CHP Officer Struck and Killed During Traffic Stop
June 27, BARSTOW, CA - 28 year old CHP Officer Justin McGrory was struck and killed Sunday when a car veered onto the shoulder of the freeway during a traffic stop in San Bernardino County, authorities said. The incident happened about 3:40 a.m. when two officers stopped a vehicle for speeding on the northbound 15 Freeway in Barstow, CHP Officer Mario Lopez said. A 2009 Pontiac G6 traveling north clipped the right rear of the patrol car and struck Officer Justin McGrory. He was airlifted to a hospital where he died of his injuries.
Firefighter Dies From Heart Attack During Storm Clean Up
June 27, MACON, GA - 42 year old Jay C. Brown died from an acute heart attack Sunday night while trying to clean up from the severe weather that rolled through the area. The fire department was called out to cut down and remove trees that fell during the storms on Friendship UMC Road, that's in the Gresston area. Dodge County Coroner Joe Smith says Brown was chief of the Gresston Volunteer Community Fire Department. It's part of the Dodge County Fire Association.
Pilot That Pulls Salt Lake Bees Banner Killed in Crash
June 27, WEST JORDAN, UT - 34 year old Quinn Mark Falk of Cottonwood Heights died when his plane crashed after taking off about 5 p.m., West Jordan Police Department Capt. Dan Gallagher said. Witnesses who saw the crash told police they saw the plane take off and do a quick loop around the airport as attendants laid out the Bees banner advertising the team. The plane flew low and hooked the banner. It began to climb, but the banner dragged along the ground as witnesses heard the engine begin to lose power, Gallagher said. Falk released the banner, but the plane could not continue its ascent and nose dived into the ground. Witnesses began running toward the plane when it burst into flames. When fire crews arrived, the plane was completely engulfed, Gallagher said.
MS Fire Captain Suffers Heart Attack on Duty
June 26, CLINTON, MS - 54 year old Captain John Thurman died from a heart attack after exercising while on duty, investigators found. Thurman was jogging alone on a paved trail behind his fire station as part of his fire department's physical fitness program when he collapsed, a NIOSH report released Thursday said. A civilian called 911 after finding him lying on the trail, unresponsive and not breathing. Firefighters initiated began CPR, but he died en route to a local hospital.
Man Dies Setting Up Motocross Camera
June 26, MORRISON, CO - 57 year old Stuart Keene of Lakewood died from a fall while setting up a camera for a nationally televised Motocross event. Keene of Lakewood fell about 20 feet Friday afternoon. He was setting up a video camera at Thunder Valley Motocross in Morrison.
Lowell Man Dies When Trapped Under Tractor
June 26, LOWELL, MI - 78 year old Ivan Blough died when he became trapped under his tractor which had rolled on a hill. "He was on a bank and he was trying to come up the hill and the tractor rolled over and rolled on top of him," Kent County Sheriff's Sgt. Eric Rakow told 24 Hour News 8. Blough had volunteered for the Boy Scouts since at least 1958, said Troop 102 Committee Member Dirk Ritzema. His two sons were Eagle Scouts. He had mowed the lawn every summer for the last 30 years.
Subway Worker Crushed to Death in NY
June 26, BROOKLYN, NY - Richard Lang of New Jersey was killed in a gruesome accident in Brooklyn Friday morning. He was crushed to death while unloading heavy material from a truck, police said. Lang, a truck driver, was unloading a haul of subway panels at the Avenue M station in Midwood shortly after 8 a.m. when the load suddenly shifted and fell on top of him, police and NYC Transit officials said. Lang was an employee of Preferred Transit Inc., a trucking company with a base in Whitehouse, N.J.
Farmer Dies When Tractor Rolls Into Creek
June 25, ROSALIA, WA - 73 year old Robert Clausen died when his tractor rolled into a creek east of Rosalia near the Spokane and Whitman County line Thursday. Deputies say Robert Clausen was spraying crops with the tractor in a field near the 1500 block of Waterman Road Thursday evening. Investigators say the tractor rolled when it got too close to the bank of the creek. Firefighters say Clausen was already deceased when they arrived at the accident scene just after 9:00 p.m.
Employee of CA Marijuana Dispensery Killed
June 25, HOLLYWOOD, CA - an un-named worker at a CA Marijuana Dispensary was killed Thursday night during an apparent robbery, Los Angeles police reported, according to MyFoxAtlanta.com. "It is a homicide," said LAPD Officer Karen Rayner. "It appears to be a robbery." UPDATE: The worker killed during a robbery attempt has been identified as 27 year old Matthew Benjamin Butcher.
U.S. Helicopter Pilot Dies From Crash in Malaysia
June 25, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - 51 year old William Charles Scott of Meridian, MS, helicopter pilot from the United States, has died in a crash. The helicopter was used to transport timber in a remote Malaysian rain forest on Borneo island. The helicopter went down Friday in a logging zone in Malaysia's eastern Sarawak state. The helicopter was operated by the Malaysian subsidiary of Portland, Oregon-based Erickson Air-Crane Inc., which harvests timber for Malaysian loggers in Borneo.
Lightning Strike Kills TX Coastal Crabber
June 24, DALLAS, TX - 30 year old Charles Franklin Weaver, Jr. of Liberty is dead after lightning struck the boat from which he and another man were working on the Intracoastal Waterway. A Chambers County Sheriff's Office statement says Weaver Jr. was dead at the scene of the lightning strike, while 47-year-old Jerry Duff, also of Liberty, was airlifted to a Houston hospital. His injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, according to the statement. The incident happened about 9:30 a.m. Thursday as Weaver and Duff were crabbing in the canal near the Texas 124 bridge. A passing tugboat contacted authorities.
VT Man Dies in Farm Tractor Accident
June 24, E. MONTPELIER, VT - 56 year old Bruce Butler of E. Montpelier was brush hogging a field on his property on Blazier Road over the weekend when the tractor became stuck on a rock. Butler tried to jack up the tractor to free it, but it rolled on top of him. "The report came in on Monday, stating that he had not shown up for work, and it was out of character for Mr. Butler, so they had called the Vermont State Police to do a welfare check," explained Sgt. Tara Thomas of the Vt. State Police. "We reported to his residence Monday afternoon. It is believed Mr. Butler was deceased for a day, day and a half from when we conducted the welfare check." The medical examiner ruled Butler suffocated after the tractor fell on him.
Saddle Bronc Rider Dies at Jackson Hole Rodeo
June 24, CHEYENNE, WY - 20 year old Nicolas Gillett of Cody died from a skull fracture when his spur became tangled in his stirrup after he came out of the gate during the Jackson Hole Rodeo. Jackson police Lt. Bob Gilliam said Gillett's left spur got caught on his saddle after he came out of the gate. "The horse drug him for a while... and, according to one of the witnesses, may have stepped on him," Gilliam said. "The victim came free of the horse, and the horse rolled over the right side and crushed him; that's my understanding of what happened."
PA Firefighter Dies From Heart Attack
June 24, WESTOVER, PA - 41 year old Roy Everett Westover of Westover died of a heart attack after returning a hose to a fire truck. Westover complained of a headache, tightness in his chest and shortness of breath just before he became semiconscious, a NIOSH report released Wednesday said. The ambulance crew on scene found him to be sweating heavily and carried him to the ambulance for transport to a local hospital, where he died.
Worker Killed Installing A/C Unit
June 24, CARROLLTON, GA - 31 year old Matthew Hughes of Tallapoosa was killed and another injured Thursday morning while placing an air conditioning unit in the attic of a home on Canterbury Drive in Carrollton. Hughes received an electrical shock while performing wiring work on the unit at about 9:30 a.m. Hughes reportedly dropped the torch he had and set some insulation on fire. Thompson said Alan Best of Carrollton suffered burns on his bare hands while trying to help Hughes, whose clothing caught on fire. Best put the fire out and gave Hughes CPR. Both were taken to Tanner Medical Center where Hughes was pronounced dead. The exact cause of death is yet to be determined.
Fire District Chief Killed in Accident
June 24, TRI-CITIES, WA - North Franklin Fire District 4 Chief Chet Bauermeister of Basin City was fatally injured when an ATV flipped backward on a steep slope. The Franklin County sheriff's office says another firefighter riding with Bauermeister was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The wildfire in the Wahluke Slope area near the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge was controlled Wednesday night.
Kentucky Coal Miner Dies In Underground Accident
June 24, FRANKFORT, KY - 29 year old Bobby L. Smith of Vicco was killed at James River Coal's Leeco 68 mine at Jeff in Perry County near Hazard. Details of the accident were not immediately released. Smith, who operated a machine used to dislodge coal inside the mine, was pronounced dead at a Hazard hospital. State inspectors were notified at about 1:30 p.m. EDT. This is the second fatality in as many weeks and fifth in the state this year.
Two Dead After TX Grain Elevator Collapse
June 24, RUSSELL, TX - 21 year old Max Greve of Hays and 19 year old Sean Banks of Russell were killed Thursday when part of a grain elevator collapsed on them. Two tubes -- silos of the elevator -- filled with grain, went down in what officials are calling a structural collapse. Greve and Hays, who were unloading a semitrailer, were buried in the grain. Their bodies were recovered shortly before 5 p.m. The collapse of the AgCo elevator happened just after 2 o'clock.
Two Concrete Workers Killed in Boom Collapse
June 24, LEWISTON, TX - Two workers for a Fort Worth-area company were killed and two others were injured early Thursday when the boom from their concrete pumping truck collapsed on them in Lewisville. 34 year old Gerardo Horta of Dallas died in the accident, the name of the other worker who died was unavailable Thursday afternoon. "It appears the boom from a concrete pumping truck had some type of failure, which caused it to collapse," Leggett said. The boom collapsed about 5 a.m. at 940 Lakeside Circle, where a park-and-ride lot for a new commuter-bus and rail-line project is being built. It is on the south side of the city. UPDATE: Officials have identified the 2nd person killed as 41 year old Rafael Ruiz-Garcia of Denton, TX.
Botanist Killed By Grizzly in Yellowstone Park
June 24, YELLOWSTONE, WY - 70 year old Erwin Evert of Oak Park, IL was killed by a grizzly after entering an area on the Shoshone National Forest that was officially posted as "closed" while bears were being trapped and tranquilized. Evert was killed on June 17th by a grizzly that had been tranquilized and released just hours before his death. The incident occurred about 10 miles from the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Evert was a prominent botanist. His primary residence was in Oak Park, IL, where he was a research associate with the Morton Arboretum. Evert spent decades at a summer cabin on Kitty Creek near Wapiti, WY. He recently published a 750-page magnum opus on "Vascular Flora of the Greater Yellowstone Area."
Young Worker Dies in Farm Equipment Accident
June 24, GREENWICH TWP, PA - 18 year old John Richard Smith of Lenhartsville was pronounced dead by the Berks County Coroner’s Office after a reported farming equipment accident. Smith died Wednesday night when he was sucked into a hay baler at a farm on Dunkels Church Road in Greenwich Township, according to the Berks County coroner's office.
Man Dies in Farm Accident
June 24, DEKALB CO., AL - 25 year old Christopher George Bertram of Fyffe died Wednesday in an accident while working on a seed farm near Collinsville. Bertram worked at Murphree Seed Farm and was in the bucket of a vehicle, cutting limbs. The bucket was extended about 30 feet in the air and the vehicle was on a slight hill when it turned over, with Bertram still in the bucket, Wilson said.
Charter Captain Working Oil Spill Kills Self
June 23, FORT MORGAN, AL - 55 year old William Allen "Rookie" Kruse of Orange Beach, AL was found dead on the flying bridge of his boat, The Rookie, at the dock at Fort Morgan Marina just before 7 a.m., Baldwin County Deputy Coroner Rod Steade said. Kruse, a charter boat captain, shot and killed himself this morning just before his vessel was scheduled to set out to take part in oil cleanup and protection efforts, investigators said. "He had just let his deckhands off the boat and sent them to get something," Steade said. Baldwin County Coroner Stan Vinson said witnesses told investigators that Kruse had been upset about the loss of business caused by the closing of fishing grounds and public perceptions of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Man Dies From Injuries Suffered in June 5 Accident
June 23, SAN JOSE, CA - 51 year old Jose Herrara has died after being severely injured in an electrical accident in Orinda this month, Santa Clara County officials said. Herrera suffered second and third-degree burns over most of his body when the cherry picker he and another worker were using came into contact with high-voltage electrical lines the morning of June 5. He was an employee of the Santa Clara-based Delta Window Cleaning.
Owner of Junkyard Found Dead
June 23, LINCOLNTON, NC - 67 year old Dan Mullinax, owner of a local junkyard, was found dead inside the building. A fire started at a junkyard on Highway 150 just after 5:30 p.m. A driver called for help after spotting smoke and Mullinax was found inside. Investigators haven’t said how Mullinax died or what caused the fire. They also have not discussed a potential motive in Mullinax’s death.
Maintenance Worker Killed in Explosion
June 23, BRONX, NY - 38 year old Joseph McLendon died Tuesday after the barbecue grill he was cleaning exploded outside a Bronx senior center in a huge blast that blew out nearby windows. Fire officials said McLendon used the wrong kind of cleaning agents on the grill, setting off a giant chemical explosion. "It was a large barbecue grill, but he must have been using other ingredients to clean the grill - solvents that interacted with the propane," said Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Scanlon.
CHP Officer Dies After Being Struck by Car June 9
June 23, LOS ANGELES, CA - 48 year old CHP Officer Philip Ortiz died Tuesday, about two weeks after being struck by a vehicle as he issued a ticket on the shoulder of the 405 Freeway. On June 9, he was issuing a ticket on the shoulder of the northbound 405 (San Diego Freeway), south of National Boulevard in West LA. Officers said several witnesses reported that an Infiniti driver was passing vehicles on the shoulder before striking the officer. Emergency crews worked to free Ortiz, who was pinned in the wreckage. He was transported to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in critical condition. CHP officials said he died Tuesday afternoon.
Man Killed When Equipment Falls on Him
June 23, GARDEN CITY, KS - 21 year old Jeffery Schiffer died Tuesday afternoon after a front-end loader fell on him at Plymell Dairy, 10550 S. Road 14, in Finney County. Schiffer, an employee of Garden City Tire Center was changing tires on the front-end loader, which was raised on jacks, when the loader slipped off and fell on him, according to Finney County Sheriff Kevin Bascue.
Florida Keys Officer Killed in Single Car Crash
June 23, KEY LARGO, FL - 36 year old Deputy Melissa Powers was killed in a single car accident in Key Largo Tuesday night. She is survived by two children, and her husband who is a Detective with the Homestead Police department.
Man Dies Following Construction Accident
June 22, ST.THOMAS, V.I. - 29 year old Ashorne Daniel has died after being struck by a car June 17th. Daniel was working as a flag man at a construction site on Brookman Road in the area of Estate Charlotte Amalie when he was struck by a tan Camry driven by a 53 year old man.
Man Killed in Logging Truck Accident
June 22, SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA - 35 year old Bradley B. Pederson of Burlington was killed in a logging accident Tuesday near Sedro-Woolley. A 25-year-old Sedro-Woolley man was driving a large truck with a 40-foot trailer down a logging road off of Cokedale Road just after 8 a.m. when the accident occurred. Pederson was standing on the running board outside of the truck, said State Patrol Trooper Keith Leary. Pederson was riding on the driver’s side of the truck to learn how to navigate the corner of the road. When the truck went around a corner to the right, it rolled onto its left side, Leary said, crushing the man.
Worker Found Dead On Roof
June 22, NEW HAVEN, CT - an unidentified worker was found dead on the roof of a Carriage House at Edgerton Park in the city’s East Rock neighborhood Monday. The man had been working on a flat-roofed section of the Carriage House, which is located near the stables in the western section of the 22-acre park. Police did not say whether he was a city employee or a private contractor.
Walmart Employee Dies After Being Injured
June 22, FORT WORTH, TX - Bruce Florence has died after trying to stop a shoplifting incident. About 2 p.m. June 14, Florence, working in the lawn and garden department, spotted a man carrying a 26-inch Vizio television and heading toward the exit. Florence stepped in front of the man, but he barreled right over him, dropping the TV in the process, Westworth Village police Detective John Moore said. Florence was hospitalized with a head injury until he died on Father's Day.
Gold Miner Killed in Drilling Accident
June 20, FAIRBANKS, AK - 20 year old Jacob Ryan Branham of Nevada was killed early Monday morning after his clothing was caught in a piece of equipment, according to the Alaska State Troopers. Branham was working at Livengood gold mine near Fairbanks. At about 5:40 a.m. Monday morning he suffered a possible broken neck after his clothes were caught in a large drill used for drilling into the ground, according to trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters. A spokeswoman for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, Amy Louviere, said an inspector who visited the mine Tuesday verified that the accident took place during exploratory drilling at an abandoned mine.
Firefighter Dies of Apparent Heart Attack
June 22, OSWEGO, NY - 46 year old Scott W. Davis died Sunday after completing several emergency responses. Davis, 46, had completed a tour of duty on Saturday when he became ill, according to the USFA. He died the following day due to an apparent heart attack.
Contractor Killed At North Carolina Army Post
June 22, FORT BRAGG, NC - a contractor has been killed and two other men have been injured in a live-fire training accident at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Post spokesman Tom McCollum says the accident happened Tuesday afternoon on a weapons range during an exercise involving small arms. He didn't have any other details and says the accident is under investigation. Two of those struck were civilian contractors for Echota Technologies, a defense contractor based in Alcoa, Tenn. UPDATE: The contractor killed has been identified as 57 year old Edward Jenkins.
Three Die in Plane Crash
June 22, LOCK HAVEN, PA - 29 year old Dan Snider of Pentress, W VA and 46 year old Rodney Whiteman of Morgantown, W VA, employees of the US Forest Service died in a plane crash. Also dead is the pilot, Patrick Jessup of New York. Snider and Whiteman worked for the Forest Health Program of the Northeastern Area and were conducting an aerial pest detection survey, the Forest Service said. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane went down Monday as it approached William Piper Memorial Airport. The Cessna 210 struck a house, a utility pole and several vehicles and ended up in the street, but no injuries were reported on the ground.
Deputy Killed in Car Accident
June 22, TWIGGS, GA - 27 year old Deputy Richard L. Daniels was killed in an accident early Tuesday morning. Daniels had just made an overnight security check at Reece Funeral Home when he headed east down U.S. 80 to do to the same at some churches. On a dark, lonely stretch of road that time of morning, he apparently never saw what hit him. A huge oak toppled over at mile marker 6. The impact on the 55 mph highway killed him instantly and tore the roof off his patrol car. It kept going another 271 feet after clipping the tree trunk that was suspended off the ground.
Man Dies After Farm Tractor Rolls On Him
June 22, CAMBRIDGE TWP, MI - 77 year old Charles Austin Brighton died Sunday after a tractor he was operating on his property overturned and rolled on top of him. According to a report released today by the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department, Brighton was operating a 1974 Ford tractor and baling hay at 6:30 p.m. on his property in the 9000 block of U.S. 12 when the weight shifted on the baler, causing the tractor to overturn. Brighton was thrown from the tractor, which then rolled over onto him. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Lenawee County medical examiners.
Man Dies in Tractor Trailer Wreck and Fire
June 22, WHEATLAND, NY - 49 year old Freddie R. Hatfield of Decatur, AL died after his semi truck, carrying construction materials for Crete Carriers, veered off the roadway and crashed. State Police Capt. Michael Nigrelli said it appeared the tractor-trailer was weaving on the Thruway this morning, just before it veered off the right shoulder into a wooded area about 50 feet from the highway, near Winslow Road. The rig then burst into flames from a ruptured fuel line.
Fort Drum Civilian Worker Dead
June 22, FORT DRUM, NY - Timothy Clermont, who worked for Drum's 'Department of Logistics,' died, according to a statement from Drum's press office. Clement was discovered between a fence and the lawn tractor he was operating. There were deep tire marks in the ground and a hole in the chain link fence. The incident, which occurred on Camp Hale Road just before 8 a.m., is under investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.
AZ Mine Employee Dies in Wreck
June 22, FLORENCE, AZ - 52 year old Thomas E. Benavidez was killed and another seriously injured Sunday when a 240-ton hauling truck ran over their pickup at the Asarco LLC Ray mine east of Florence, according to preliminary accident reports. It appears that Benavidez and another mechanic, William Hyde, pulled in front of the large hauling truck, and the driver of the hauling truck could not see their pickup, Evans said. "These haul trucks are literally two to three stories tall," Evans said. "They have blind spots. The pickup was broadsided and the haul truck rolled over the pickup with the two employees inside."
Worker Dies From Possible Refrigerant Leak
June 21, MONTGOMERY, AL - 22 year old Nicholas Burdette of Millbrook was found dead at the Montgomery Eastdale Mall. Officers had blocked off every entrance of the mall, while the Montgomery Fire Department's HAZMAT team tried to find the source of an R-22 refrigerant leak near the mall's ice skating rink. Lt. Mark Drinkard, a spokesman for the Montgomery Police Department, says the fire department received a call Sunday morning about the leak, and police received a call reporting a man was dead. Drinkard says Burdette apparently was performing janitorial services when he died.
TX Police Officer Killed in Shoot Out
June 21, LANCASTER, TX - 37 year old Officer Craig Shaw died after being shot in the line of duty. Shaw responded about 6 p.m. Sunday to a report of a domestic disturbance that was upgraded to shots fired, police said. "At some point the shooter was confronted, there was an exchange of gunfire, at some point Officer Shaw was shot," Lancaster Police Chief Keith Humphrey said during a Monday morning news conference. "There was an additional exchange of gunfire, at some point the shooter was killed." Humphrey said it was the first time an officer in his department had been fatally shot in the line of duty. He identified the slain lawman as Officer Craig Shaw, 37, who had been with the department for five years. Shaw was married with a 13-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son.
Police Employee Dies In The Line Of Duty
July 21, MANASSAS, VA - 60 year old Donald E. Reid, a civilian employee supply manager of the Prince William County police department died in the line of duty Friday. Reid died of an apparent heart attack while responding to a gas leak in the Manassas area Friday, police officials said Monday. Friday afternoon, police officers responded to the intersection of Sudley Road and Sudley Manor Drive to direct traffic around a large gas leak, which closed roads in the area for hours. At about 7 p.m., Reid was delivering water and other supplies to those officers, when he pulled his car over to the side of the road, in “apparent medical distress,” police said. A Virginia State trooper saw the stopped car, checked on Reid and called an ambulance. Reid was taken to Prince William Hospital, where he died later Friday night.
Farmer Killed In Tractor Accident
June 21, FAY, OK - 84 year old Cleo Leon Shifflet died of massive injuries as he was undergoing surgery at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Troopers say the accident occurred about 8 a.m. as Shifflett was standing on the ground in front of the tractor's rear wheels, trying to start the vehicle. The patrol says the tractor was in gear and ran over Shifflett when it started.
New Sewickley Trucker Killed as Rig Flips
July 21, NEW SEWICKLEY, PA - 72 year old John S. Fuse of New Sewickley Township was killed Saturday when the tractor-trailer he was driving near Meadville flipped onto its side and crushed the truck cab. The crash occurred around 10:30 a.m. as Fuse, driving north on Interstate 79 with a fully loaded trailer, failed to negotiate a turn on an exit ramp in Vernon Township, Crawford County. The truck flipped onto its side, crushing the cab.
CA Man Dies in Fiery Truck Crash in Nevada When Runaway Truck Ramp Fails
June 21, SAN DIEGO, CA - 41 year old Fredrick Matthews of San Diego died after the 18-wheeler he was driving in Nevada was going more than 100 miles per hour when it went airborne, slammed into a home and burst into flames. Witnesses said the 41-year-old was hauling a load of lumber while driving at least 100 miles per hour. He went into a runaway truck ramp, which should have slowed him down, but his sister said it did not. The gravel and steep incline of the runaway truck ramp was designed for this very problem. Nevada’s highway patrol said it is investigating why the ramp failed to stop the big rig and will also check the truck’s maintenance records.
Truck Kills TX Road Worker
June 21, PORT ARTHUR, TX - Santos Granja was killed when a tractor trailer truck slammed into a road construction convoy. The crash happened just before 10:30 p.m. on Texas 73 westbound about 8 miles west of Port Arthur. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the road crew was painting lane stripes and laying down reflective markers when the truck slammed into all three vehicles of the convoy. Granja (GRAHN'-hah), who was on the trailer of one vehicle, was killed. Four others were taken to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont. The crew worked for Crabtree Barricade Systems, Inc., which was striping the highway for the Texas Department of Transportation.
June 27, BARSTOW, CA - 28 year old CHP Officer Justin McGrory was struck and killed Sunday when a car veered onto the shoulder of the freeway during a traffic stop in San Bernardino County, authorities said. The incident happened about 3:40 a.m. when two officers stopped a vehicle for speeding on the northbound 15 Freeway in Barstow, CHP Officer Mario Lopez said. A 2009 Pontiac G6 traveling north clipped the right rear of the patrol car and struck Officer Justin McGrory. He was airlifted to a hospital where he died of his injuries.
Firefighter Dies From Heart Attack During Storm Clean Up
June 27, MACON, GA - 42 year old Jay C. Brown died from an acute heart attack Sunday night while trying to clean up from the severe weather that rolled through the area. The fire department was called out to cut down and remove trees that fell during the storms on Friendship UMC Road, that's in the Gresston area. Dodge County Coroner Joe Smith says Brown was chief of the Gresston Volunteer Community Fire Department. It's part of the Dodge County Fire Association.
Pilot That Pulls Salt Lake Bees Banner Killed in Crash
June 27, WEST JORDAN, UT - 34 year old Quinn Mark Falk of Cottonwood Heights died when his plane crashed after taking off about 5 p.m., West Jordan Police Department Capt. Dan Gallagher said. Witnesses who saw the crash told police they saw the plane take off and do a quick loop around the airport as attendants laid out the Bees banner advertising the team. The plane flew low and hooked the banner. It began to climb, but the banner dragged along the ground as witnesses heard the engine begin to lose power, Gallagher said. Falk released the banner, but the plane could not continue its ascent and nose dived into the ground. Witnesses began running toward the plane when it burst into flames. When fire crews arrived, the plane was completely engulfed, Gallagher said.
MS Fire Captain Suffers Heart Attack on Duty
June 26, CLINTON, MS - 54 year old Captain John Thurman died from a heart attack after exercising while on duty, investigators found. Thurman was jogging alone on a paved trail behind his fire station as part of his fire department's physical fitness program when he collapsed, a NIOSH report released Thursday said. A civilian called 911 after finding him lying on the trail, unresponsive and not breathing. Firefighters initiated began CPR, but he died en route to a local hospital.
Man Dies Setting Up Motocross Camera
June 26, MORRISON, CO - 57 year old Stuart Keene of Lakewood died from a fall while setting up a camera for a nationally televised Motocross event. Keene of Lakewood fell about 20 feet Friday afternoon. He was setting up a video camera at Thunder Valley Motocross in Morrison.
Lowell Man Dies When Trapped Under Tractor
June 26, LOWELL, MI - 78 year old Ivan Blough died when he became trapped under his tractor which had rolled on a hill. "He was on a bank and he was trying to come up the hill and the tractor rolled over and rolled on top of him," Kent County Sheriff's Sgt. Eric Rakow told 24 Hour News 8. Blough had volunteered for the Boy Scouts since at least 1958, said Troop 102 Committee Member Dirk Ritzema. His two sons were Eagle Scouts. He had mowed the lawn every summer for the last 30 years.
Subway Worker Crushed to Death in NY
June 26, BROOKLYN, NY - Richard Lang of New Jersey was killed in a gruesome accident in Brooklyn Friday morning. He was crushed to death while unloading heavy material from a truck, police said. Lang, a truck driver, was unloading a haul of subway panels at the Avenue M station in Midwood shortly after 8 a.m. when the load suddenly shifted and fell on top of him, police and NYC Transit officials said. Lang was an employee of Preferred Transit Inc., a trucking company with a base in Whitehouse, N.J.
Farmer Dies When Tractor Rolls Into Creek
June 25, ROSALIA, WA - 73 year old Robert Clausen died when his tractor rolled into a creek east of Rosalia near the Spokane and Whitman County line Thursday. Deputies say Robert Clausen was spraying crops with the tractor in a field near the 1500 block of Waterman Road Thursday evening. Investigators say the tractor rolled when it got too close to the bank of the creek. Firefighters say Clausen was already deceased when they arrived at the accident scene just after 9:00 p.m.
Employee of CA Marijuana Dispensery Killed
June 25, HOLLYWOOD, CA - an un-named worker at a CA Marijuana Dispensary was killed Thursday night during an apparent robbery, Los Angeles police reported, according to MyFoxAtlanta.com. "It is a homicide," said LAPD Officer Karen Rayner. "It appears to be a robbery." UPDATE: The worker killed during a robbery attempt has been identified as 27 year old Matthew Benjamin Butcher.
U.S. Helicopter Pilot Dies From Crash in Malaysia
June 25, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - 51 year old William Charles Scott of Meridian, MS, helicopter pilot from the United States, has died in a crash. The helicopter was used to transport timber in a remote Malaysian rain forest on Borneo island. The helicopter went down Friday in a logging zone in Malaysia's eastern Sarawak state. The helicopter was operated by the Malaysian subsidiary of Portland, Oregon-based Erickson Air-Crane Inc., which harvests timber for Malaysian loggers in Borneo.
Lightning Strike Kills TX Coastal Crabber
June 24, DALLAS, TX - 30 year old Charles Franklin Weaver, Jr. of Liberty is dead after lightning struck the boat from which he and another man were working on the Intracoastal Waterway. A Chambers County Sheriff's Office statement says Weaver Jr. was dead at the scene of the lightning strike, while 47-year-old Jerry Duff, also of Liberty, was airlifted to a Houston hospital. His injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, according to the statement. The incident happened about 9:30 a.m. Thursday as Weaver and Duff were crabbing in the canal near the Texas 124 bridge. A passing tugboat contacted authorities.
VT Man Dies in Farm Tractor Accident
June 24, E. MONTPELIER, VT - 56 year old Bruce Butler of E. Montpelier was brush hogging a field on his property on Blazier Road over the weekend when the tractor became stuck on a rock. Butler tried to jack up the tractor to free it, but it rolled on top of him. "The report came in on Monday, stating that he had not shown up for work, and it was out of character for Mr. Butler, so they had called the Vermont State Police to do a welfare check," explained Sgt. Tara Thomas of the Vt. State Police. "We reported to his residence Monday afternoon. It is believed Mr. Butler was deceased for a day, day and a half from when we conducted the welfare check." The medical examiner ruled Butler suffocated after the tractor fell on him.
Saddle Bronc Rider Dies at Jackson Hole Rodeo
June 24, CHEYENNE, WY - 20 year old Nicolas Gillett of Cody died from a skull fracture when his spur became tangled in his stirrup after he came out of the gate during the Jackson Hole Rodeo. Jackson police Lt. Bob Gilliam said Gillett's left spur got caught on his saddle after he came out of the gate. "The horse drug him for a while... and, according to one of the witnesses, may have stepped on him," Gilliam said. "The victim came free of the horse, and the horse rolled over the right side and crushed him; that's my understanding of what happened."
PA Firefighter Dies From Heart Attack
June 24, WESTOVER, PA - 41 year old Roy Everett Westover of Westover died of a heart attack after returning a hose to a fire truck. Westover complained of a headache, tightness in his chest and shortness of breath just before he became semiconscious, a NIOSH report released Wednesday said. The ambulance crew on scene found him to be sweating heavily and carried him to the ambulance for transport to a local hospital, where he died.
Worker Killed Installing A/C Unit
June 24, CARROLLTON, GA - 31 year old Matthew Hughes of Tallapoosa was killed and another injured Thursday morning while placing an air conditioning unit in the attic of a home on Canterbury Drive in Carrollton. Hughes received an electrical shock while performing wiring work on the unit at about 9:30 a.m. Hughes reportedly dropped the torch he had and set some insulation on fire. Thompson said Alan Best of Carrollton suffered burns on his bare hands while trying to help Hughes, whose clothing caught on fire. Best put the fire out and gave Hughes CPR. Both were taken to Tanner Medical Center where Hughes was pronounced dead. The exact cause of death is yet to be determined.
Fire District Chief Killed in Accident
June 24, TRI-CITIES, WA - North Franklin Fire District 4 Chief Chet Bauermeister of Basin City was fatally injured when an ATV flipped backward on a steep slope. The Franklin County sheriff's office says another firefighter riding with Bauermeister was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The wildfire in the Wahluke Slope area near the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge was controlled Wednesday night.
Kentucky Coal Miner Dies In Underground Accident
June 24, FRANKFORT, KY - 29 year old Bobby L. Smith of Vicco was killed at James River Coal's Leeco 68 mine at Jeff in Perry County near Hazard. Details of the accident were not immediately released. Smith, who operated a machine used to dislodge coal inside the mine, was pronounced dead at a Hazard hospital. State inspectors were notified at about 1:30 p.m. EDT. This is the second fatality in as many weeks and fifth in the state this year.
Two Dead After TX Grain Elevator Collapse
June 24, RUSSELL, TX - 21 year old Max Greve of Hays and 19 year old Sean Banks of Russell were killed Thursday when part of a grain elevator collapsed on them. Two tubes -- silos of the elevator -- filled with grain, went down in what officials are calling a structural collapse. Greve and Hays, who were unloading a semitrailer, were buried in the grain. Their bodies were recovered shortly before 5 p.m. The collapse of the AgCo elevator happened just after 2 o'clock.
Two Concrete Workers Killed in Boom Collapse
June 24, LEWISTON, TX - Two workers for a Fort Worth-area company were killed and two others were injured early Thursday when the boom from their concrete pumping truck collapsed on them in Lewisville. 34 year old Gerardo Horta of Dallas died in the accident, the name of the other worker who died was unavailable Thursday afternoon. "It appears the boom from a concrete pumping truck had some type of failure, which caused it to collapse," Leggett said. The boom collapsed about 5 a.m. at 940 Lakeside Circle, where a park-and-ride lot for a new commuter-bus and rail-line project is being built. It is on the south side of the city. UPDATE: Officials have identified the 2nd person killed as 41 year old Rafael Ruiz-Garcia of Denton, TX.
Botanist Killed By Grizzly in Yellowstone Park
June 24, YELLOWSTONE, WY - 70 year old Erwin Evert of Oak Park, IL was killed by a grizzly after entering an area on the Shoshone National Forest that was officially posted as "closed" while bears were being trapped and tranquilized. Evert was killed on June 17th by a grizzly that had been tranquilized and released just hours before his death. The incident occurred about 10 miles from the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Evert was a prominent botanist. His primary residence was in Oak Park, IL, where he was a research associate with the Morton Arboretum. Evert spent decades at a summer cabin on Kitty Creek near Wapiti, WY. He recently published a 750-page magnum opus on "Vascular Flora of the Greater Yellowstone Area."
Young Worker Dies in Farm Equipment Accident
June 24, GREENWICH TWP, PA - 18 year old John Richard Smith of Lenhartsville was pronounced dead by the Berks County Coroner’s Office after a reported farming equipment accident. Smith died Wednesday night when he was sucked into a hay baler at a farm on Dunkels Church Road in Greenwich Township, according to the Berks County coroner's office.
Man Dies in Farm Accident
June 24, DEKALB CO., AL - 25 year old Christopher George Bertram of Fyffe died Wednesday in an accident while working on a seed farm near Collinsville. Bertram worked at Murphree Seed Farm and was in the bucket of a vehicle, cutting limbs. The bucket was extended about 30 feet in the air and the vehicle was on a slight hill when it turned over, with Bertram still in the bucket, Wilson said.
Charter Captain Working Oil Spill Kills Self
June 23, FORT MORGAN, AL - 55 year old William Allen "Rookie" Kruse of Orange Beach, AL was found dead on the flying bridge of his boat, The Rookie, at the dock at Fort Morgan Marina just before 7 a.m., Baldwin County Deputy Coroner Rod Steade said. Kruse, a charter boat captain, shot and killed himself this morning just before his vessel was scheduled to set out to take part in oil cleanup and protection efforts, investigators said. "He had just let his deckhands off the boat and sent them to get something," Steade said. Baldwin County Coroner Stan Vinson said witnesses told investigators that Kruse had been upset about the loss of business caused by the closing of fishing grounds and public perceptions of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Man Dies From Injuries Suffered in June 5 Accident
June 23, SAN JOSE, CA - 51 year old Jose Herrara has died after being severely injured in an electrical accident in Orinda this month, Santa Clara County officials said. Herrera suffered second and third-degree burns over most of his body when the cherry picker he and another worker were using came into contact with high-voltage electrical lines the morning of June 5. He was an employee of the Santa Clara-based Delta Window Cleaning.
Owner of Junkyard Found Dead
June 23, LINCOLNTON, NC - 67 year old Dan Mullinax, owner of a local junkyard, was found dead inside the building. A fire started at a junkyard on Highway 150 just after 5:30 p.m. A driver called for help after spotting smoke and Mullinax was found inside. Investigators haven’t said how Mullinax died or what caused the fire. They also have not discussed a potential motive in Mullinax’s death.
Maintenance Worker Killed in Explosion
June 23, BRONX, NY - 38 year old Joseph McLendon died Tuesday after the barbecue grill he was cleaning exploded outside a Bronx senior center in a huge blast that blew out nearby windows. Fire officials said McLendon used the wrong kind of cleaning agents on the grill, setting off a giant chemical explosion. "It was a large barbecue grill, but he must have been using other ingredients to clean the grill - solvents that interacted with the propane," said Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Scanlon.
CHP Officer Dies After Being Struck by Car June 9
June 23, LOS ANGELES, CA - 48 year old CHP Officer Philip Ortiz died Tuesday, about two weeks after being struck by a vehicle as he issued a ticket on the shoulder of the 405 Freeway. On June 9, he was issuing a ticket on the shoulder of the northbound 405 (San Diego Freeway), south of National Boulevard in West LA. Officers said several witnesses reported that an Infiniti driver was passing vehicles on the shoulder before striking the officer. Emergency crews worked to free Ortiz, who was pinned in the wreckage. He was transported to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in critical condition. CHP officials said he died Tuesday afternoon.
Man Killed When Equipment Falls on Him
June 23, GARDEN CITY, KS - 21 year old Jeffery Schiffer died Tuesday afternoon after a front-end loader fell on him at Plymell Dairy, 10550 S. Road 14, in Finney County. Schiffer, an employee of Garden City Tire Center was changing tires on the front-end loader, which was raised on jacks, when the loader slipped off and fell on him, according to Finney County Sheriff Kevin Bascue.
Florida Keys Officer Killed in Single Car Crash
June 23, KEY LARGO, FL - 36 year old Deputy Melissa Powers was killed in a single car accident in Key Largo Tuesday night. She is survived by two children, and her husband who is a Detective with the Homestead Police department.
Man Dies Following Construction Accident
June 22, ST.THOMAS, V.I. - 29 year old Ashorne Daniel has died after being struck by a car June 17th. Daniel was working as a flag man at a construction site on Brookman Road in the area of Estate Charlotte Amalie when he was struck by a tan Camry driven by a 53 year old man.
Man Killed in Logging Truck Accident
June 22, SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA - 35 year old Bradley B. Pederson of Burlington was killed in a logging accident Tuesday near Sedro-Woolley. A 25-year-old Sedro-Woolley man was driving a large truck with a 40-foot trailer down a logging road off of Cokedale Road just after 8 a.m. when the accident occurred. Pederson was standing on the running board outside of the truck, said State Patrol Trooper Keith Leary. Pederson was riding on the driver’s side of the truck to learn how to navigate the corner of the road. When the truck went around a corner to the right, it rolled onto its left side, Leary said, crushing the man.
Worker Found Dead On Roof
June 22, NEW HAVEN, CT - an unidentified worker was found dead on the roof of a Carriage House at Edgerton Park in the city’s East Rock neighborhood Monday. The man had been working on a flat-roofed section of the Carriage House, which is located near the stables in the western section of the 22-acre park. Police did not say whether he was a city employee or a private contractor.
Walmart Employee Dies After Being Injured
June 22, FORT WORTH, TX - Bruce Florence has died after trying to stop a shoplifting incident. About 2 p.m. June 14, Florence, working in the lawn and garden department, spotted a man carrying a 26-inch Vizio television and heading toward the exit. Florence stepped in front of the man, but he barreled right over him, dropping the TV in the process, Westworth Village police Detective John Moore said. Florence was hospitalized with a head injury until he died on Father's Day.
Gold Miner Killed in Drilling Accident
June 20, FAIRBANKS, AK - 20 year old Jacob Ryan Branham of Nevada was killed early Monday morning after his clothing was caught in a piece of equipment, according to the Alaska State Troopers. Branham was working at Livengood gold mine near Fairbanks. At about 5:40 a.m. Monday morning he suffered a possible broken neck after his clothes were caught in a large drill used for drilling into the ground, according to trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters. A spokeswoman for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, Amy Louviere, said an inspector who visited the mine Tuesday verified that the accident took place during exploratory drilling at an abandoned mine.
Firefighter Dies of Apparent Heart Attack
June 22, OSWEGO, NY - 46 year old Scott W. Davis died Sunday after completing several emergency responses. Davis, 46, had completed a tour of duty on Saturday when he became ill, according to the USFA. He died the following day due to an apparent heart attack.
Contractor Killed At North Carolina Army Post
June 22, FORT BRAGG, NC - a contractor has been killed and two other men have been injured in a live-fire training accident at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Post spokesman Tom McCollum says the accident happened Tuesday afternoon on a weapons range during an exercise involving small arms. He didn't have any other details and says the accident is under investigation. Two of those struck were civilian contractors for Echota Technologies, a defense contractor based in Alcoa, Tenn. UPDATE: The contractor killed has been identified as 57 year old Edward Jenkins.
Three Die in Plane Crash
June 22, LOCK HAVEN, PA - 29 year old Dan Snider of Pentress, W VA and 46 year old Rodney Whiteman of Morgantown, W VA, employees of the US Forest Service died in a plane crash. Also dead is the pilot, Patrick Jessup of New York. Snider and Whiteman worked for the Forest Health Program of the Northeastern Area and were conducting an aerial pest detection survey, the Forest Service said. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane went down Monday as it approached William Piper Memorial Airport. The Cessna 210 struck a house, a utility pole and several vehicles and ended up in the street, but no injuries were reported on the ground.
Deputy Killed in Car Accident
June 22, TWIGGS, GA - 27 year old Deputy Richard L. Daniels was killed in an accident early Tuesday morning. Daniels had just made an overnight security check at Reece Funeral Home when he headed east down U.S. 80 to do to the same at some churches. On a dark, lonely stretch of road that time of morning, he apparently never saw what hit him. A huge oak toppled over at mile marker 6. The impact on the 55 mph highway killed him instantly and tore the roof off his patrol car. It kept going another 271 feet after clipping the tree trunk that was suspended off the ground.
Man Dies After Farm Tractor Rolls On Him
June 22, CAMBRIDGE TWP, MI - 77 year old Charles Austin Brighton died Sunday after a tractor he was operating on his property overturned and rolled on top of him. According to a report released today by the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department, Brighton was operating a 1974 Ford tractor and baling hay at 6:30 p.m. on his property in the 9000 block of U.S. 12 when the weight shifted on the baler, causing the tractor to overturn. Brighton was thrown from the tractor, which then rolled over onto him. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Lenawee County medical examiners.
Man Dies in Tractor Trailer Wreck and Fire
June 22, WHEATLAND, NY - 49 year old Freddie R. Hatfield of Decatur, AL died after his semi truck, carrying construction materials for Crete Carriers, veered off the roadway and crashed. State Police Capt. Michael Nigrelli said it appeared the tractor-trailer was weaving on the Thruway this morning, just before it veered off the right shoulder into a wooded area about 50 feet from the highway, near Winslow Road. The rig then burst into flames from a ruptured fuel line.
Fort Drum Civilian Worker Dead
June 22, FORT DRUM, NY - Timothy Clermont, who worked for Drum's 'Department of Logistics,' died, according to a statement from Drum's press office. Clement was discovered between a fence and the lawn tractor he was operating. There were deep tire marks in the ground and a hole in the chain link fence. The incident, which occurred on Camp Hale Road just before 8 a.m., is under investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.
AZ Mine Employee Dies in Wreck
June 22, FLORENCE, AZ - 52 year old Thomas E. Benavidez was killed and another seriously injured Sunday when a 240-ton hauling truck ran over their pickup at the Asarco LLC Ray mine east of Florence, according to preliminary accident reports. It appears that Benavidez and another mechanic, William Hyde, pulled in front of the large hauling truck, and the driver of the hauling truck could not see their pickup, Evans said. "These haul trucks are literally two to three stories tall," Evans said. "They have blind spots. The pickup was broadsided and the haul truck rolled over the pickup with the two employees inside."
Worker Dies From Possible Refrigerant Leak
June 21, MONTGOMERY, AL - 22 year old Nicholas Burdette of Millbrook was found dead at the Montgomery Eastdale Mall. Officers had blocked off every entrance of the mall, while the Montgomery Fire Department's HAZMAT team tried to find the source of an R-22 refrigerant leak near the mall's ice skating rink. Lt. Mark Drinkard, a spokesman for the Montgomery Police Department, says the fire department received a call Sunday morning about the leak, and police received a call reporting a man was dead. Drinkard says Burdette apparently was performing janitorial services when he died.
TX Police Officer Killed in Shoot Out
June 21, LANCASTER, TX - 37 year old Officer Craig Shaw died after being shot in the line of duty. Shaw responded about 6 p.m. Sunday to a report of a domestic disturbance that was upgraded to shots fired, police said. "At some point the shooter was confronted, there was an exchange of gunfire, at some point Officer Shaw was shot," Lancaster Police Chief Keith Humphrey said during a Monday morning news conference. "There was an additional exchange of gunfire, at some point the shooter was killed." Humphrey said it was the first time an officer in his department had been fatally shot in the line of duty. He identified the slain lawman as Officer Craig Shaw, 37, who had been with the department for five years. Shaw was married with a 13-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son.
Police Employee Dies In The Line Of Duty
July 21, MANASSAS, VA - 60 year old Donald E. Reid, a civilian employee supply manager of the Prince William County police department died in the line of duty Friday. Reid died of an apparent heart attack while responding to a gas leak in the Manassas area Friday, police officials said Monday. Friday afternoon, police officers responded to the intersection of Sudley Road and Sudley Manor Drive to direct traffic around a large gas leak, which closed roads in the area for hours. At about 7 p.m., Reid was delivering water and other supplies to those officers, when he pulled his car over to the side of the road, in “apparent medical distress,” police said. A Virginia State trooper saw the stopped car, checked on Reid and called an ambulance. Reid was taken to Prince William Hospital, where he died later Friday night.
Farmer Killed In Tractor Accident
June 21, FAY, OK - 84 year old Cleo Leon Shifflet died of massive injuries as he was undergoing surgery at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Troopers say the accident occurred about 8 a.m. as Shifflett was standing on the ground in front of the tractor's rear wheels, trying to start the vehicle. The patrol says the tractor was in gear and ran over Shifflett when it started.
New Sewickley Trucker Killed as Rig Flips
July 21, NEW SEWICKLEY, PA - 72 year old John S. Fuse of New Sewickley Township was killed Saturday when the tractor-trailer he was driving near Meadville flipped onto its side and crushed the truck cab. The crash occurred around 10:30 a.m. as Fuse, driving north on Interstate 79 with a fully loaded trailer, failed to negotiate a turn on an exit ramp in Vernon Township, Crawford County. The truck flipped onto its side, crushing the cab.
CA Man Dies in Fiery Truck Crash in Nevada When Runaway Truck Ramp Fails
June 21, SAN DIEGO, CA - 41 year old Fredrick Matthews of San Diego died after the 18-wheeler he was driving in Nevada was going more than 100 miles per hour when it went airborne, slammed into a home and burst into flames. Witnesses said the 41-year-old was hauling a load of lumber while driving at least 100 miles per hour. He went into a runaway truck ramp, which should have slowed him down, but his sister said it did not. The gravel and steep incline of the runaway truck ramp was designed for this very problem. Nevada’s highway patrol said it is investigating why the ramp failed to stop the big rig and will also check the truck’s maintenance records.
Truck Kills TX Road Worker
June 21, PORT ARTHUR, TX - Santos Granja was killed when a tractor trailer truck slammed into a road construction convoy. The crash happened just before 10:30 p.m. on Texas 73 westbound about 8 miles west of Port Arthur. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the road crew was painting lane stripes and laying down reflective markers when the truck slammed into all three vehicles of the convoy. Granja (GRAHN'-hah), who was on the trailer of one vehicle, was killed. Four others were taken to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont. The crew worked for Crabtree Barricade Systems, Inc., which was striping the highway for the Texas Department of Transportation.
