Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Worker in Power Truck Killed in Rollover Crash

February 3, ROCKAWAY, NJ - 51 year old Martin Harsch of Dingham's Ferry died as a result of a multi-vehicle crash. Preliminary investigation showed the crash occurred when the driver of a 2002 Subaru lost control of his vehicle, struck the center barrier then rebounded into the rear of the JCP&L bucket truck, police said. Both vehicles veered left, and when the truck hit the center divider, it toppled partially and struck an overhead road sign, dragging the truck onto the concrete barrier, he said. Harsch worked as a chief lineman and has been a Jersey Central Power &Light employee for 27 years.


Worker Killed at Well Site

January 3, CAMERON, PA - 49 year old Kevin Campbell of Washington has died of injuries he sustained at a well site owned by Consul. According to Chief Deputy Kevin Cecil, Campbell worked for an excavation company called 18 Karat, Inc. and was operating a bulldozer when the accident happened. "He was attempting to hook a chain to a vehicle that was stuck and the bulldozer rolled backwards and pinned him against the vehicle," said Cecil.


Sanitation Worker Killed in Industrial Accident

February 3, NORFOLK, VA - 51 year old Jerry Holton died Thursday morning in an industrial accident in Norfolk involving a city trash truck. Police spokesman Chris Amos said emergency dispatchers received a call just after 9 a.m. of a man "in physical distress" inside a city trash truck. Holton was found in the back of the truck and died at the scene. The accident is being investigated.


Tanker Explosion Kills One

February 3, PICABO, ID - 53 year old Craig Adamson of Carey, owner of Adamson's Inc., a fuel and oil company, was killed on a private ranch southwest of Picabo. Adamson and the driver of another truck were working in tandem to transfer fuel between two trucks, when the fuel trailer the other driver was hauling ignited and exploded. Adamson was on top of the fuel trailer when it exploded and was killed instantly. His co-worker was standing between the trucks and was knocked to the ground by the explosion and was treated at the scene.


Industrial Accident at Plant Causes Worker Death

February 3, MANSFIELD, OH - 64 year old Larry Grace was killed in a tow motor accident at the Milark Industries plant Thursday. Information regarding the accident have not been released at this time. Milark Industries Inc. specializes in tube bending, metal stamping, sub-assemblies and welded parts.


Worker Loading Semi Crushed as Structure Collapses

January 2, HEREFORD, TX - 31 year old Pedro Mejia was killed when a tank containing cattle feed supplement collapsed on him at 200 Front St., said Deaf Smith County Justice of the Peace Karen Boren. The structure holding the tank collapsed on the tractor trailer that Mejia was loading. He was an employee of Magnum Minerals.


Transit Bus Driver Dies Behind The Wheel

February 2, UNIONTOWN, PA - 54 year John Eicholtz of Brownsville was found dead behind the wheel of his city transit bus at a bus stop in Uniontown Wednesday. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Philip Reilly said Eicholtz died of natural causes so no autopsy is planned.


Farmer Dies of Burns Resulting From Explosion

February 2, FREMONT, MI - Brian Ryzebol was trying to clear snow when the front end loader he was driving hit a propane tank. The tank exploded causing burn injuries to Ryzebol who later died at the hospital.


School Bus Driver Dies of Medical Issue

February 2, ROANOKE, VA - 60 year old Gregory Criswell of Vinton suffered some kind of medical problem around 7:00 a.m., while driving Roanoke County Schools bus #117. The bus ran off the road near King Street and Orange Avenue, hit a utility pole, then came to a stop in a pine tree farm. Criswell was also a pastor at Jordantown Wesleyan Church in Bedford County since 2005.


Industrial Accident Claims Life of Plant Worker

February 2, GALLATIN, TN - 42 year old Wiley Sherburne of Castalian Springs died of injuries he sustained Monday. Sherburne and another worker were severely burned after an electrical short triggered a flash fire with some materials within the plant. They were employed as maintenance workers for GKN/Hoeganaes Corp. The accident is under investigation.


School Principal Shot to Death in Office

February 2, PLACERVILLE, CA - 50 year old Sam LaCara, principal of Schnell School, was shot and killed in his office at the school. A custodial employee was arrested in the shooting, which was believed to have stemmed from a dispute between the two men, police said.


Taxi Driver Dies of Natural Causes

February 2, HOUSTON, TX - 59 year old Alvin Irving Jr. was found dead in his Yellow Cab vehicle Wednesday morning. Police say the cab was in the parking lot of a park. The driver had failed to arrive at a scheduled location to pick up a passenger.


Highway Worker Dies After Shift Plowing Snow

February 2, ST. CHARLES, IL - William 'P.T." Scardamaglia, an employee for Kane County Highway Department, died Wednesday after finishing a shift plowing the county roads. Scardamaglia had recently returned from plowing the roads and was refilling his truck with salt when he collapsed, according to Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay. Scardamaglia’s age and cause of death were not immediately known.


Corrections K-9 Officer Killed in Shoot Out

February 2, GRITNEY, FL - Col. Greg Malloy, a K-9 Officer for the Department of Corrections, was killed in a gun battle with an ex con who was being hunted for killing his parents. The ex con was also killed. "The colonel and other officers put themselves in harm's way to apprehend this dangerous suspect," said Holmes County Sheriff Tim Brown in an e-mail statement. "My heart goes out to all his family, friends and fellow officers."


Construction Worker Dies in Fall

February 2, SPARTANBURG, SC - 27 year old Joseph Daniel Hall died after he fell while doing renovation work at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind in Spartanburg. Hall fell from a ladder while installing an electrical box at the school. He worked for a subcontractor, Bobby Jackson Electrical, doing renovations.


Worker Killed in Gas Well Pipeline Accident

February 1, GALETON, PA - 50 year old Joseph L. Craig, a gas well worker for West Penn Energy Services, was killed Tuesday when he was struck by a truck that was backing up on a gas well pipeline job in West Branch Township, Potter County. According to police, the truck driver did not see Craig and his death is ruled an accident.


Municipal Services Director Falls From Tower

January 31, WESTERN SPRINGS, IL - 41 year old William Nelson of Downers Grove deputy village manager and director of municipal services for the village of Western Springs, died Monday after an apparent fall from a village water tower. Deputy Police Chief Brian Budds said Nelson had been alone when he apparently attempted to climb the water tower. He was a hands-on sort of administrator, Budds said.


Truck Driver Dies in Wreck

January 31, THURBER, TX - 67 year old Jerry Albert Hildreth of Odessa was killed Monday night when his vehicle went through an interstate median into a creek bed near Thurber. It was raining and at 10:48 p.m., Hildreth's vehicle went through the median and into a creek bed where he was pronounced dead, the report said.



H.E.R.O. Unit Member Hit and Killed

January 31, ATLANTA, GA - 45 year old Spencer Pass, an employee for the GA DOT H.E.R.O. (Highway Emergency Response Operators) Unit was struck and killed while helping a stranded motorist in the emergency lane of I-85 near Metropolitan Parkway in S.W. Atlanta Monday morning. He was struck by a passing utility truck towing a flatbed trailer with heavy equipment which first struck Pass's H.E.R.O. vehicle before striking him.


Maintenance Worker Killed in Industrial Accident

January 31, GILES, VA - 56 year old Francisco R. Albino of Virginia Beach died after he got caught in a piece of equipment atop a set of towers used to store the manufactured asphalt. Albino was doing routine maintenance, not mixing asphalt, when he got caught in the mechanical equipment.



Farmer Dies in Fall Through Barn Skylight

January 31, LITTLE FALLS, MN - 46 year old Verd Anez fell to his death while shoveling snow from the roof of a pole barn on his farm when he broke through a fiberglass skylight. Anez was also a beloved youth hockey coach of ages PeeWee to Varsity.




Town Worker Killed in Highway Rollover

January 31, NEEDHAM, MA - 62 year old John A. Barisano of Marshfield was killed this morning when he lost control of his pickup truck on Route 3 northbound in Pembroke, State Police said. He was driving his town-owned truck when it struck and flipped over the guardrail on the left side of the road and rolled over into the median strip, ejecting him, State Police said in a statement. The crash is being investigated.


Oil Field Worker Killed in Accident

January 30, NINE MILE CANYON, UT - 32 year old Cody Earl McMullin of Roosevelt, a water truck driver, had been removing water from a pit at a location in the Wells Draw area of Nine Mile Canyon when he climbed onto the pump jack at the well site for some reason, said Duchesne County Sheriff's Sgt. John Crowley. McMullin fell into the pump jack and suffered fatal crush injuries, Crowley said. The man's body was discovered by other oil-field workers when they arrived at the site Sunday morning.


Two Employees Killed by Rival Shop Owner

January 30, SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Qiong Han Chu and Feng Ping Ou, both 30 years old, were shot inside a souvenir shop at San Francisco's famous Fisherman's Wharf that likely stemmed from a business dispute involving another store, police said Monday. The suspect worked at a nearby souvenir shop, and police believe an ongoing business dispute was to blame for the violence, police spokesman Lt. Troy Dangerfield said. He declined to elaborate.



Prison Guard Strangled by Inmate

January 29, SEATTLE, WA - 34 year old Jayme Lee Biendl of Granite Falls, a corrections officer who had raised concerns about being the sole guard in the chapel of a Washington state prison was strangled there Saturday, and an inmate serving a life sentence is the primary suspect, authorities said Sunday. Biendl led religious programs at the prison and she was alone at the chapel Saturday night and was not carrying a weapon, as is typical for many corrections officers, they added.


Firefighter Ill on Duty Dies on Way to Doctor

January 29, AUGUSTA, GA - 45 year old Antonio "Tony" Jones died after feeling ill while on duty and leaving to drive himself to his doctor. While en route to the doctor he passed out at a traffic light and his vehicle rolled and bumped into another vehicle prompting a call for help.


Teenage Resident Stabs Shelter Worker to Death

January 29, LOWELL, MA - 34 year old Jose Roldan, was stabbed to death Saturday morning by a teenage resident of Lowell Transitional Living Center, the Middlesex district attorney’s office and Lowell police said in a statement. When police responded they found Roldan stabbed and the suspect holding the knife. The teenage suspect has been charged with murder.


Volunteer Firefighter Dies on Duty

January 29, PARKTON, NC - 57 year old James Walters died of an apparent heart attack while on duty Saturday. Walters, a volunteer firefighter for the Parkton Fire Dept., was doing paperwork in the station at night with another firefighter when he collapsed. Crews administered CPR and used a defibrillator on Walters and he was transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where he later died.


Corrections Officer Killed in Crash

January 29, NAPANOCH, NY - 52 year old Casmiro Pomales of Kerhonkson, NY died in a vehicle accident in the line of duty on Friday while transporting a prisoner. She worked at the Eastern Correctional Facility in Napanoch, Ulster County. According to the state police, another driver lost her focus while adjusting her car’s heater. Her car veered right and sideswiped the DOCS van. Both vehicles were forced off the road and down an embankment, but only the van overturned. The other driver, prisoner and another officer in the van were not seriously injured.


Heavy Fog Possible Contributor to Fatal Triple Semi Crash

January 29, PRINCE GEORGE, VA - 49 year old Lionardo S. Reina of Miama, FL died following a crash that involved three tractor-trailers Saturday morning. Police say heavy fog may have played a role in the wreck that disrupted traffic on Interstate 295 for more than 10 hours. A passenger in Reina's truck was injured as was the driver of one of the other semi's.


Store Owner Died After Fall Down Stairs

January 28, WHITING, ME - 55 year old Judy Stevens, store owner for the Whiting Store, was found Friday morning by an employee of the Whiting Store. Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith says it is believed Stevens fell and died instantly when it appears Stevens was going up the stairs when she slipped and fell.


Tanker Driver Dies in Fiery Crash

January 28, SALIDA, CO - 78 year old Allen Hubbard of Denver has died in a fiery crash that closed U.S. 50 between Salida and Swissvale for about seven hours. Authorities say preliminary reports indicate he was heading east on U.S. 50 around 9 a.m. Friday when the tanker went off the road on a curve, overturned and exploded.


Worker Crushed to Death

January 28, CLERMONT, FL - 20 year old Delmas Ramsey is dead and another was injured after an industrial accident Friday at De Witt Excavating on State Road-50 near the Lake-Orange County Line in Clermont, Lake County Emergency Medical Services said. Delmas and the injured worker were operating a cement crusher machine when it appears it became clogged and something went wrong. Investigators believe the machine may have been running, trapping the workers inside. One employee was able to escape, but suffered severe injuries to his lower body. But Delmas was stuck inside the crusher and was killed.


Construction Worker Killed Falling From Scaffold

January 27, AUSTIN, TX - 29 year old Elvis Mendez of Honduras but living near Dallas died after falling nearly 20 feet from a construction scaffolding unit at an apartment complex being built on Crow Lane near Stassney Lane and South Congress Avenue in South Austin.


Worker Falls to His Death From Makeshift Lift

January 27, AUSTIN, TX - 35 year old Elvin Ferrufino, who was later identified, died Thursday after falling from a makeshift lift at a housing complex in South Austin. A second worker was taken to the hospital. A witness, who ran to the site after hearing loud noises, said the lift was made of wood and should have been metal.


Double Semi Crash Kills One

January 27, CARLSBAD, NM - 55 year old David Hugaboom was killed in a crash of two tanker trucks head-on. Initial investigation by the state police determined that the 2001 Mack, driven by Hugaboom, was traveling eastbound on the highway and the 2001 Peterbilt, driven by another driver, was traveling westbound. "For reasons unknown at this time, the two trucks collided head-on on the south side of the roadway after the other driver's vehicle was driven left of the center (of the road)," said Hooper. "The force of the collision caused catastrophic damage to both tanker trucks."


UPDATE to Identity of Miner Who Died in Accident

January 26, PINEVILLE, WV - 19 year old John Lester has been identified as the miner who died at Baylor Mining's Jims Branch No. 3A mine. Lester was a red hat miner, which means he was still training, but was able to work some positions without direct supervision. The accident involved a conveyor belt in the underground mine. No other details were immediately available.


Semi Driver Dead in Fiery Crash Named

January 21, MERRITT ISLAND, FL - 42 year old John Larchen Lynch of Lauderhill died when another vehicle hit his fuel tanker causing it to crash. Lynch was westbound of State Road 528 but after being hit by a pickup, the tanker, owned by Pipeline Transportation of Jacksonville, smashed through a concrete wall and landed on the eastbound side. Its trailer disconnected, fell off the bridge next to the Ford and blew up. The tanker was carrying 8,700 gallons of gasoline. Nearly all of the fuel burned, destroying the Beachline overpass.