his 20-year police career in Danbury and became nationally known as a police dog trainer, Brazoria County Sheriff Charles Wagner said. Opperud, 47, died Tuesday morning of complications from an aneurysm that burst while he was training drug dogs in Louisiana on Nov. 4. A cerebral aneurysm is a bulging, weak area in the wall of an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Opperud was flown to Methodist Hospital in Houston, where he underwent surgery to repair the problem.


Sanitation worker killed on the job in Clinton

November 27, Clinton, Maryland - A sanitation worker was killed Wednesday in Clinton when the driver of the trash truck he was loading backed up and accidentally hit him. Tyrone Ames, 26, of Cindy Lane in Capitol Heights died shortly after he was hit along the 7200 block of Berkshire Drive. Ames was pronounced dead on the scene around 3:15 p.m. Officer Larry Johnson, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Police Department, said Friday it was unclear whether Ames was an employee of Prince George's County.


Nicor worker dies, pinned by excavator

November 24, Chicago, Illinois - A Nicor worker died Monday after he was pinned under a piece of excavation equipment knocked over by a passing truck near Naperville. A box truck driven by Thomas Williams, 67, of Aurora, ran off the road about 5 p.m. and struck a back-hoe working on a ditch at Leverenz Road, east of Book Road in an unincorporated area near Naperville, said Will County Sheriff's Department spokesman Pat Barry. Back-hoe operator Gary Cichy, 52, of Hinckley, became pinned underneath when the excavator rolled over, according to Barry. The front passenger side of the box truck peeled away upon impact with the excavator. Williams was the only passenger of the truck and was not injured, Barry said.


Official: Worker dies in accident at mine site

November 24, Hazard, Kentucky - State officials say a crane accident at a mining site in southeastern Kentucky has fatally wounded a worker. Energy and Environment Cabinet spokeswoman Ricki Gardenhire says 37-year-old Leslie D. Trent of Hazard was struck by a crane arm at around 6 p.m. EST Monday. Trent was working for New York-based Frontier-Kemper Constructors at a site owned by Perry County Coal Corp. Gardenhire says Trent and another worker were changing equipment on a crane when the arm fell several feet and landed on them.


Forklift kills worker in Chicago Ridge

November 24, Chicago, Illinois - A 26-year-old Chicago man was struck by a forklift and killed early this morning at the Chicago Ridge garbage processing company where he worked, authorities said. Jesus Hernandez-Blas, of the 6000 block of South Sacramento Avenue, was pronounced dead at 3:20 a.m. on the grounds of the southwest suburban company, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.The accident took place at Resource Management Cos., 10111 Anderson Ave. in Chicago Ridge, according to the spokesman.


Workers electrocuted while fixing main break

November 25, Arlington, Virgina - An Arlington County employee was killed Wednesday morning as he finished an overnight shift trying to fix a broken water main and was electrocuted by a battery of lights. James Bea, 59, had worked for the county for 24 years, officials said at an afternoon news conference. Another worker was seriously injured in the accident. Bea and his partner, who was not named by authorities, had worked through the night in a trench fixing a water main that broke on Monday at the interection of Glebe Road and Old Glebe Road.


Cable Worker Killed In Alexander Co. Hit-And-Run

November 24, Alexander County, North Carolina - A man working on a utility line early Tuesday was hit and killed along an Alexander County road. Trooper said they are still searching for the driver involved in the crash on Old Mountain Road near Smith Farms Road south of Taylorsville. Authorities said 61-year-old Hank Pittman Jr., who worked for Terra Design Inc., checked in with his employer at 2 a.m. and said that he was done with his work. About 45 minutes later, a driver called 911 and said he found a man lying in the road. Pittman, who was thrown nearly 70 feet, had the headlights of his truck on as well as yellow warning lights.


BP contractor killed at Prudhoe Bay

November 27, Prudhoe Bay, AK — A BP contractor, who was working for MISTRAS GROUP INC., was tragically killed on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 around 2:00 p.m. The worker was killed when a pickup truck crushed him against some pipe at Prudhoe Bay’s North Gas Injection Pad, as reported by Anchorage Daily News. The deceased worker, Mike Phelan, 59, of New Jersey, was working on a pipeline inspection team and marking locations on an elevated pipeline, which is on top of a gas injection pad to be inspected in future routine inspections, when the accident occurred. Phelan was reportedly working by himself when a pickup truck pinned him up against the pipeline and crushed him.

Thursday, November 19th at 8pm - KQED Public Radio’s Health Dialogues will broadcast a program looking at Workplace Safety. Segment topics include Cal-OSHA regulations, safety of green jobs, health concerns for migrant and farm workers, and more.

Don’t live in S.F. or Sacramento? Find your local airtime here:
http://www.californiareport.org/healthdialogues/about.jsp

You can embed the program on your website or stream it online starting this Friday at 12pm by visiting www.HealthDialogues.org.

Grocery employee shot, killed while chasing robber

November 21, Kansas City, Missouri - Police have arrested two men in connection with a robbery-turned homicide earlier today on East 12th Street. A grocery store's employee and his brother tried chasing down two guys who had robbed Abarottes Grocery, only one of them shot the employee near 12th and Bales. That man was pronounced dead later at the hospital. The brother followed the suspects to an apartment building, which police then surrounded. A couple of hours later, police arrested two men. Tony's story is here. And the official, original police statement is below the jump.


Driver killed when semi slams into building at rest stop

November 19, Harquahala, Arizona - Officials have identified the driver of a semi truck who was killed when his vehicle slammed into a building at a rest stop west of the Valley Wednesday. Edward A. French, 45 , of Long Beach, California died in the violent crash. Officials with the Department of Public Safety said five people were in the backyard of a residence at the Burnt Wells rest stop when the truck came barreling through.


One person killed in Miley Cyrus tour bus crash

November 20, Richmond, Virginia - Miley Cyrus' tour bus driver was killed when the bus he was driving overturned on a Virginia highway. Cyrus was not in the bus involved in the accident; however, she was part of a 4-vehicle caravan that was traveling to Greensboro, North Carolina for a concert. Virginia state police said the bus overturned on Interstate 85, about 40 miles south of Richmond. Nine other passengers, part of Cyrus' concert production crew, had minor injuries in the crash. Cyrus' manager told TMZ that, "It was one of our tour buses, but not Miley's. It was one of our buses that transported our lighting crew."


PGW employee killed in accident at plant

November 20, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - An early morning accident today at Pittsburgh Glass Works LLC on Southern Avenue has resulted in the death of an employee. According to plant manager Jerry Hornyak, at approximately 9:30 a.m., an employee operating some material and handling equipment at the plant was killed. He did not go into detail as to what specifically happened. Local EMS and Chillicothe Police were called to the scene and the Ohio Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was notified of the fatality. The name of the employee has not yet been released pending notification of the family.


Pacific Railroad Employee Killed in Boyle Heights Drive-By

November 20, Los Angeles, California - Police searched last week for whoever killed a man in a drive-by shooting in Boyle Heights. The victim was fatally shot near Union Pacific Avenue and La Puerta Street about 8:40 p.m. on Nov. 11, according to Officer Karen Rayner, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman. News reports identified the victim as Ademio Morales, 43. The vehicle from which the shots were fired was a white compact with tinted windows, possibly a Toyota Corolla, a watch commander at the LAPD’s Hollenbeck Station said last Thursday.


STRATA employee killed on highway: Family says sorrow won’t turn to anger

November 20, Vernal, Utah - Richard Adams lived long enough to tell those first on the scene of the accident that claimed his life that he’d gotten a glimpse of the car that crossed the road and struck him. In that instant when he knew he was going to be hit, his response was not one of anger, said those who know him best. “Richard was a man of peace — a disciple of Jesus Christ,” wrote Brad LeBaron, Adam’s brother-in-law and president of the West Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “He set that example of forgiving and turning aside from wrath.”


St. Paul firefighter's death is declared in line of duty

November 21, St. Paul, Minnesota - As a St. Paul firefighter, Ramon "Ray" Hain came in contact with a patient's body fluids in 1997. Doctors think he contracted a rare disease that weakened his heart. Hain, of Roseville, got a heart transplant in 1998 but had to retire in 2000 from the job he loved. In recent months, the 50-year-old Hain's heart began failing. He died last Saturday. Despite the years that have passed, the St. Paul Fire Department considers his death to be in the line of duty — its first such death in 20 years — and his name will be inscribed at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Md.


Corrections officer dies in collision on U.S. 95

November 21, Las Vegas, Nevada - A corrections officer with the Metropolitan Police Department died early this morning when the van he was driving was involved in a collision on U.S. Highway 95 near Searchlight. Daniel Leach, 49, a 25-year veteran of the department, died after his southbound van clipped the second trailer of a 10-wheel dump truck that was making a left turn to head north on 95, police said. He was the only occupant in the vehicle. Two occupants of the dump truck were uninjured. Leach was beginning his shift at the time of the 5:45 a.m. accident, en route to Searchlight, about 50 miles south of Las Vegas, when the accident occurred.


Port Angeles worker killed cleaning up highway slide

November 19, Port Angeles, Washington - A Port Angeles state transportation worker was killed Thursday by a falling limb. 42-year-old Neal Richards died when the tree limb fell on him while clearing a slide about mid-day Thursday west of Port Angeles. Richards was helping clear debris from a mudslide on Highway 101 near Indian Hill. Richards worked for the Port Angeles detachment of the WSDOT since 1998 and was most recently a maintenance lead tech in Port Angeles.


Wabasha man found dead on silo ladder

November 20, Rochester, Minnesota - A 49-year-old man was pronounced dead Friday after authorities found him stuck on a silo ladder at the Drysdale farm just outside Wabasha. The cause of death appears to have been an unknown medical issue, according to a report from the Wabasha County Sheriff's Office. Deputies were called to the farm at 10:12 a.m. with a report of a man stuck on a ladder with a safety cage on the outside of a silo. He was about 35 feet off the ground.


Clerk found dead at Village Pantry store

November 21, Indianapolis. Indiana - Metro police are searching for suspects who robbed a village pantry Saturday morning and shot and killed the clerk. It happened around 5 a.m. in the 1400 block of South Meridian Street. It was still dark when a customer stepped inside the south side convenience store, and walked into a robbery in progress. "A customer arrived just after 5 a.m. and noticed 2 individuals in the clerks area inside the village pantry gathering merchandise. Just digging through taking packs of cigarettes from the shelf," explained Sgt. Paul Thompson.


Man dies Wednesday following accident at Kent Boeing plant

November 19, Kent, Washington - Kent Police and Boeing officials are investigating the circumstances that led to a man dying in what appears to be an industrial accident at about 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Boeing plant in Kent. Firefighters from Kent and Tukwila responded to the plant near the corner of South 212th Street and the West Valley Highway. They were able to confirm that a man died as a result of a piece of machinery, according to a Kent Fire Department media release. The man was authorized to be in the area and use the machinery where the incident took place.


Facilities management department employee dies

November 19, Richmond, Virginia - A VCU Facilities Management Department contract employee died of natural causes while at work Tuesday afternoon in the Temple building on the Monroe Park Campus. Nora Ann Gaines, 62, told Broadcast Engineer for the College of Humanities and Sciences John Geerdes she was not feeling well around 2 p.m. and asked him for a glass of water. "(Gaines) was in the audio bay, sitting in a chair," Geerdes said. "(I) went to get her a cup of water and then I look back in the audio bay and she collapsed in the chair and fell on the floor."


53-year-old worker dies in New Springville construction accident

November 20, Staten Island, New York - A Staten Island construction worker was crushed to death by a reversing dump truck driven by his co-worker this afternoon on Richmond Avenue near Rockland Avenue in New Springville. Jody Reese, 53, of Tottenville, was standing behind the white Mack truck, out of view of either mirror, police said. When the driver began to back up, Reese was crushed by the rear and then the front tires. Emergency responders worked to revive Reese, before he was taken to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze where he was pronounced dead.


Woman killed in forklift accident

November 20, Columbus, Ohio - A worker was killed in an accident this morning at the Pittsburgh Glass Works plant in Chillicothe. Paramedics were summoned at 9:24 a.m. on a report that a female worker was injured at the Southern Avenue facility, fire department officials said. The woman, whose identity was not immediately released, was declared dead at the scene. The woman was operating a mechanized device used to retrieve packages when she was struck by a falling object, said Bill Wilkinson of the Cincinnati office of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.


Truck driver killed in early-morning I-10 wreck

November 20, Houston, Texas - Portions of Interstate 10 and U.S. 59 near downtown were shut down for hours this morning after a fatal traffic crash involving an 18-wheeler early this morning. A single-vehicle wreck occurred on the westbound I-10 East Freeway near Jensen about 3:15 a.m. Officials closed the westbound freeway near the area for several hours while police and emergency workers cleared the site. Also, two southbound lanes of the U.S. 59 Eastex Freeway at Jensen were closed for a time as investigators determined how the wreck occurred. Police said it appeared the big rig, traveling on wet pavement because of overnight rains, veered out of control and slammed into a guardrail, then a concrete pillar supporting the overpass at Jensen. The driver, a 44-year-old woman whose name has not been released, was killed.


Funeral held for Kosciusko County officer killed in crash

November 18, South Bend, Michigan ― It is a somber day today in Kosciusko County. Friends, family, and even complete strangers are saying a final farewell and thank you to a man who served and protected the community for 15 years. Kosciusko County Sgt. Jeffery Shaw was killed in a traffic accident last week. His funeral started around 11 a.m. at the Warsaw Community Church. The funeral procession headed to the cemetery after that service ended.


North Slope worker dies at Prudhoe Bay

November 19, North Slope, Alaska - A North Slope worker was killed Wednesday when a pickup truck pinned him against a section of pipe. He is the second man crushed by a vehicle in Prudhoe Bay in roughly three weeks. New Jersey resident Mike Phelan, 59, died in the accident at Prudhoe Bay's North Gas Injection Pad a little after 2 p.m., BP spokesman Steve Rinehart said. Phelan was a BP contractor who worked for MISTRAS Group Inc., a Princeton Junction, N.J.-based outfit that evaluates the structural integrity of energy and industrial infrastructure.


Boating accident leaves dredging contractor dead

November 18, Gansevoort, New Jersey – State Police are investigating a boating accident on the Hudson River that led to the death of a contractor working for General Electric as part of the Hudson River dredging project. Jeffrey Harbison of Lambertville, N.J. was pulled from the water Tuesday after the disabled boat he was in went over a dam, according to a fire official. Keith Burch, first assistant chief with the Gansevoort Fire Department, said Harbison was still alive when initially pulled from the water but was being treated as a "cold water drowning" victim.


Jobsite Entrapment Kills Worker in Dakota Dunes

November 18, Dakota Dunes, South Dakota - A construction worker is dead after a job-site accident in Dakota Dunes Tuesday morning. The Union County Sheriff's office says a 27-year-old man was installing forms for a basement on Bluestem Trail when a dirt wall collapsed on him. Co-workers were able to free the victim and begin CPR but he did not survive.


Forklift kills worker at Burris Logistics

November 18, Staunton, Virginia — A 27-year-old Greenville man was killed after he was pinned underneath a forklift at Burris Logistics. The tragic workplace accident occurred on Friday morning, November 13, 2009 on Mount Torrey Road in Lyndhurst, as reported by the Waynesboro News Virginian.Matt Megginson, 27, of Greenville reportedly lost control of a standup forklift at Burris Logistics, when it overturned and pinned the man underneath the heavy machine.


Gas well blowout near Grand Cane kills 1

November 18, Grand Cane, Louisiana - The DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office says one worker was killed and a second seriously injured by a natural gas well blowout. Sheriff's Lt. Toni Joe Morris says deputies evacuated about two dozen houses within two miles of the Chesapeake Energy well, which blew about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Names of the dead and injured worker are not yet available.


2 men killed by falling trees during storm cleanup

November 19, Seattle, Washington - Two men were killed in Western Washington while trying to clear trees damaged in recent windstorms - a 42-year-old state Transportation Department worker and a 24-year-old Sedro Woolley man working for a private contractor. The DOT worker was killed near Port Angeles after being hit by a falling tree limb. A DOT spokeswoman says Neal Richards was working to clear a slide on U.S. 101 near Indian Hill when the tree fell.


Truck driver killed in fiery accident in NY suburb

November 16, Continental Village, New York - New York State police say a truck driver was killed in a fiery accident while attempting to avoid an oncoming car on Route 9 in northern Westchester County. Police say a southbound car crossed the center lane and veered in front of the tractor trailer at about 2:30 p.m. The truck swerved off the roadway and struck a tree, its cab bursting into flames. Police say the driver died at the scene. Emergency workers had to use power tools to remove the other driver, who was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Part of the roadway has been closed in both directions.


BTES lineman electrocuted on Hickory Tree Road

November 18, Bluff City, Tennessee – Local investigators are still puzzling over how a local utility worker was electrocuted and thrown from a utility pole Tuesday morning. Bristol Tennessee Essential Services lineman Ronald E. Norris, 34, died while working on a power line behind a home on Hickory Tree Road in Bluff City, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Norris, of Bluff City, leaves behind a wife, Jennifer, and two daughters, police said. A co-worker on a nearby utility pole told investigators that he saw a flash of light and then spotted Norris on the ground. The co-worker performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until an ambulance arrived, but to no avail.


One killed, another injured, after crane collapses

November 17, Houma, Louisiana — A crane collapse this afternoon at a Houma business left a 30-year-old worker dead and another in critical condition, according to the Terrebonne Sheriff's Office. Heath Perkins, of Montegut, was pronounced dead at 2:44 p.m. at Leonard Chabert Medical Center. He was working inside the welding shop at Elevating Boats, 201 Dean Court, off Industrial Boulevard, about 1:30 p.m. when the crane came crashing into the building.


Hay baler crushes farmer

November 15, A 60-year-old St. Helena farmer died Sunday after being crushed by a hay baler, St. Helena authorities said. Kenneth Bridges, 23754 La. 441, was oiling the chains inside of his New Holland round hay baler when a hydraulic line snapped, closing the baler on him, said Maj. Michael Martin, chief of operations for the St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office. Bridges was working alone on his farm located near Easyville at the time of the accident, Martin said. Authorities were called to the scene at 2:30 p.m. by Bridges’ associate who was coming to help with the farm work, Martin said.


Street worker killed in accident

November 14, Scott, Arkansas - Authorities say a 71-year-old Lonoke County street crew employee has been killed in a work accident. Sheriff's Lt. James Kulesa said Friday that the man, whose name hasn't been released, was working near a bridge in Scott when a grader ran over him about 4:15 p.m. Thursday. The grader hit the worker while the driver was putting the machine in reverse to park. Kulesa said the driver thought his co-worker was standing elsewhere. He also said the man had hearing problems and may not have noticed the machine's reverse signal.


Grocery store clerk killed in Lake Worth robbery known for his generosity

November 16, Lake worth — A man was shot and killed by gunmen in a convenience store robbery on Friday night, authorities said. Miguel A. Gonzalez-Huicochea, 38, of Lake Worth was working in Los Cunaos Grocery on Dixie Highway just south of 10th Avenue North, when two apparently teenage gunmen walked into the store about 9:45 p.m. They were dressed in black and covered their faces in white clothing, according to a statement by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. One carried a semiautomatic handgun. The other had a revolver.


West Virginia employment attorney News: Guardian Fiberglass worker killed by roller

November 16, Martinsburg, West Virginia — A Guardian Fiberglass employee was fatally injured when he somehow became caught in an insulation roller at the company’s insulation plant near Inwood. Bill Willison Sr. was pronounced dead at the scene around 10:15 a.m., at the plant located at 4812 Tabler Station Road, as reported by the Martinsburg Journal. The lead mechanic, Bill Willison Sr., 50, was reportedly conducting maintenance work on an insulation roller at the fiberglass plant, when he somehow became struck in the roller. The insulation roller is a piece of machinery designed to have paper fed through the rollers. Police officials stated it does not appear that foul play was involved, and have since ruled the death as an accident. Rescue teams had to utilize cutting torches to free Willison’s body from the roller.


Farm Worker Killed When Tractor Rolls Into Canal

November 16, Palm Beach County, Florida - A 37-year-old farm worker was killed when her tractor rolled into a canal Monday morning in western Palm Beach County. Maria Cigarroa was killed when the tractor she was on rolled into a canal, detectives say. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the fatal accident occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. near U.S. Highway 98 and Hatton Highway. Sheriff's office spokesman Eric Davis said the tractor was too close to the edge of an embankment and rolled into the canal.

Brave New Foundation (BNF) released a video called 16 Deaths Per Day!




BNF has made it easy to view the PAWA, Protecting American Workers Act, and also sign a petition endorsing the act. It features our very own Mrs. Debi Fergen interviewed and at the start of the video. (Way to go girl)

We met one of the gals that helped produce the video at the National COSH Health and Safety Summit, Ms. Myra Donnelley. Myra has also been very helpful and gracious with her advice. So a big public thank you to Myra!

16 deaths per day cant tell you the whole story but it does help explain why we need the PAWA. I can't stress enough how monumental, how historic the PAWA is. So if you haven't taken a look at what the PAWA really is please take a few moments to do so.

1 Killed After Trucks Collide On I-78

November 13, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania - A tractor-trailer rear-ended another tractor-trailer Friday morning on Interstate 78 in Lebanon County, killing one of the drivers. The cab of one truck and the trailer of the other caught fire, state police said. The driver of the truck that caught fire was killed. A passenger in that truck was flown to the hospital. The driver and passenger in the other truck were not hurt.


Worker dies after fall from Lynnwood hotel

November 12, Lynnwood, Washington - The worker who fell from a fourth-story window of a hotel under construction in Lynnwood has died. Investigators said the 45-year-old man was offloading carpet on the fourth floor of the building from a forklift outside when he fell from an opening and landed on the sidewalk below. Officers and medics were dispatched to the scene, the new Holiday Inn Express at 2515 196th Street SW, at about 10 a.m. He was rushed to the Harborview Medical Center, where he later died.


Man killed in trench collapse

November 13, San Antonio, Texas – A construction worker is killed while working at the site of the new Texas A&M campus on the city’s south side. The 43-year-old man died when the trench he was working in collapsed Saturday morning. Ralph Medina with the San Antonio Fire Department tells News 4 WOAI that crews were trying to dig out a large oak tree from a field at the new campus when the rocks and soil gave way. Medina says, “He was underneath there doing the final bit of digging when a big portion of the cone over his head fell on top of him and crushed him. It was a very heavy rock and soil.”


W.Va. worker killed in accident at plant

November 13, Inwood, West Virginia - A worker at the Guardian Fiberglass plant near Inwood has died after being caught in an insulation roller while doing maintenance work. The Berkeley County Sheriff's Department says Bill Willison Sr. died Thursday morning at the plant. Willison was a lead mechanic at the plant. Police say the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration has been notified of the death and will conduct any follow-up investigation.


Worker killed at Quinnipiac University

November 13, Hamden, Connecticut - Hamden authorities say a construction worker has died after he was struck by a forklift at Quinnipiac University. Emergency workers were called to the school's York Hill Campus at about 9:15 a.m. Friday for the incident, in which a 58-year-old carpentry foreman was killed. Police and his employer, Torrington-based O&G Industries Inc., identified him as John Borovicka of Vernon. He was pronounced dead at Yale-New Haven Hospital.


Gunman Enters Clinical Laboratory in Oregon Yesterday, Two Dead, Two Injured

November 11, Portland, Oregon - Yesterday, in Tualatin, a quiet suburb city near Portland, Oregon, a gunman entered a laboratory facility owned by Legacy MetroLab and shot his estranged wife. He then killed himself. Two other individuals in the laboratory were injured, including a man admitted to a local hospital with Gunman Enters Clinical Laboratory in Oregon Yesterday, Two Dead, Two Injuredmultiple gunshot wounds... Shortly before noon on Tuesday, November 10, Robert Beiser, 39, entered the Legacy MetroLab facility in Tualatin. He immediately fired an undisclosed number of shots. When police arrived on the scene, just two minutes after the first 911 emergency call, they found Theresa Beiser, 36, an employee of Legacy MetroLab, dead of gunshot wounds. Robert Beiser was dead of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.


Kosciusko officer dies on duty

November 9, Jackson, Mississippi - A Kosciusko police officer died early Sunday morning from heart trouble while on duty. Officer Joseph Fulton, 45, was pursuing a vehicle along County Road 2101 around 3 a.m. when his vehicle swerved off the road, Attala County Coroner Sam Bell said. An autopsy revealed Fulton suffered a heart arrhythmia as the result of hypertension caused by heart disease, Bell said.


Maryland worker crushed and killed by construction truck

November 10, Frederick County, Maryland — Maryland police officials reported to a Route 85 construction site where an LAI Construction employee was run over and killed by a construction motor vehicle on Thursday, November 5, 2009 in Frederick County, announced the Gettysburg Times. Police identified the fatally injured man as 57-year-old Carroll Michael Rehmert, resident of Brooklyn Park. Officials declared his injuries to have proved fatal at 2:52 p.m. at the scene of the accident on Route 85 near Lime Kiln Road.


DTE worker is electrocuted at utility substation

November 111, Detroit, Michigan - A DTE Energy Co. worker was electrocuted while working at a company substation on Detroit's northwest side. DTE spokesman John Austerberry says the employee came in contact with some electrical equipment about 9 a.m. Wednesday and was taken to Sinai Grace Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The victim's name hasn't been release. Austerberry says the company will conduct an investigation and has notified state workplace safety officials.


Man who died in Ohio River was riverboat worker

November 10, Liverpool, Ohio - A man who was found dead in the Ohio River yesterday has been identified as Michael Smith of East Liverpool, Ohio, Beaver County Coroner Teri Tatalovich-Rossi said. Mr. Smith, 43, had been employed on a riverboat docked out of Ohio Township. The coroner said Mr. Smith drowned in a suicide. His body was pulled out of the Ohio River yesterday afternoon near the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge.


Workers’ identities released in performing arts center accident

November 11, Kansas City, Missouri - The worker killed Tuesday at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts construction site has been identified as Ryan Goodman, 35, of Lee’s Summit. A second worker, 30-year-old Shane Wagener of Grain Valley, remained in serious but stable condition this morning, Kansas City police said. The men were roughly 50 feet up in the air on a cherry picker-type lift when the vehicle tipped over about 1:45 p.m., throwing them onto 16th Street just east of Broadway.


Utility worker killed by car in Roosevelt

November 11, Salt Lake City, Utah - A telephone company repairman died Tuesday after he was struck by a car in eastern Utah. Roosevelt Police Chief Rich Harrison said Wednesday that 49-year-old Richard Adams, an employee of Strata Communications, was pronounced dead Tuesday afternoon after being rushed to Uintah Basin Medical Center. Adams, of Roosevelt, was working on a telephone junction box near 1800 South and State Street about 11:30 a.m. when a Ford Crown Victoria struck the box and Adams. The 36-year-old driver was treated for minor injuries at the hospital and released, Harrison said. The chief said it appeared the southbound car crossed the center line, went off the left side of State Street, hit a wooden fence post, jumped a sidewalk and went airborne before hitting Adams. The car came to rest in a residential yard, about a foot from the home's wall.


Cable worker killed in hammer attack

November 9, Victorville, California - Neighbors were in shock when they learned a man who moved into the neighborhood on Sunday attacked and killed a Charter Cable installer with a ball-peen hammer Monday afternoon, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Victorville station officials said. Rescue workers were called to a home in the 15200 block of San Jose Drive near Amargosa Road and Mojave Drive at about 5 p.m. and found the victim struggling to breathe. The victim, who is in his twenties, was taken to Victor Valley Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead.


Construction accident kills one, injures another at performing arts center site

November 9, Kansas City, Missouri - A construction accident at the future home of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts killed one man and critically injured a second this afternoon.A portable boom lift with a basket on top toppled over about 1:45 p.m. just north of the building under construction at 16th Street and Broadway. Both workers were in the basket before it plummeted about 50 feet to the pavement, said Kyle McQuiston with J.E. Dunn Construction Co. The workers apparently fell from the basket on the way down, police said.


Two tree trimmers shot, one dies in suburban West Palm Beach neighborhood

November 09, Palm Beach County, Florida - Two tree trimmers were shot, one fatally, this afternoon during an argument, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported. The two Asplundh workers were trimming trees along power lines behind a home in the 5000 block of Pat Place when the homeowner saw one fall from the ladder about 3:20 p.m., sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said. When deputies arrived at the neighborhood north of 45th Street and west of Haverhill Road, they realized it wasn't an electrocution, but a shooting, and a second man was also wounded, she said. He was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center where he was in critical condition tonight.


Worker fatally hit in Frederick County

November 9, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - Police are continuing to investigate the death of a construction site employee who was struck and killed by a construction vehicle Thursday in Frederick County. According to the Maryland State Police Frederick Barracks, Carroll Michael Rehmert, 57, Brooklyn Park, Md., was pronounced dead at the scene in the area of Route 85 and Lime Kiln Road around 2:52 p.m. Police reported that Rehmert was working at the time as a flagman at a construction area where damaged lines were being repaired.


Two workers killed on I-75

November 9, Clinton, Tennessee — Two workers working on cable barrier along Interstate 75 between the Clinton/Norris exit and the Knox County line were killed Monday when they were struck by a truck, an accident which the state's transportation chief says is "all too common." "The death of these two men should serve as a reminder to all motorists of the importance of using the utmost caution when workers are present along the roadway," Gerald Nicely, Tennessee Department of Transportation commissioner, stated in a news release a few hours after the 10:45 a.m. wreck... They were identified as 18-year-old Cheyenne Dakota Burke of Bulls Gap and Jeffrey Bryan Thompson, 19, of Rogersville. Both died at the scene.


Farmer Killed When Trench Collapses

Joice, Iowa - A North Iowa farmer dies when a wall of dirt falls on top of him. It happened sometime Saturday afternoon, just East of the community of Joice, in Worth County. Joice Fire Chief Mark Delawyer said the unidentified 79 year old man went out to fix a field tile sometime around 2 or 3 p.m., on Saturday afternoon.


Kosciusko Police officer killed in chase

November 8, Jackson, Mississippi - The Koscuisko Police Department is mourning the loss of one of their own. Officer Joseph Fulton was killed early Sunday morning. Koscuisko Police Chief Ronnie J. Adams would not make any comments Sunday, but according to a source on the scene, Officer Fulton crashed his patrol car on Stonewall Road outside of Ethel. Sources say it all started around 2:45 Sunday morning when officers tried to stop a Buick Roadmaster on East Jefferson Street. The vehicle sped away and a chase ensued outside the city limits. That's when Fulton lost control of his car. Chief Adams is expected to release a statement about the death of officer Fulton Monday.


Worker dies at food company

November 6, St. Joe, Missouri - A contract employee died in an apparent industrial accident Thursday at Lifeline Foods, the chief executive officer of the food-processing company confirmed. Christopher Caraway, 36, who worked for IHP Industrial, was on the roof of the Lifeline building at the time of the accident, St. Joseph police said. It was believed the accident happened sometime between 4:30 p.m., when Mr. Caraway was last seen by another worker, and 9 p.m., when the body was discovered. St. Joseph police were called to the scene and found Mr. Caraway, of Stewartsville, lying on the roof of the building near a condenser unit he had been working on earlier in the day. Paramedics on the scene checked Mr. Caraway and confirmed that he was deceased.


Construction Worker Killed in Buckeystown

November 6, Buckeystown, Maryland - Maryland State Police say a road construction worker was killed after a co-worker backed over him with a bucket truck on Friday.It happened just before 3:00 p.m. Police say Carroll Michael Rehmert of Brooklyn Park, Maryland was working as a flagman near the intersection of Route 85 and Lime Kiln Rd when he was killed. Authorities say the 57-year-old had stopped north bound traffic when Anthony Lamburn backed into him.


6 Shot, 1 Killed, at Orlando Office Building; Suspect Caught

November 6, Orlando, Florida - A gunman opened fire Friday in the offices of an engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago, authorities said, killing one person and injuring five others. Jason Rodriguez, 40, surrendered about three hours later, after officers saw him through the window of his mother's home and asked him to come outside, Orlando Police Chief Val Demings said.