Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Store General Manager Found Shot

January 27, SYLVANIA, OH - 65 year old James Schueler was found shot in the head by another employee in an office area of the store, Forklifts of Toledo, he managed. He was transported to University of Toledo Medical Center when he died. An investigation continues to determine if his death was a homicide.


Tavern Owner Found Dead After Fire

January 27, SCHILLER PARK, IL - 67 year old George Markopoulos, the owner of the Horseshoe Inn Tavern, died early Thursday morning soon after he was discovered by firefighters who had responded to a three-alarm fire at his business. The Cook County medical examiner's office said that Markopoulos may have died of head trauma. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.



Tractor Trailer Driver Dies in Crash

January 27, ASHLAND, OR - 69 year old Robert Ormerod of Shingletown, CA died in a truck accident near Ashland Thursday. According to Oregon State Police a 2006 Peterbilt truck pulling a trailer loaded with produce driven by Ormerod was traveling northbound on Interstate 5 near milepost 15. For an unknown reason the truck left the northbound lanes into the center median, went over an embankment and landed in Bear Creek. The cause of the crash is unknown and still under investigation.


Mine Accident Claims Life of Miner

January 27, PINEVILLE, WV - An unidentified miner has died in an accident involving a conveyor belt. Leslie Fitzwater with the Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training says the accident occurred about 12:25 p.m. Thursday and involved a conveyer belt at the Jims Branch No. 3A mine. A person who answered the phone at mine owner Baylor Mining declined comment.


New Fire Department Recruit Dies During Training

January 26, WEST MEMPHIS, AR - 38 year old David Eason, a new recruit for West Memphis Fire, died late Wednesday afternoon while out of town conducting recruit exercises. According to Chief Gately, Eason collapsed late Wednesday afternoon during a training exercise at what is known as "rookie school" in Camden, AR. He was in the middle of 10 weeks of training in Camden joining the department in late December. Eason reportedly suffered a heart attack.


Officer Dies of Injuries

January 26, INDIANAPOLIS, IN - 29 year old Officer David Moore, who was shot Jan 23 during a traffic stop and has been on life support since, has died of those injuries. Moore, an IMPD patrol officer since 2004, was shot four times—twice in the face—during a traffic stop on Sunday morning on the Near Northside, near 34th Street and North Temple Avenue. He had been in a coma in the intensive care unit since then. Moore also was shot in the hip; a fourth bullet to his chest was stopped by his protective vest.




Worker Crushed Between Loader and Container

January 26, SMETHPORT, PA - 59 year old Joseph Emery Peterson of Kane was killed when he was pinned between a loader and a trash container at a northwestern Pennsylvania excavating company. Police say Peterson was hooking a chain to a trash container when the bucket of a Terex loader pinned him against the heavy metal container Tuesday afternoon. Peterson had been using the loader to move the trash containers. He died at the scene.


Worker Crushed by Equipment

January 26, GOOCHLAND, VA - Although she was an inmate at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women, 43 year old Amy Teresa Madsen was also a worker. She was killed by a piece of equipment that fell on her which was called a shuttle and it carried hundreds of pounds of wet laundry from washers to driers. The 4 p.m. incident occurred when employees were repairing commercial laundry equipment, a spokesman said.


Truck Driver Dies in Three Vehicle Crash

January 26, NEWARK, NJ - 41 year old Kenneth M. Jarrow of Dunmore, PA was killed Wednesday morning when his Mack truck slammed into two other trucks on Interstate 78, police said. Mr. Jarrow failed to stop for slowing traffic, rear-ending another truck and sending it into a third. The cause of his death was not immediately available.


Trucker Driver Found Dead in Truck

January 25, LOUISVILLE, KY - 43 year old Teddy Allen Belcher of Albermarle, SC was found dead in his truck on the side of Interstate 64 in downtown Louisville early Tuesday morning. He apparently had a heart condition, a deputy coroner said. Officers responded to a report of a truck against a guardrail on the side of I-64 and found Belcher slumped over the wheel of the truck.


Worker Crushed in Industrial Accident

January 25, INDIANAPOLIS, IN - 36 year old Randall Carter of Greencastle has died a day after he was badly injured during an accident at Evonik Degussa's Tippecanoe Laboratories Monday. Carter was operating a mobile lift vehicle at the Tippecanoe Laboratories when he became lodged next to a building while in the vehicle's basket around 1:30 p.m. Monday. Carter worked for Performance Contracting.


Truck Driver Dies in Wreck

January 25, CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY, MO - 58 year old Roger Hamm of Chaffee, a diesel truck driver for MFA, died when his truck overturned. The truck appears to have run off the side of the road, overcorrected and went to the other side of the road where it overturned, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. Hamm was trapped inside the truck and died at the scene.


Man Dies in Logging Camp Accident

January 25, AFOGNAK ISLAND, AK - 47 year old Daniel T. Messer was killed at a logging camp on Afognak Island while working on a coil of steel cable. Troopers say he was discovered pinned between the steel coil and its shipping container.


Construction Worker Dies From Medical Emergency

January 25, SAUK CO, WI - 53 year old Dale A. Griffa of Wonewoc died while working on a barn roof on Tuesday. Griffa had been working on the roof of the barn when he collapsed and slid down the roof onto the platform of a sky lift which had been used to elevate him to the roof. Efforts to revive Mr. Griffa, at the scene by the Reedsburg Paramedics were unsuccessful. The incident was investigated by the Sheriff and Coroner's Office, it is believed the man died due to a medical condition that had occurred while he was working on the roof.


Woman Dies in Farm Accident

January 25, STERLING, WI - 39 year old Laura Groskreutz died after falling into a feed mixer on her family farm on Tuesday. The Vernon County Sheriff's Department says Groskreutz apparently fell into the machine while doing chores and was found by her husband a short time later. The incident remains under investigation.


Farmer Dies in Equipment Accident

January 25, WINDOM, MN - 53 year old Douglas Edward Soleta was killed Tuesday afternoon when he slipped on snow and ice and became entangled in a power takeoff (PTO) driveshaft. He was reportedly taking corn out of a bin and loading it into a semi when he slipped and became entangled in the PTO.


Worker Dies on Bridge Construction Project

January 25, KNOXVILLE, TN - 33 year old John Womac of Athens, TN was killed while working around a trak hoe on the Henley Street Bridge work site. "It appears that a male worker was working around a track hoe when he was hit by a piece of equipment," said Darrell DeBusk, public information officer for KPD. Police and rescuers from the Knoxville Fire Department responded just after 8 a.m. Tuesday to find Womac had suffered massive trauma. He was transported to UT Medical Center, where DeBusk says he died an hour later.


Utility Worker Electrocuted

January 24, WAXAHACHIE, TX - 32 year old Jacob Lee Willis was electrocuted Monday afternoon while working to replace a power pole in a Double Oak neighborhood in Denton County. Willis was working on a power pole replacement crew with the Southern Electric Corp. when an energized power cable touched a hydraulic lift he was working and struck him with a large amount of electricity, according to a Double Oak Police Department news release. He was transported to a local hospital where he later died.


Construction Worker Crushed by Beam

January 24, IOWA CITY, IA - 52 year old Kevin Dean Hammons of Washington died Monday morning at a construction site on the University of Iowa campus after a beam fell on him. He was an employee of Iowa Bridge & Culvert of Washington. Iowa City Fire Lt. Brian Rohr said the worker was inside the construction site when the accident occurred. The work site is cordoned off by tall wooden planks that were supported by a square-shaped beam, and Rohr said that beam fell on the worker.


University Faculty Member Dies in Freak Accident

January 24, HOUSTON, TX - Dianne Erdmann, a faculty member of Baylor University, was killed Monday morning when she was pinned by her own SUV in the Texas Medical Center, according to authorities. Erdmann got out of her white Cadillac Escalade to scan her card and raise the access gate, but did not put the SUV in park. The Cadillac rolled forward, pinning her between the vehicle and a pole near the gate. She died at the scene.


Tanker Truck Driver Dies in Truck Rollover

January 24, WOODWARD, PA - 46 year old Richard A. Beck was killed late Monday night when he lost control of his northbound tanker truck which went off Route 220 and crashed into the parking lot of the former Woodward Township Elementary School, state police said. The tanker, which was carrying a non-hazardous chemical, went into a drainage ditch and overturned in the parking lot, trapping Beck in the wreckage.


State Highway Worker Dies in Crash

January 24, LEXINGTON, KY - 23 year old Bryan Shepherd of Campton is dead following a traffic accident Monday morning in Magoffin County. Shepherd was on his way to prepare Magoffin County equipment with snow scrapers for the upcoming storm when he crashed into a tree. “He left the roadway in the northbound side, travelled a pretty good distance there, where he struck an embankment, pretty severe damage to the vehicle,” Trooper Michael Haney said. Trooper's do not know yet what caused the crash.


Feeder Driver Dies in Crash

January 24, CHERRY HILL, NJ - 48 year old Peter Parkes of Stratford, CT, a UPS Feeder Semi Driver, was killed in a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike Monday morning. Reports say the UPS driver side-swiped a turnpike service van that was helping refuel another tractor-trailer on the side of the highway. The UPS truck then overturned and slid off the roadway.


Worker Killed in Industrial Accident

January 24, BROOKLYN, NY - an unidentified 22 year old worker for Tortilleria Chinantla, was killed when when he fell into the waist-high tub of a dough mixing machine and was pinned by the metal blade, which is not sharp but is powered by a strong motor, the police said. The half-dozen other workers were unable to save him. No criminality is suspected. UPDATE: Authorities have identified the young man who died in this accident as Juan Baten.


Bar Manager Dies in Fire

January 24, WEVER, IA - 47 year old Kenneth Thomas of Denmark was identified as the person who was killed in a fire that destroyed the Green Bay Tap. He was the manager and bartender. Officials say an autopsy showed he died of smoke inhalation.



Two Florida Officers Killed in Shoot Out

January 24, ST. PETERSBURG, FL - 48 year old Sgt Tom Baitinger and 48 year old Jeffrey Yaslowitz were killed when they responded to a call for back up. The fugitive was holed up in the attic of a house and a shoot-out ensued. Yaslowitz went down in the attic, while a marshal tumbled to the first floor after being hit in his bulletproof vest and lower torso. Baitinger was one of several officers who came to rescue the other two and was hit when the fugitive fired through the attic floor.





Farmer Killed When Tree Falls on Tractor

January 24, RESACA, GA - 70 year old Marvin Lomax was killed while working on his farm when a tree fell and crushed the cab.


Semi Truck Driver Killed in Fiery Crash

January 23, GROSSE TETE, LA - 54 year old Donald Hunt of Louisville, MS died Sunday when the cab of his 18-wheeler rolled onto its side and caught fire, according to a State Police news release. The 18-wheeler’s trailer began to jackknife but stayed upright while the truck’s cab rolled onto its left side, Graham said in the release.


Crane Accident Kills Worker

January 22, JACKSONVILLE, FL - Anthony F. Roberts of St. Augustine, was killed when pieces of an old crane he was removing for scrap crashed into the cab of a crane he was operating. According to his family, Roberts started work as an outside contractor at JaxPort last Thursday. After just one day of work, he went home and told his wife it was too dangerous. Although he was hired for 4 weeks of temporary work, they said he planned to make Saturday his last day because he feared he or someone else would be killed. Roberts went in Friday and said he'd be quitting. He decided to work one more day, the day he unfortunately died.


Chicago City Worker Killed in Accident

January 22, CHICAGO, IL - 29 year old Candis Ricks, an employee for Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation, was killed in a car crash on the southwest side of Chicago. Officials with Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation tell WLS-TV that Ricks had been working to enforce the city's snow parking ban at the time of the crash.



University Employee Found Dead in Lab

January 22, MORGANTOWN, WV - 38 year old Michael R. Morisette, an assistant professor of exercise physiology in the School of Medicine at West Virginia University, was found dead in a lab office around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. WVU Police Chief Bob Roberts said they do not suspect foul play at this point of the investigation, but are waiting on details from the State Medical Examiner’s Office to make a final determination.



Man Saved From Burning Log Truck Dies of Injuries

January 22, SMOAKS, SC - 77 year old Donald J. Searson who was injured in a traffic accident on Augusta Highway Jan. 12 has died Saturday as a result of his injuries. His loaded log truck had been headed east on Augusta Highway when it went off the roadway and hit two driveway culverts before overturning and catching fire. The truck cab had sustained heavy damage from the logs, the impact of the crash propelling them into the cab. Bystanders were able to rescue him at the time.


Shop Owner Dies in Fire

January 22, LAKE HAUSER, MT - 45 year old Matthew J. Warner died in a fire that started in his mechanical shop next to his home. Warner had reportedly been working on an oil burning stove before the fire began. Burning tires on a road grader truck in the shed were particularly difficult to extinguish, and firefighters had to work from outside the structure because a sagging roof and the heat from the fire made it unsafe to send them inside, Fire Chief Drake said.


Hit and Run Driver Kills Valet

January 22, DENVER, CO - 21 year old Jose Medina, on his third night of working at the Rockstar Lounge as a Valet, was hit and killed Saturday night. Medina was struck while he was holding the door of a patron's car. An employee at a neighboring told 7NEWS the pickup truck plowed through the parked car's open door, hitting the valet. Medina's family said he was trying to earn extra money to buy his fiancee a birthday present. Her birthday is on Monday.


Store Clerk Shot in Robbery

January 22, LONG BEACH, CA - 53 year old Phouma Sor, a store clerk for P & B Liquor, was shot and killed during a robbery at the store near the corner of Fourth Street and Cherry Avenue, said Long Beach police Sgt. Rico Fernandez. Customers, who came to pay their respects, said Sor was a well-liked Cambodian immigrant who had worked at P&B Liquor for years. He would even extend credit to regular customers in need.



Cab Driver Found Slain

January 21, ORLANDO, FL - 35 year old Matthew Manolas was found dead by police in his cab behind Lake Highland Prep on Friday morning. Officers have arrested three people in connection with the case and all three are facing first-degree murder charges. Family and friends held a candlelight vigil Sunday for Manolas, who is the second cab driver killed in the last 10 days in Orlando.


Police Officer Dies in Crash

January 21, SUMTER, SC - Corporal Charles Nesbitt Jr. was killed in a two vehicle collision while on duty Friday. Nesbitt and another officer, were on their way back to Sumter Friday after transporting a prisoner to DJJ when they collided head-on with an SUV on Highway 521 near Rembert. The officers were taken to a hospital where Nesbitt died from trauma from the accident. Troopers have not released any more information about the circumstances behind the wreck.


Man Trying to Help Co-Workers Dies

January 21, LOS ANGELES, CA - 33 year old Henry Astilla tried to help his co-workers but died as a result. Astilla called 911 early Friday after noticing two Baxter Healthcare colleagues had collapsed while cleaning blood plasma from a tank, according to officials. Officials said the workers had been inside the tank, using detergent to clean it of blood plasma, and they were overcome by ethanol, which was used as a separating agent for blood plasma. Astilla was found by firefighters without a pulse and died at the hospital. The other workers are reported to have survived but their names have not been released.


Farmer Run Over by Tractor Dies of Injuries

January 21, HYRUM, UT - 65 year old William "Bill" Arnold died after being run over by his hay trailer while feeding cattle at his property. Lt. Chad Jensen says Arnold had his tractor in idle but was run over by his hay trailer when he fell. Jensen says Arnold’s wife found him behind their home. He died at the scene.


Worker Killed In Drilling Rig Accident

January 21, ORANGE CITY, IA - 46 year old Andrew Lambert of McCook Lake, SD was killed when he became trapped in the auger of drilling equipment. He died Friday afternoon at the scene, a field in Orange City. Lambert was drilling test holes in the ground for Certified Testing Services, Inc of Sioux City. The sheriff’s report says Lambert had become trapped in the auger of the drilling equipment and was killed.


Trucker Dies as Result of Winter Driving Hazards

January 20, BLOOMSBURG, PA - Mark Kowalski of Albany, NY died in a crash with another semi. Pennsylvania State Police said the cab of a tractor-trailer rolled after hitting another truck's trailer that had partly slid into the median on the snow-covered interstate.


Fire Captain Dies En Route to Fire

January 20, DIXON, MO - 80 year old Dixon Rural Fire Protection Volunteer Fire Captain Leslie "Les" Clark died Thursday after suffering a medical emergency while on duty. Clark was driving a tanker to the scene of a reported structure fire when he warned a crew member he felt he might pass out and lost consciousness. The other firefighter reached over and stopped the apparatus with the air brake. Firefighters removed Captain Clark from the vehicle and began CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.


Truck Driver Crushed When Load Shifted

January 20, WANATAH, IN - 34 year old Andrew Costa of Sheridan, WY was killed in an accident involving another semi. Costa was westbound U.S. 30 at CR-700W when it struck the back of a slow-moving semi in front of it. As a result, one of two 20,000 pound steel coils on Costa’s truck broke loose and crushed his cab. He was pinned inside and Cass-Clinton and Hanna volunteer fire departments, as well as men from John’s Garage, Wanatah, all worked to free him. Costa died at the scene, and the cause of death was massive blunt force injury.


Judge Dies at Work

January 19, EUGENE, OR - 63 year old Albert Radcliffe, a judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, died unexpectedly at work in Eugene. The Register-Guard reports the cause of death for 63-year-old Albert Radcliffe is still to be determined.


Earlier this month, 83 year old Howard Garland of Rydal, died after he became trapped in an enclosed-cab farm tractor that had overturned into a pond.


Worker Death From Last Year Not Previously Known

May 30, 2010, VICTOR, IA - 46 year old Jeffrey D. McAdam was a maintenance worker for the Iowa DOT working in a rest area on I-80 in Iowa County and was found in the men's restroom shot and later died of his wounds. A person was arrested and charged with his murder.