Saturday, March 27, 2010

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Newton food services worker dies on the job Thursday

March 26, Newton, Massachusetts - A truck driver for the schools’ food services department died on the job Thursday at Newton North, according to school officials. JohnBoardman, 70, of Newton, was found unconscious in his truck at the loading dock at 6:30 p.m., according to food service director Rob Clickstein. Food services staff called 911 and Boardman was taken to St. Elizabeth’s, Clickstein said, but he died at the hospital.


Worker Dies Of Apparent Electrocution

March 27, Boston, Massachusetts - A 52-year-old man died after suffering a heart attack at his job site in Fitchburg on Saturday, and police believe he may have been electrocuted while he was rewiring a motor. Police received a 911 call at about 11:22 a.m. Saturday stating that a worker at the Creative Biomass Inc. facility at 22 Kimball Place was not breathing. Paramedics performed CPR on the man and transported him to Leominster Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.


I-405 bridge named after road worker killed by drunken driver

March 26, Seattle, Washington - The Interstate-405 bridge over Northeast 116th Street in Kirkland was dedicated Friday to a construction worker killed by a drunken driver during the I-405 widening project. The Kollin Nielson Memorial Bridge was dedicated during a ceremony Friday attended by his family, friends and co-workers, WSDOT reports. WSDOT sent out a news release about the ceremony that included this excerpt: The dedication serves as a somber reminder of how dangerous working in a construction zone can be. A husband and father, Nielson was killed while working on the Interstate 405 Kirkland widening project. Nielson, described by co-workers as a kind-hearted and loving friend, was only 30 years old and an employee of Kiewit Construction Company.


UPDATE: Worker dies after being shocked at Delran complex

March 26, Delran, Pennsylvania — One of two workers that were shocked by a power line at the Hunters Glen Apartments complex has died, police said Friday. According to investigators, Pawel Pieklo, 52, of Trenton, and Jiri Niederle, 41, of Morrisville, Pa., were working at Building 27 in the complex off Route 130 at around 4:45 p.m. p.m. when a ladder they were moving cam into contact with some overhead wires. The two suffered severe electrical burns and were taken to area hospitals, police said. Pieklo was taken to Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County in Willingboro, where he was pronounced dead Thursday night.


Worker dies after falling into pit in Cleburne

March 26, Cleburne, Texas — A 53-year-old contract worker died after falling into a pit at a water tower construction site in Cleburne. A statement from the city of Cleburne, located about 25 miles south of Fort Worth, says the accident happened Friday morning. An autopsy has been ordered. Cleburne Fire Chief Clint Ishmael says the man fell into a 3-foot deep concrete pit and was unconscious when paramedics arrived. The man was taken to Texas Health Resources in Cleburne, where he was pronounced dead.


1 killed, 1 hurt when train engines derail in ND

March 26, Washburn, North Dakota — Authorities say one railroad worker has been killed and another hurt in a train derailment south of Washburn. Two railroad employees, right, with the Dakota Missouri Valley Western Railroad survey the scene of a derailment shortly after two engines rolled down an embankment above Turtle Creek, Thursday, March 25, 2010 near Washburn, N.D. Authorities say one railroad worker has been killed and another hurt in a train derailment south of Washburn.


Employee of Ulster County-based skydiving company dies in Texas mishap

March 26, Port Aransas, Texas — A man employed by an Ulster County skydiving outfit died Thursday after crashing through a condo roof in Texas while photographing people parachuting in tandem, authorities said on Thursday. The man was not identified. Police said he was a Hungarian national who worked for Sky Dive Atlas of Gardiner, which also operates in Texas and was handling the morning jump.


3 crew killed in medical chopper crash in Tenn.

March 25, Brownsville, Tennesee — A medical helicopter crashed in a thunderstorm in western Tennessee early Thursday, killing a pilot and two nurses on a return trip from delivering a patient. There were no survivors. Another medical helicopter had declined to make a flight in the area at the time because of the weather. Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jeremy Heidt in Nashville said the flight crashed in a field near Brownsville around 6 a.m. CDT.


Fast-food employee killed in parking lot shooting

March 25, Las Vegas, Nevada - A 23-year-old woman who was a Jack in the Box employee was shot to death this morning in the parking lot of the fast-food restaurant. Metro Police responded at 5:45 a.m. to the business at 7510 W. Lake Mead Blvd. after a caller reported the shooting. That location is near Lake Mead Boulevard's intersection with Buffalo Drive. Police spokeswoman Barbara Morgan said the woman had arrived in her vehicle in the parking lot when she was shot. No arrests have been made.


Worker killed on the job at Lansing salt mine

March 25, Rochester, New York - Grief counselors will be on hand Thursday morning at the Cargill Salt Mine in Lansing, following the death of worker killed on the job. Lansing is located near Ithaca. Company leaders say around 6 p.m. on Wednesday a truck was loading salt from a large bin when the container collapsed. It killed the worker and injured another worker. Investigators are not what caused the failure with the salt bin. The company is not sure when operations at the mine will resume.


Police officer dies in traffic accident

March 24, St. Louis, Missouri - Police have arrested a suspect connected to a high speed chase Wednesday that ended with the death of a rookie officer. Investigators have not released details about the man they arrested. Officer David Haynes, 27, was killed when his patrol car collided with two other vehicles at South Kingshighway and Oleatha. Authorities said the cruiser's lights and sirens were on as Haynes pursued a burglary suspect.


Kroger employee dies following store accident

March 24, Franklin, Indiana - Lori Keen, 32, leaves behind family including a husband and a daughter. The Franklin woman was hurt March 15th while working in the stock area of the Franklin Kroger. Keen died this weekend after being taken off life support. She was working with a pallet jack that's used to move large quantities of bundled groceries. Keen was seriously injured by a pallet of bottled water. Kroger says their investigation and one being conducted by IOSHA are not yet complete.


Man shot and killed came to US to get MBA

March 23, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - A single rose is now on the front door of the SK food store near NW 23rd and MacArthur after a part-time employee was shot and killed. Two days after the shooting, Oklahoma City police are now releasing a surveillance video of the suspects dragging the clerk on floor and forcing him to open the cash register at gun point. While the gunmen were inside the store, police say a man was acting as a look out and walked by the outside camera during the robbery. And after the crooks got what they wanted, they shot and killed Prashanth Goinaka who recently moved to the United States from India earlier this year.


Construction worker killed in McLean

March 23, Fairfax County, Virginia - A construction worker was killed in McLean Tuesday after he was crushed by heavy equipment, ABC 7 reports. The worker was on a job at the Madeira School on Georgetown Pike. The incident is under investigation by Fairfax County police.


Kroger employee dies after accident

March 23, Franklin, Indiana - A Kroger employee, who was seriously injured when cases of bottled water fell on her, has died. 24-Hour News 8 has learned the woman was working in the stock area of the Franklin Kroger last week when the accident happened. She was in cardiac arrest and unresponsive when paramedics arrived at the store, Franklin Fire Department spokesman Ryan Piercefield said.


Galt man dies in industrial accident

March 23, Lodi, California - A 37-year-old Galt man died on the job in Merced County after a large pipe rolled over him last week. Benjamin Novoa was pronounced dead at the scene Thursday in Le Grand, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Office. The town is between Merced and Chowchilla. Novoa was working for Stockton-based Cal-Sierra Pipe Inc., unloading pipes from a flatbed trailer, said Krisann Chasarik, spokeswoman for the California Department of Industrial Relations. The department investigates industrial workplace accidents.


Carrie Underwood truck driver killed in Saturday crash

March 22, Hartford, Connecticut - A truck driver carrying staging equipment for Carrie Underwood's Play On tour died Saturday morning when his rig crashed on I-95 in Connecticut. According to a story published on the Hartford Courant website, the tractor trailer "veered off the left shoulder, scraping along 400 feet of guardrail. The guardrail ripped open the truck's fuel tank, igniting diesel as it spilled and engulfing the driver's portion of the tractor trailer into flames right before it careening into a bridge abutment where I-95 passes over Taugwonk Road."


Linden cab driver killed in his taxi in Roselle over the weekend

March 22, Roselle, New Jersey - A taxi driver was found dead in his cab Friday night in Roselle, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said this morning. His death was determined to be a homicide by the medical examiner's office. John "Jack" Zych, 57, of Linden was found by police sprawled across the front seats of his cab at around 10:30 p.m. Friday in the 900 block of Drake Avenue, according to a statement from the office of Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow.


California Sgt. Dies 30 Years After Being Shot

March 22, Orange County, California - Being fatally shot in the line of duty didn't stop Orange County Sheriff's Sgt. Ira G. Essoe from living another 29 good years. Paralyzed by a bullet from the chest down in 1980, beset by numerous infections and illnesses over the years, Essoe still enjoyed a loving wife and three children who followed his career into law enforcement - a profession he never stopped loving. Now, the profession is loving him back. Essoe, 69, died Feb. 4 of "delayed complications" from gunshot wounds he suffered Nov. 6, 1980, during an attempted car theft in Orange, the coroner has ruled. Technically, he succumbed to sepsis, in which the bloodstream becomes overwhelmed by bacteria.


Man dies in Pasco after cutting himself trimming a tree

March 22, Tampa, Florida - When rescuers arrived Friday evening, 48-year-old Daniel Clifford Antrobus was 40 feet above the ground harnessed to a tree and bleeding profusely. But the tree trimmer with Bottom Dollar Tree Service at some point stopped talking while Pasco Fire Rescue workers attempted to remove him from the tree outside 8305 Sycamore Drive, New Port Richey, shortly after 5 p.m., according to a Pasco Sheriff's Office report. His right leg was cut to the bone, the report states. He was flown by medical helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, where he was pronounced dead about 6:45 p.m.


Comcast Worker Shot Dead In Attempted Robbery

March 22, Baltimore, Maryland - Baltimore City Police say a Comcast worker was fatally shot in East Baltimore Sunday morning after what they believe to be an attempted robbery. The victim has been identified as 50 year-old Carlos Williams. Authorities say Williams was in his van in the 1900 block of Boone Street just before six o'clock when he was approached by several suspects.


Utility worker struck by car dies of injuries

March 21,Valparaiso, Indiana - A Valparaiso utility worker has died, three days after he was struck by a car on Calumet Avenue. Bryan Marzullo never regained consciousness after sustaining massive head and internal injuries when a car collided with him as he was working on the roadside just north of Burlington Beach Road on Tuesday afternoon, said Marzullo's wife, Susan. He died Friday morning at Parkview Hospital Trauma Center in Fort Wayne. A funeral service will be next week at Moeller Funeral Home in Valparaiso.


Federal Way Officer Found Dead In Patrol Car

March 22, Federal Way, Washington - A four-year veteran of the Federal Way Police Department was found dead in his patrol car at the scene of an officer-involved shooting early Sunday, reported KIRO 7 Eyewitness News. Responding officers initiated CPR, but were unable to revive him. The deceased officer was found after other officers responded to a call at 1:15 a.m. about a suspicious vehicle located in the 33300 block of 26th Avenue Southwest in Federal Way in which two people were reported to be seen sleeping in the back, police said. The SUV was backed up against a vacant home.


Comcast Worker Shot, Killed In Baltimore

March 21, Baltimore - Police continued to investigate Monday after a Comcast worker was fatally shot in east Baltimore. Carlos Williams, 50, died in the Sunday morning shooting. Police said Williams was sitting in his work van, in the 1900 block of Boone Street, when several suspects approached the vehicle just before 6 a.m. Before Williams could close the door, at least one of the suspects opened fire. Williams was hit multiple times.


7-Eleven clerk in Kansas City shot dead during last day on the job

March 17, Kansas City, Missouri - The conscientious convenience store worker followed the script — but the heartless armed thug didn't. A Kansas City 7-Eleven clerk working his final shift was fatally shot by a robber on what was his last shift working for the store, according to The Associated Press, and police have no idea why. Gurpreet Singh, 35, handed over the cash in a bag — and the gunman fired a shot into his abdomen Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.


Contract worker at Dow killed

March 19, Plaquemine, Louisiana — A Dow Chemical Co. contract worker was killed beneath the wheels of a tractor-trailer truck early Friday, Maj. Johnny Blanchard of the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office said Friday. David Montero, 61, of Donaldsonville, was working as a flagman directing an 18-wheeler as it backed down a side street at 1:47 a.m. Friday, Blanchard said. The flagman died instantly when he either tripped or fell beneath the rear wheels of the rig, Blanchard said.


Employee Identified In Fatal Accident At Tulsa's Spirit Aerosystems

March 19, Tulsa, Oklahoma - The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office has identified the Spirit Aerosystems worker who died Friday in an industrial accident outside the company facility at Tulsa International Airport. TCSO says the man was 58-year-old Roger Brooner. The accident happened at about 9 a.m. when Brooner was under the cab of a semi truck working on its air brake system, according to Sergeant Eric Kitch of the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office. "Somehow the truck went mobile and went over the top of him," Kitch said.


Galt Man Killed In Industrial Accident

March 18, Le Grand, California -- The Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating an industrial accident that killed a Galt man. Deputies said 30-year-old Benjamin Novoa was loading large steel pipes on a truck bed when one got loose and knocked him to the ground. After Novoa fell, the pipe rolled off the truck and over him. The accident was reported Thursday on White Rock Road. Officials said Novoa got up, and workers told him to lie down, but his condition got worse. Medics later pronounced him dead at the scene.


Man dies in accident at Lexington landfill

March 18, Lexington, Kentucky - Authorities say a man was killed when he was pinned between two trash bins at a landfill in Lexington. Officials say 27-year-old Jesse Hodges was helping load trash bins for transport Wednesday when the accident happened. Hodges was pronounced dead at University of Kentucky Hospital around 2:40 p.m. He was an employee of Demolition Disposal Services. The company's president, Troy Thompson, estimates that each trash bin weighed more than 1,000 pounds.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Oh.!!I was really sad reading those articles..!!I felt pity for all the American workers who died when they were on duties.!!

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