Monday, November 08, 2010

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

California Police Officer Dies in Shoot Out

November 7, RIVERSIDE, CA - Officer Ryan Bonaminio, a four-year veteran of the department and an Iraq war veteran, was shot by a trucker who the officer had tried to pull over after a hit and run incident. The trucker eventually pulled over in front of nearby Fairmount Park where he got out of the vehicle and fled on foot with Bonaminio running after him. The two engaged in a gunfight and Bonaminio was hit at least once, police said. When other officers arrived at the scene, they found Bonaminio on the ground with a gunshot injury.


School Van Driver Dies in Crash

November 5, MONROEVILLE, PA - 77 year old Russell Bangham died in a crash that also injured two children he was transporting. He had just picked up two sisters when his van struck a barrier on the side of the road, then a light pole near 14th Street, rolling the vehicle twice, Pittsburgh police said. Bangham loved his job and everyone liked him. Bangham's age did not affect his ability to drive, and he was current in meeting state and federal regulations said his boss.


Flagman Killed in Work Zone

November 5, YORK, PA - 85 year old George Waltermyer, a flagman, died as a result of being struck by a vehicle in a work zone. Waltemyer was seriously injured and suffered cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead after being transported to York Hospital.


Fast Food Restaurant Worker Shot During Robbery

November 4, MOBILE, AL - 21 year old Russell Lee Allen was shot and killed during a robbery at the Domino's Pizza. The suspect walked into the store, demanded money and shot Allen. He was taken to USA Medical Center where he later died. Two other fast food robberies occurred on the same night.


Service Worker Aiding Trucker Hit and Killed

November 4, HEBRON, IN - 63 year old Philip Amsden was killed by a drunk driver in a chain reaction crash while helping a trucker who had a flat tire. Amsden parked his truck behind the semi and he was between both vehicles when another driver struck the truck's left rear side, pushing it into the rear of the semi crushing and killing Amsden.


Worker Crushed by Industrial Machine

November 4, ATLANTA, GA - 56 year old John Henry Brown of Marietta died after being trapped under heavy equipment at the Forsyth County Water Treatment Plant off Antioch Road. “He was not operating any machinery,” a sheriff's spokesman said. “He was standing beside some machinery that was operational and it overturned on him.” It is not clear how Brown became trapped under the machinery, which is similar to a forklift.


Truck Driver Dies in Collision at CA Pier

November 4, LONG BEACH, CA - 55 year old Bert Tufele of Carson, a dockworker at Pier A, Port of Long Beach, was killed after his truck collided with another inside a marine terminal. Investigators say Tufele failed to yield to another truck and the force of the collision "caused the the victim to be ejected from his vehicle and under the rear wheels" of his own rig, where he suffered fatal injuries, said Long Beach police Detective Sirilo Garcia.


CHP Cadet Dies After Falling Ill During Training

November 3, SACRAMENTO, CA - 24 year old Randy Atchison of Ceres died Wednesday after falling ill during physical training last week. Atchison was participating in the first physical fitness challenge of the 27-week training but after completing all of the challenges, complained of feeling ill afterward. He was taken by ambulance to Sutter General Hospital and then was transferred Saturday to Sutter Memorial Hospital, where he died at 1:29 a.m. Wednesday.


Man Killed at Recycling Facility

November 3, RALEIGH, NC - 39 year old Simon Martinez, a contract worker for Sonoco Recycling, was killed in an accident involving a forklift. No one witnessed the accident although Martinez had been operating a forklift but "he was not on the forklift when the accident occurred," a company spokesman said. This is the second death at the Sonoco facility in a little more than two months.


Highway Construction Worker Killed

November 3, ELLISVILLE, MS - 46 year old Medgar Evers, a construction crew member working on the site of a highway improvement project, was killed when he was run over by a forklift. It happened Wednesday morning along Interstate20 where crews are rebuilding the bridge over Highway 51. A spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Transportation would only say that the accident is under investigation.


Construction Worker Killed in Wall Collapse

November 3, WEST TRAVERSE, MI - 50 year old Mark Woods of Pellston is dead and another hurt after a wall of a basement area of a cottage they were working on collapsed. The cottage was being renovated by Collie Construction when the wall collapsed, trapping the two men inside. The accident remains under investigation by MIOSHA.


Cleaning Worker Found Dead

November 3, KALAMAZOO, MI - an unidentified 57 year old cleaning man was found dead this morning in a restroom at the Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce. Police said it appears the man was in the process of cleaning when he fell and struck his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene Wednesday.


Farmer Killed After Being Hit by Train

November 2, SMITHS GROVE, KY - 49 year old Jimmy Wilson was killed when the tractor he was driving was struck by a train. According to Warren County Deputy Coroner Harold Sanson, Wilson was pulling a piece of machinery behind his tractor, was talking on his cell phone and might have had the radio on inside his cab as the tractor crossed the railroad tracks at about 10 a.m. Tuesday. “He probably just didn’t hear the train.”


Young Store Clerk Shot and Killed During Robbery Attempt

November 2, OLAR, SC - 19 year old Alicia Dyches was shot and killed at the Tiger Express Convenience Store where she worked. A 20-year-old Bamberg County man has been charged in a fatal robbery attempt that Sheriff Ed Darnell said was caused by pure "meanness." Two other employees who were also shot were taken to the hospital in stable condition.


Machine Operators Killed in Industrial Accident

November 2, CAROL STREAM, IL - 67 year old Otto C. Nowack has died from injuries he suffered when the excavating machine he was operating rolled over on him. Nowack, a hydraulic excavator, was working on a site in Milan. He died of head and chest injuries, the coroner's office said.


Farmer Killed in Tractor Accident

November 2, POLKTON, MI - 75 year old Roger Goeree was killed in an incident involving his farm tractor. Goeree was planning to pump liquid from the spreader when he went to start the tractor around 2 p.m., apparently not realizing it was in gear. The tractor lurched into motion, throwing the man from the side of the tractor and into its path, police said.


Two Northern Regional Jail Employees Killed In Crash

November 1, WEST VIRGINIA - 31 year old Valarie Fortesque of Wheeling, an office assistant for NCC, and 24 year old John Mayfield of New Martinsville, a corrections officer, were on their way to the West Virginia Corrections Academy in Glenville for three weeks when there were killed in an accident. Investigators said Mayfield pulled their vehicle into the path of an oncoming rock truck around 9:52 a.m. A gas line truck was also involved in the crash. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Fortesque was a single mother of a 4-year-old daughter and Mayfield leaves behind a wife and 18-month-old baby.


Young Tow Truck Driver Found Shot Dead Inside Truck

November 1, LINTHICUM, MD - 23 year old Andrew Joyce, a tow truck driver for 2 months, was found dead of a gunshot wound inside his truck in the 500 block of Mosher St. about 2:30 a.m., police said. Police said they located his tow truck in the Upton neighborhood with its bed down, about to load a vehicle. He had been shot once in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, said Detective Kevin Brown. Andrew had been at the site of a tow request, confirmed by the vehicle's global positioning system. But nothing was stolen, and the motive was unclear.


Truck Driver Dies in Crash

November 1, BELLMONT, IL - 47 year old David Locke died Monday afternoon when the Mack Truck he was driving ran off the road, overturned and came to rest in an embankment. Authorities say Locke swerved left to avoid a striking a vehicle in front of him. Locke died as a result of his injuries.


Two Die in Double Vehicle Crash

November 1, WINSOR, IL - 47 year old James W. Painter of Teutopolis, a tractor trailer driver, and 70 year old Harold E. Keck of Mascoutah, the passenger in a Garda Armored Courier truck, were killed when their respective vehicles collided on Illinois 16 about two miles west of Windsor. The Illinois State Police said in a telephone news release that Painter was trapped inside the cab of his truck and died as a result of the fire that engulfed his vehicle upon impact. The ISP said Keck had been wearing his seatbelt, but was ejected from the truck nonetheless.


Firefighter Dies of Heart Attack While on Duty

November 1, TAYLORSVILLE, IN - 39 year old Lt Richard Drake, volunteer firefighter for the German Town Fire Dept, died in the line of duty Monday afternoon of a heart attack. He also worked full time as a corrections corporal with the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office. Drake is survived by his wife and four children.


High School Teacher Kills Himself at School

November 1, LAS VEGAS, NV - 58 year old Michael Vernon Roberts, a science teacher at Western High School, fatally shot himself Monday afternoon, Clark County School District police said. Police were called to the school after school staff heard one gunshot about 2:30 p.m. School was not in session Monday. Sources said Roberts had met with an administrator before he shot himself in the school's outdoor quad. One source said he shot himself in the head. With the exception of law enforcement, it is against district policy for staff and students to bring firearms on campus.


Construction Owner Killed in Roof Collapse

November 1, EPHRATA, PA - 47 year old Kevin J. Sensenig, VP for R.L.Sensenig Construction, was killed Monday when the roof of the Hill School in Pottstown he was working on collapsed. Sensenig was on the roof with other employees showing them what he wanted done during routine maintenance of the building when the roof collapsed and he fell more than 50 feet to the concrete floor below. He was only one not wearing a safety harness. Another worker was pinned in the rubble but is expected to be fine. The other two workers were unharmed.


Worker Killed While on Construction Site

November 1, VALLEY CENTER, CA - 65 year old Dirk Vamoorot died after he was pinned by a large concrete barrier on a job site in Colton. He was working Monday when a K-rail fell off another barrier and pinned him, according to the San Bernardino County sheriff-coroner. He died after being taken to a hospital.


Construction Worker Killed in Trench Collapse

November 1, GREENWICH, CT - 27 year old Eric F. Chincilla of Stamford was killed in a trench collapse on a construction site Monday. In another article it is being reported that a slab of concrete fell and crushed Chincilla in the trench.


Worker Dies After Fall From Roof

November 1, BRADENTON, FL - 41 year old Guillermo Cruz-Osorio died after falling from a roof he was working on and landing on his head, police said. He was found by co-workers about 9:30 in a pool next to the house without a pulse. Police say it appears accidental.


Tractor Overturns and Kills Woman

October 31, WEST UNION, SC - 52 year old Eva Cooper Simmons was operating a farm tractor on Sunday when it flipped backwards and pinned her underneath. She was attempting to drive up an embankment on a mid-sized tractor, but it flipped instead. Simmons a suffered a laceration to the heart due to multiple rib fractures from blunt force chest trauma.


Would Be Robber Kills Attendant in NY

October 31, BRONX, NY - 35 year old Lamine Diop was shot and killed when he refused to give up the cash during a robbery attempt on Sunday. The suspect grabbed a candy bar and then announced the robbery but he fled empty handed. Cops weren’t sure if he was trying to rob the gas station, since its cash register was closed throughout the incident. Diop leaves a wife and two children in Senegal.


Truck Driver Dies After Teen Ignore Stop Sign

October 31, MIDLAND, TX - 39 year old Dominic Caccavale of Scranton, PA was killed Saturday when a 2002 Ford Explorer ran a stop sign and collided with the semi, authorities said. A teen of Midland, ran a stop sign traveling north and collided with the semi, according to a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Public Safety.


DC Officer Killed in Crash

October 30, WASHINGTON, DC - 32 year old Officer Paul Dittamo, who died after a car crash Saturday morning "loved" the job, which he had done for almost a year and a half, his sister said Saturday. Dittamo was responding to a call when the car he was driving crashed into a utility pole about 1:30 a.m. He was pronounced dead at a hospital a half-hour later, police said. The accident is under investigation.


Veteran Fire Lt. Dies on Duty

October 30, DAYTON, OH - 52 year old Fire Lt. Kevin Quinn died Saturday, while on duty at the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center in Miamisburg. The lieutenant, on a 24-hour work shift, died early Saturday after lying down to take a break, on a cot provided for officers required to work long days. The cause of Quinn’s death is unknown at this time.


Restaurant Cook Shot and Killed During Robbery

October 30, BOND HILL, OH - 45 year old Antonio M. Smith, who lived with his grandmother so he could care for her, was shot to death by robbers Saturday night had trouble opening or was unable to open the cash register, a homicide detective said Monday. Two black men wearing masks and armed with handguns entered the restaurant and shot Smith after he failed to open the cash register, police said.


Gas Tanker Overturns, Kills Driver

October 30, AUSTIN, TX - 38 year old Hector Rolondo Garcia of Taylor was killed in a tragic trucking accident in Austin. Garcia was driving his 6,100 gallon gasoline tanker that failed to negotiate a curve on a freeway flyover and flipped on its side. When the truck flipped, the tank ruptured and a fire started, blazing for about two hours. Emergency responders could get to the cab of the truck because of the flames. Garcia leaves behind a wife and three children, among other relatives.


Electric Lineman Killed in Helicopter Crash

October 30, LEAD MINE, WV - 52 year old Gary L. Bland of Georgia, a lineman for PAR Electrical Contractors, died in a helicopter crash. The crash occurred Saturday morning after a crew had finished installing wire for Allegheny's Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line, Doug Colafella said. Three others aboard the helicopter survived.


Accident on Film Set Kills Young Man

October 29, ROANOKE, VA - 26 year old Joe "Buck" Ruggiero of Pen Argyl, PA, known by his colleagues as an outstanding craftsman and genuine friend,died Friday evening following an accident at Explore Park in Roanoke County on the set of a Christian film. was operating a utility vehicle, which roughly resembles a sturdier version of a golf cart, police said. Ruggiero was taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, but authorities offered few additional details.


Taxi Driver Hit and Killed While Changing Tire

October 29, NEW ORLEANS, LA - 19 year old Hariz Alagic had just received his taxi permit in May and was working for American Taxi, was struck and killed while trying to change the tire on his cab. Alagic was parked in the grassy area well off the shoulder of the interstate. New Orleans Police say a 35-year-old man driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck lost control and struck the man.


Man Dies in Fall From Grain Elevator

October 29, SALINA, KS - a 27 year old employee of a Salina company was killed Friday morning when he fell from a grain elevator owned by the Perryton Equity Exchange. He was an employee for Central States Enterprises. It was a tragic accident, and I just don't have information yet on what happened," the company president said. "Our hearts definitely go out to the family and all of the employees who were there." UPDATE: Authorities have identified the victim as Preston M. Tolbert.


Driver Killed When Run Over by His Tow Truck

October 29, BUFORD, GA - 67 year old Julian Baugh of Lula Roger Everett died after being hit by his truck Friday. Police said Baugh was killed when his truck rolled forward after he had exited the vehicle. Police said Baugh fell while trying to hit the brake pedal with his hand. He died at the scene.


Helpful Officer Run Down by Drunk Driver

October 29, SAN ANTONIO, TX - 25 year old Sergio Antillon, a rookie officer, was critically injured October 14 in a wreck moments after stopping to help a stranded motorist. Antillon died Friday at University Hospital after being taken off life support. A suspected drunk driver veered into Antillon, another officer and a stranded motorist which sent the motorist over the guard rail but pinning Antillon against it. The other officer narrowly missed being hit. The female drunk driver was charged Friday with one count of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault.


Driver in Hurry Causes Crash That Killed Deputy

October 29, ALBUQUERQUE, NM - 48 year old Deputy Dean Miera was killed in a head-on crash with a semi-truck Friday morning. Police said a German tourist was in a hurry to return his rental car when he darted out of the Valero gas station and tried to cross four lanes of traffic. He cut off the driver of the semi-truck, who swerved, crossed the median and slammed head-on into Deputy Miera's unmarked car. There is no word on how fast Miera or the semi were going. Sources said Miera's partner was behind him in another car. He rushed to Miera's side and found him unconscious and his legs pinned in the wreckage, but there was nothing he could do. Miera died moments later.


Worker Dies After Fall Through Rooftop Skylight

October 28, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Faustino Lopez, from the central Mexico state of Queratero, died after falling through a rooftop skylight of an ARS warehouse. ARS owner Web Brown said the man worked for a roofing company hired to repair hail damage.


Postal Carrier Murdered While Walking His Route

October 28, CLEVELAND, OH - 53 year old Daniel Kondas was shot and killed as he walked his mail route on Corridon Ave. in Maple Heights Thursday morning. "It was just a random victim, apparently there was a struggle of some sort and the gun went off," said Maple Heights Lt. Tim Love. A 19 year old man has been arrested and charged with aggravated murder.


Roofer Killed While Working on a Home

October 28, FRANKLIN, TN - a 25 year old roofing sub-contractor was working on a home on Orchid Trail in the Sullivan Farms subdivision around 8 a.m. Thursday when he fell to his death. The 25-year-old man has not yet been identified. He worked for A&B Restoration out of Murfreesboro.


Semi Driver Killed in Collision With Train

October 26, WILLISTON, ND - 56 year old David Eastlund was killed in a fiery collision of his semitrailer hauling oil and a cargo train in northwest North Dakota. Authorities have said it appeared Eastlund was trying to cross the tracks and didn't make it. No one on the train was hurt.


New Store Owner Murdered During Robbery

October 20, HOUSTON, TX - 58 year old Sahib Ali Khan, who only 2 months ago purchased a convenience store and was having it remodeled, was stabbed to death during an apparent robbery. A homeless man that frequented the area discovered Khan’s body; he alerted the owners of a Chevron station across the street who called 911.

No comments:

Print Page