Weekly Toll:Death in the American Workplace

Employee Stabbed to Death

September 28, MOUNT PLEASANT, SC - 20 year old David "DJ" Moultrie was stabbed to death outside the Walmart store he was working at. Moultrie and another man got into a verbal confrontation in the parking lot of the store and for an unknown reason the man pulled a sharp object and stabbed Moultrie. The assailant has been arrested.


Sheriff Deputy Suffers Heart Attack on Call

September 28, BISMARK, ND - 39 year old Bryan Sleeper, a Burleigh County Sheriff deputy, collapsed and died of a heart attack while on a call. Sleeper was helping another officer arrest a suspect for multiple charges when he began to feel distress and collapsed. The medical examiner determined Sleeper died of a heart attack.


Farm Equipment Causes Farmer's Death

September 27, MARTINSBURG, WV - 55 year old Terrance J. Stemple died Tuesday in an incident with his farm tractor. According to police, Stemple was attempting to pull a large log out of some brush with a pulley system when the front end of his tractor went up, causing it to turn over on him, killing him instantly.


Farmer Killed When Tractor Flips

September 27, HULL, IA - 81 year old Leroy Dykstra died after his farm tractor flipped over on top of him. Dykstra was using the tractor to pull a large tree up a hill when the tractor flipped.


Restaurant Owner Found Dead

September 27, IPSWICH, MA - 62 year old Shui Keung Woo of Quincy, owner of Majestic Dragon Chinese restaurant, was found dead near the kitchen Tuesday morning. Authorities have not determined the manner of Woo's death but they are investigating the death as a homicide. Woo, known as "Tony" was a well known and loved fixture in the neighborhood.



Two Co-Workers Found Dead

September 27, KENNEBUNKPORT, ME - 70 year old Richard Kemp of Monmouth and 58 year old Winfield Studley of Windsor were found dead inside a hotel's sewage tank Tuesday. Both men, employees for Stevens Electric & Pump were servicing a pump at the hotel next to another company's employee who was pumping out the sewage tank. That person left with a load of sewage and when he returned Kemp and Studley were not there. They were reported missing and as the tank pumping resumed, the men's bodies were discovered inside. It is unclear how or why they came to fall into the tank. UPDATE: More information has been released as to cause of death for these workers.


Elementary School Teacher Found Dead in Classroom

September 26, EAST MOLINE, IL - 25 year old Sarah E. Knight was found dead inside her classroom at Hillcrest Elementary Monday night. She was found unresponsive by a night custodian. Knight taught a bilingual kindergarten class. Police say it is unclear how Knight died, but do not suspect foul play.


Camp Worker Dies in Fall

September 26, OAKHURST, CA - 23 year old Nadyne Qirreh of Vacaville died after she fell 30' while working at Calvin Crest Camp in Oakhurst. Erica Stuart, Madera County Sheriff's Dept. said, "She was gathering ropes from the climbing rock wall and apparently, on the platform is what's called a door hatch. It should've been closed but for whatever reason it was open and she fell through." Qirreh had taken 3 weeks of OSHA training before taking the job. Cal-OSHA is investigating.


Worker Stabbed to Death At Restaurant

September 26, PENSACOLA, FL - 19 year old Tyler John Hinkle was killed in the parking lot of the Domino's Pizza restaurant on Navy Blvd. after returning from delivering a pizza. Hinkle had been stabbed by an unknown assailant in a dark lot behind the store. He managed to get inside the store and give a brief description of the person who stabbed him before he collapsed.


Worker Dies in Oil Field Incident

September 26, VENTURA, CA - 34 year old Oscar Zamudio of Bakersfield died in an industrial incident in an oil field near Ventura on Monday. Zamudio was pinned between an oil rig and a large metal beam after he climbed up to help two co-workers who were removing a large hinge pin while erecting a new oil drilling rig and the beam collapsed. Cal-OSHA is investigating the incident.


Bulldozer Rollover Kills Well Known Creator

September 26, ST.LOUIS, MO - 61 year old Bob Cassilly, founder of City Museum, was found dead inside his bulldozer Monday morning. According to authorities, the bulldozer Cassilly was driving had slid off a rocky hill and flipped several times before landing upright. Cassilly was working on Cementland, his newest playground at the old Missouri Portland Cement Co., at Riverview Drive and Scranton Avenue.


Store Clerk Dies in Armed Robbery

September 25, CAPE CORAL, FL - 29 year old Muhammad Ali died of injuries he received in an armed robbery. Ali was working at Back Bay Market when two individuals wearing masks encountered Ali in the store. Authorities are not saying how Ali died.


Firefighter Dies After Training Exercise

September 25, LANCASTER, PA - 38 year old Keith Rankin collapsed after a training exercise Sunday. Other firefighters jumped in to help Rankin but they were not able to revive him. Rankin had been running the "live burn" drill at the Lancaster County Fire School on Village Road. He was talking with some firefighters when he collapsed. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital.



Worker Dies of Gunshot Wounds

September 25, HEBRON, IN - 24 year old Michael Pasternak Jr. of Gary died of gunshot wounds he received while mowing at a residential home in Hebron. Pasternak, owner of Budget Lawn Care, was working with his father at the residence when shots rang out from a wooded area nearby. Police are searching for the person(s) responsible.


Worker Dies of Fall Down Elevator Shaft

September 23, MANHATTAN, NY - 44 year old Robert Melito fell to his death down an elevator shaft in an office building in Manhattan Friday. Police say Melito was servicing an elevator on the 10th floor when he fell. A full investigation is underway.


Experienced Logger Dies in Accident

September 23, TEHACHAPI, CA - 51 year old Jennings "Billy" Bennett of Onyx was killed in a logging accident Friday on the Tehachapi Mountain. Bennett, employed by Witten Logging Co, was killed when a felled tree that became caught in another tree dislodged and fell. It fell onto Bennett while he was cutting another tree.


Worker at Farm Dealership Crushed Under Equipment

September 21, POLK, WI - 21 year old Jacob Eickstedt of Jackson was crushed when a large piece of equipment fell onto him. According to police, Eickstedt was trying to repair a forage harvester at Mid-State Equipment on Wednesday morning when an attachment dropped down and trapped him underneath. He was airlifted to a local hospital where he died.


Worker Crushed to Death

September 21, PINCKNEYVILLE, IL - 21 year old Keven Cibrowski of Trenton was killed while working to build a grain bin near Pinckneyville. Authorities say Cibrowski was crushed by a piece of a tower that fell on him during the construction project. No other details have been released.


Tree Trimmer Dies in Fall

September 21, LANSING, MI - 49 year old Ronn Mason died after falling from a tree he was working in Wednesday. Mason, owner of A-1 Tree & Landscape Service, was working to remove a tree at a private residence when he fell.


Man Dies in Farm Related Incident

September 21, PALMYRA, MO - 62 year old Gary W. Bradney died after being run over by a farm tractor trailer. The sheriff's office says that Bradney was working underneath the trailer full of corn when someone began driving it to a local repair shop. The trailer rolled over Bradney, killing him.


Tractor Trailer Driver Dies in Crash

September 19, GLASGOW, KY - 55 year old Samuel Deets of Cochranton, PA died as the result of a crash of his Peterbilt semi in Butler County. KY Troopers say he lost control of the semi after coming over a hill. The truck overturned and skidded, landing across lanes of the highway.


Worker Dies in Construction Incident

September 17, WILLS CREEK, WV - 66 year old Roger Eugene Shafer of Buford, GA died of unknown injuries on a construction site in Wills Creek. Details of the manner or cause of his death are not known.


Construction Worker Crushed Under Wall

September 17, PRAIRIE COLLEGE, TX - Sean Taylor of College Station was killed in a construction incident Saturday. Taylor was part of a crew erecting walls with the help of a crane. One panel was knocked into another which caused it to fall. Taylor tried to run out of the way but He was unable to get fully out of the way and fell on him, killing him instantly according to police.











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