Monday, July 05, 2010

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Five Killed in Crash of Air Ambulance in Texas

July 4, ALPINE, TX - Nurses 49 year old Sharon Falkener of Fort Davis and 42 year old Tracy Chambers of Alpine were killed along with 59 year old Ted Caffarel, pilot of an airplane serving as an ambulance when it crashed shortly after taking off from a West Texas airport early Sunday, killing all five people on board, officials said. The air ambulance was transporting a man and his wife en route to Midland when it crashed in a field, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Mr. Caffarel was apparently trying to make an emergency landing in the muddy field when the plane hit a rut, overturned and burned, the public safety agency said.


Business Owner Killed at His Car Shop

July 4, HAWK POINT, MO - 49 year old Jeff Smith,owner of Smitty's Garage was attacked at his business Saturday night. Major Case Squad Detectives are not saying how Smith died, but do believe the attack happened around 11:30 p.m. So far no arrests. Investigators are interviewing witnesses.


Man Dies From Injuries Sustained in Construction Accident

July 4, WAVERLY, IA - 51 year old Larry L. Reisner of Oelwein has died after being injured in a job-related accident last week in Waverly. Reisner was injured Thursday at the site of the new middle school for the Waverly-Shell Rock School District. A brace that was supporting a cast concrete wall struck him in the head, according to earlier reports. Reisner passed away Saturday morning at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, according to information from Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home in Oelwein.


Firefighter Dies in Massive Fire at Egg Farm

July 4, WHARTON, TX - 30 year old Captain Thomas Araguz III, an 11 year veteran with the Wharton Volunteer Fire Department died Saturday after being trapped by falling debris and in a warehouse at the Maxim Egg Farm on FM 442 in Wharton County. Three firefighters became trapped by falling debris and in a warehouse at the egg farm. Two of the firefighters were rescued and transported to the hospital with minor burns and smoke inhalation. Araguz leaves behind family members and two small children.


Harrison Co. Councilman Killed in Farm Accident

July 3, LOUISVILLE, KY - William Nichols has died after being hurt in a farm accident that left him with burns over 80 percent of his body. Lanesville fire chief Anthony Combs says Nichols was driving a forklift on his farm Thursday evening when he ran over a gas can in the driveway. The forklift caught on fire, leaving Nichols with second- and third-degree burns. He was flown to University Hospital in Louisville, but died Friday morning.


Diver Dies Performing Maintenance on Oil Rig

July 3, CHICAGO, IL - an unidentified employee of Veolia Environmental Services of North America, performing maintenance on a client's rig in the Gulf of Mexico, unrelated to the massive oil spill, has died after an underwater accident. The company says the diver was working at a depth of about 250 feet from the company's Normand Clipper vessel when "what might have been an underwater explosion" happened about 11:30 a.m. CDT Friday.


Man Dies After Train Yard Accident

July 2, MERIDIAN, MS - Meosha Keepsake Amerson of Dallas, TX, an employee with Norfolk-Southern Railroad, died early Friday morning in a Meridian hospital from injuries he suffered when a train rolled over him near the area of 45th Avenue and Third Street. Cobler said the accident occurred at about 10:50 p.m. A spokesman with the Railroad Division of the Mississippi Department of Transportation said late Friday afternoon that Amerson was a conductor working with a switching crew when the incident occurred.


Landscaper Dies After Being Hit by Car

July 2, WESTERLY, RI - 39 year old Nelson Tavares of Pawcatuck, CT was struck at about 1:45pm Thursday while landscaping a lawn on Watch Hill Road. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Chief Edward Mello said the driver who struck Tavares, who is 64 years old, apparently suffered a medical condition and was taken to Westerly Hospital for treatment.


MO Woman Killed in Tractor Accident

July 2, POWELL, MO - 42 year old Elizabeth Merriman of Rocky Comfort died after the tractor she was driving went off the side of the road and hit a tree. She was pronounced dead at the scene.


Man Fatally Shot at Troy Gas Station

July 2, TROY, MI - a 33 year old man from Sylvan Lake was shot at his Troy gas station following a dispute with another man, Troy police said. Another employee told police the suspect entered a back room at the station, where the victim was meeting with another person. About 2 minutes later, she said, she heard multiple gunshots. She said the suspect then walked out and told her to call 911. Police said the death was due to a dispute, not a robbery.


Another Massey Energy Miner Dies

July 1, POCAHONTAS, WV - an unidentified electrician working at the Pocahontas Mine in Greenbriar County was killed when he was run over by a shuttle car shortly after 8:30AM Thursday morning. He is the 40th coal miner to die on the job in the United States this year.


Pipeline Worker in FL Killed

July 1, ATMORE, FL - 39 year old Stephen Mark Johnson of Tuscaloosa was killed Thursday afternoon in a pipeline accident. According to Escambia County Sheriff Chief Deputy Mike Lambert, the man was killed when a pipe kicked around and pinned him between that pipe and another section. The closest equipment that could free him was about a quarter of a mile away. Johnson was pronounced deceased at the scene.


Worker Electrocuted in Georgia

July 1, MARTINEZ, GA - 45 year old William Brett Ward of Hoschton, an electrician for Utility Lines Construction Services died today after he was struck in the face by a live wire in front of a Martinez residence. Ward was hit in the forehead by a live wire at about 10:30 a.m. while working on a ground transformer at a home Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins said. “(He) was pulling a wire into it and apparently his head came in contact with the current, and it electrocuted him,” Collins said. was wearing protective gloves and rubber sleeves when the wire hit him, Collins said.


Man Killed in Road Construction Accident

July 1, MARSHALL, TX - an unnamed construction worker was killed Wednesday morning after a driver of a truck inadvertently backed into him. Citing information from a witness at the scene, Marshall Fire Department Battalion Chief David Dean said the victim got caught under the rear of the vehicle after it had attempted to lay down a new line of asphalt. Dean said he could not release the name of the victim, who is from Marshall, because he was unsure if his family had been notified.


Migrant Worker Died in Accident

July 1, SHERMAN TWP, ME - 28 year old Gerardo Perez-Rameriz of Oaxaca, Mexico died Tuesday in a potato field near Shimmel Road and U.S. 12. Police said Perez-Rameriz was walking in the field removing non-potato plants. He came into contact with a section of irrigation equipment that was on and had been actively running for just over an hour. Police believe Perez-Rameriz may have been electrocuted.


Worker Killed at ND Wind Turbine Blade Factory

July 1, GRAND FORKS, ND - 42 year old Joseph Schaff of East Grand Forks, MN died after being pinned between two cranes. Authorities say Schaff was injured Thursday morning at LM Wind Power and taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police say it appears Schaff had been on a lift repairing a piece of equipment when he suffered a "crushing injury" to his upper body.


Man Dies in Paper Mill Accident

June 30, LEWISTON, ID - 35 year old John A. Bergen III died at a Lewiston paper mill, and authorities are investigating whether he fell victim to an industrial accident, a health issue or a combination of the two. He died Wednesday night while working on a paperboard machine at Clearwater Paper Corp. KLEW-TV reports Bergen apparently fell while on the job, struck his head and landed on a conveyor belt that dropped him into a 1,500-gallon pulp vat. “We want to do a thorough investigation so there’s no speculation,” said Matt Van Vleet, a spokesman for Clearwater Paper, adding there was no fire or explosion.


Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks' Ranger Killed in Line of Duty

June 30, PRATT, KS - 32 year old Luke D. Nihart of rural St. George was killed early on Saturday, June 26, in an ATV accident while working at the park. In a related article it describes that Nihart was entering the parking area of a Department of Wildlife and Parks office when his ATV flipped over at approximately 3:20 am. He was transported to Mercy Regional Health Center where he succumbed to his injuries two hours later.


TX DOT Inspector Struck and Killed Along Roadway

June 30, HARRISON CO., TX - 60 year old Tony Overhulz, an inspector for the TX Dept. of Transportation was killed Wednesday when he was hit by a truck at a work site in Harrison County. Overhultz was working on the eastbound lane of Interstate 20 Wednesday morning when a truck hauling paving materials backed over him, highway department officials said.


Siding Worker Killed in Fall

June 30, CHATTANOOGA, TN - 71 year old Joseph Cleveland Wilson died when he fell about 30 feet Wednesday morning while working on New Monumental Baptist Church.


Worker Killed in Train Accident


June 30, AMAZONIA, MO - 52 year old Timothy Conkle was killed on the job when a train hit a dump truck that his him Tuesday afternoon. Conkle was controlling traffic on a railroad that led to the Uehlin Quarry said Sgt. Mark Richardson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. At one point, Mr. Conkle gave the go-ahead to a 1998 Kenworth dump truck when his vision was obstructed by an eastbound train. As the truck was crossing the tracks, a westbound train struck it head-on, causing it to slide and run over Mr. Conkle. The truck came to rest on train tracks, while the train came to a controlled stop about a quarter of a mile away.


Man Killed in Farm Implement Accident

June 30, MARTIN, SD - 20 year old Conner Sell has been identified as the 20-year-old man killed in a farm implement accident on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Chief Everett Little Whiteman of the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety confirmed that Sell was the victim of the farm accident late Monday night. The man had become entangled in a hay baler. Details of the accident were not available, Little Whiteman said.


Man Dies On Tractor, Hit by Train

June 30, CHIPPEWA CO., WI - 40 year old Craig M. Brown of Colfax was killed Tuesday afternoon when a tractor he was driving was struck by a freight train in the town of Howard. Brown was traveling north on 13th Street, just south of County N, in the far western edge of Chippewa County, near the Dunn County line. As he was crossing the railroad tracks, his tractor was hit from the right by a train that was traveling east.


Two Construction Workers Hit and Killed in OK

June 30, YUKON, OK - 48 year old Salvador Hernandez and his 20 year old nephew Jose Hernandez, both of Wichita, KS were killed Wednesday evening when a sport utility vehicle went out of control and struck them along Interstate 40 at Cimarron Road just west of Yukon. An OHP spokesman said a 61 yr old woman of Hinton was driving a small SUV west on I-40 about 6:45 p.m. when the vehicle left the road, traveled 50 yards and into a ditch before striking the workers. The nephew's father also was working in the construction zone and saw the accident.


Scotts Mill Man Dies After Accident With Tractor

June 30, SCOTTS MILL, OR - 67 year old Dennis "Butch" Christensen died Tuesday after he was pinned under his tractor in what appeared to be an accident, officials said. Deputy Todd Bay was told by family members that Christensen had taken a Caterpillar D9 tractor to a remote part of their property to remove a log that was blocking access to a property road. Bay determined that Christensen was apparently trying to pull the log with the tractor when it reared up in a “wheelie” and fell onto him.


One Dead After Two Boats Collide Near Winter Harbor

June 30, WINTER HARBOR, ME - 71 year old Frank Jordan died when he was thrown into the water when his vessel, the Linda Diane, collided with the Master Simon near Pond Island, off the western side of Schoodic Point, according to the Coast Guard. Phil Torrey, captain of Master Simon, and his sternman were able to pull Jordan and his sternman from the water but could not revive Jordan. The Linda Diane sunk where it was struck, in about 85 feet of water, the Coast Guard indicated. According to officials, the collision appears to have happened accidentally as the captains and crewmen were absorbed in tasks on deck and failed to notice that the two boats were approaching each other.


Tehlequah Man Killed in Tractor Accident

June 30, TEHLEQUAH, OK - 73 year old Billy Vincent died today after an accident involving a tractor near the Woodall community north of Zeb in Cherokee County, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported. Vincent was mowing a pasture on private property about 9:45 a.m. when he attempted to push a large tree limb with the tractor's front-end loader, troopers said. The limb recoiled and hit him in the head and neck.


Deadly Construction Accident in Las Vegas

June 29, LAS VEGAS, NV - 34 year old Tobin Talbott of North Las Vegas died Tuesday morning following an accident on the south side of the valley. The accident happened around 6:40 a.m. at Blue Diamond and I-15. The interchanges are being reconstructed in that area. Details of the accident haven’t been released, but the coroner’s office said Talbott died of multiple blunt force injuries from heavy machinery.


Contractor Killed in Work Site Accident

June 29, JEFFERSON, ME - 48 year old Peter Peaslee is dead after a large pine tree fell onto the cab of his excavator. Lt. Michael Murphy of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department said today that Peaslee was killed last Thursday while he was clearing land owned by Michael Cassella. Murphy said Peaslee is a self-employed contractor who was working alone when a pine tree he was attempting to knock down fell back onto the excavator cab. He died at the scene.


Worker Killed in Granger Tree Accident

June 29, GRANGER, IN - 34 year old Shannon Magezi was killed while doing tree work in a Granger neighborhood Monday afternoon, police said. Magezi, an employee of Trees Are Us, was struck in the head by a large tree branch around 4:30 p.m., said St. Joseph County police spokesman Sgt. William Redman in a news release. She had been walking underneath the tree while other workers were cutting off a limb. The limb separated and fell on top of her, Redman said. The company was doing work on trees that were damaged during recent thunderstorms.


Electrocution Kills Comcast Worker in PA

June 29, MARPLE, PA - an unidentified worker was killed after being electrocuted on Sproul Road near Mary Lane and Cedar Grove Road Tuesday afternoon, officials confirmed. Details about the employee, such as age, name and length of service, were not released although officials said the incident occurred around 3 p.m. UPDATE: Police have identified 38 year old John Adams of Broomall as the Comcast worker killed.


Man Killed in Farm Tractor Accident

June 29, LINDSEY, OH - 59 year old Dale Patrick Wagner spent the last minutes of his life in the arms of his brother. They were working in one of Wagner's fields off County Road 106 on Saturday when Wagner's tractor ran over him. His wounds were fatal. Wagner, who owned three farms, had just fueled the tractor and was having trouble with the starter, Hirt said. He used a wire to jump start it. "Dale failed to realize the tractor was in forward gear," he said. "As Dale started the tractor, it lunged forward." He was standing next to the tractor and tried to jump out of the way, Hirt said. His foot, however, was caught by the rear tire, and he was pulled under the machine.


Worker Falls To His Death At Grain Elevator

June 29, WESKAN, KS - 21 year old Brett Spressor died after a grain elevator accident Tuesday afternoon in the town of Weskan. Wallace County Sheriff Larry Townsend says Spressor stepped into a hole on the top of the grain elevator. He fell about 50 feet to his death. He was an employee of the United Plains Ag Co-op, where the accident happened. Spressor leaves behind a 3-week-old child and a wife of one year. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families," said Townsend.


Two Florida Officers Die After Traffic Stop Shooting

June 29, TAMPA,FL - 31 year old Jeffrey Kocab and 31 year old Dave Curtis were shot during an early-morning traffic stop Tuesday. Curtis had pulled over a vehicle and found its male passenger had an outstanding warrant for "minor violations," Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor told reporters Tuesday. Kocab responded to back Curtis up, and "as they put their hands on the suspect, the suspect spun around, pulled a firearm and shot both police officers," she said. Kocab's wife is due to give birth next week, while Curtis leaves behind his wife and four sons, ages 9, 6, 5 and 8 months.


Construction Worker Crushed Under Soil Compactor

June 29, ROCHESTER, MN - 35 year old Philip Soukup died Monday afternoon, after he was pinned under a soil compacter that tipped over at a work site on East Circle Drive Northeast in Rochester, near Mayo Clinic's northeast clinic. Workers said the victim had been operating a soil compactor construction vehicle when one of the wheels went down a partial embankment and rolled, throwing Soukup underneath the vehicle. Before first responders arrived, workers used a tractor equipped with a backhoe to lift the soil compactor off the man, Police Lt. Casey Moilanen said.


Semi Driver Killed When Truck Falls Off Bridge Overpass

June 29, GRAND RAPIDS, MI - 40 year old Samuel Mustafa Kofi of St. Paul, MN was killed Monday when his truck fell off the overpass ramp from southbound U.S. 131 to westbound I-196. Michigan State Police say the truck was making the turn onto westbound I-196 when it went over the side, falling onto a grassy space along Turner Ave. NW, across from the Union Square condominiums. Police say the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. They believe he was ejected from the cab of the truck as it went over the side of the overpass, then was hit by the cab when it fell to the ground.


Worker Killed at IL Printing Plant

June 29, CAROL STREAM, IL - Jorge Espinoza of Addison was killed early Saturday morning after being crushed by a load of paper at Berlin Industries in Carol Stream. Upon arrival, Don Lay said fire personnel found Espinosa’s upper body was partially trapped under a large load of paper and could not be freed because of the compactness of the paper and the weight of the load. The portion of Espinosa that was not trapped was examined by paramedics and determined to be non-responsive, with no vital signs.


Taxi Driver Stabbed to Death

June 28, SHREVEPORT, LA - 51 year old Timothy Guyton was stabbed to death today during an attack by another man in Shreveport. Shreveport police said they got a call about 2:45 a.m. that a man was beating another person in an Action Taxi on Phoenix Street. Patrol officers arrived to find the taxi and the victim on nearby Holcomb Street, which is off North Hearne Avenue. Guyton had been stabbed repeatedly, police said. Police are looking for the suspect.


Woman Found Dead in Realty Office

June 28, PHOENIX, AZ - 50 year old Blanca Acevedo was found dead inside a burned out real estate office Sunday. Phoenix Police are treating the discovery as a homicide. Several people driving in the area at about 5 p.m. Sunday noticed smoke coming from a single-story house, which had been converted into the office of Nu-Way Realty. Firefighters vented the roof and attacked the flames, and later discovered a woman in the midst of the heavy smoke. They pulled her out of the building, but paramedics said she could not be revived. A medical examiner will determine how the woman died.


Worker Dies Following Fall From Roof

June 28, ABILENE, TX - 47 year old Ricky Kite, a long time employee with Smith Roofing, died Sunday in an Abilene hospital after he fell off the roof Thursday of the old Montgomery Ward building. Kite was doing roofing work on the building on Center Avenue when he fell, Marion Smith of Smith Roofing said.


IDOT Worker Collapses on Bishop Ford Freeway

June 28, CHICAGO, IL - 68 year old Clifton Jones of Blue Island was found inside a vehicle near South Holland on the Bishop Ford Freeway after possibly suffering a heart attack and he died shortly afterward Monday morning. About 9 a.m. troopers responded to the northbound I-94 and found an IDOT worker who had pulled over after he possibly suffered a heart attack, according to Illinois State Police District Chicago Master Sgt. Joe Donley.


Port Truck Driver Death is Oakland Homicide

June 28, OAKLAND, CA - 58 year old Jie Tao Liu of San Jose, CA was found unconscious Thursday on a busy street at the Port of Oakland. An autopsy Monday determined that Liu died of blunt force trauma to the head, but investigators still are trying to learn more about how Liu sustained his injuries, Sgt. Alex Perez said. "It appears he may have been involved in some kind of confrontation with another driver, but we are not sure over what," Perez said. "It might have been a minor accident." Liu was an owner-operator of his own truck, which he used to haul cargo to and from the port.


Cab Driver Shot and Killed in NJ

June 27, ELIZABETH, NJ - 58 year old Mohammad Younus was shot to death in his vehicle and another person inside was wounded on Saturday night, the Union County Prosecutor's office said today. Younus was shot at 9:08 p.m., at the corner of 3rd and Pine streets, in a residential neighborhood, the prosecutor's office said. He died at the scene. Younus would have turned 59 day. The Union County Homicide Task Force is investigating the shooting.


CHP Officer Killed in Paso Robles

June 27, PASO ROBLES, CA - 47 year old Brett Oswald was killed Sunday evening in Paso Robles, Calif., less than 24 hours after a CHP officer was killed while on duty in Barstow, officials said. Officer Oswald was hit by a car after responding to a report at 5:47 p.m. of an abandoned vehicle blocking River Road near Spanish Camp Road. He was waiting for a tow truck to remove the vehicle when a Toyota Corolla sped around a curve at a high rate of speed and collided with his cruiser, said CHP Officer Mike Muell. Oswald was thrown into the air and landed on the Corolla. He was taken to Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton, where he was pronounced dead at 8:30 p.m.


Carnival Worker Dies After Being Crushed by Ferris Wheel

June 27, WEST VALLEY CITY, UT - 41 year old Carl Nutsch of Pocotello, ID was working a carnival when he was pinned between a cross beam and the drive wheels of the Ferris wheel about 12:30 a.m. Monday. He was working a weekend carnival in West Valley City, UT.


Idaho Man Dies in Logging Accident

June 25, LEWISTON, ID - 62 year old Leonard C. Barton of Stites has died from injuries suffered in a logging accident. Nez Perce County officials say Barton suffered numerous injuries Wednesday afternoon in an accident near Waha Road south of Lewiston. He was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, where he later died. Nez Perce County officials did not say how Barton was fatally injured.


Arkansas Man Dies in Louisiana Truck Accident

June 25, BOSSIER, LA - 41 year old Gregory McWilliams of Magnolia, AR died after losing control of the dump truck he was driving in Bossier Parish. State police tells The Times that McWilliams was driving a truck loaded with gravel north on La. Highway 157 Thursday when the truck ran off the right side of the road. McWilliams apparently overcorrected, causing the truck to start sliding. Troopers say the gravel shifted and the truck rolled onto the passenger side, hit a bridge guard rail and slid off the side of the road before stopping in a ditch.


Man Killed in Jefferson County Industrial Accident

June 14, JEFFERSON COUNTY, AL - 43 year old Mark Allen Jackson of West Blocton was supervising the loading of 5,000-pound pipes onto a flat bed trailer when one of them rolled off the bed and onto him, said Jefferson County sheriff's Chief Deputy Randy Christian.

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