Sunday, April 01, 2007

Weekly Toll: Death In The American Workplace

A partial list of workplace fatalities over the past few weeks.


Worker Dies In Plant Accident


North Dakota - A Hatton, N.D., man was killed Tuesday morning when he got caught in sunflower seed cleaning equipment at a processing plant in the Traill County town, said Sheriff Mike Crocker. We got a 911 call about 11:30 a.m., Crocker said. "It appears his clothing got caught in some equipment, some kind of cleaning or separator," Crocker said. "It was a turning shaft and it pulled him in." The man, who was 36, died at the scene from injuries from the equipment, Crocker said. He was the station manager of the SunPro plant, which processes confectionary sunflowers used in bird seed, pet foods and some human foods.



Time Warner worker dies after fall from ladder

A few hours after he sat through a meeting on safety procedures, a Time Warner Inc. employee on Tuesday left his helmet and safety belt in his truck, climbed a ladder about 25 feet off the ground to repair a cable and plummeted to his death at 1:19 p.m., according to a police report. Michael Billings, 50, suffered head injuries upon striking the pavement of a parking lot in the 9400 block of Interstate 35, the report stated. He had failed to attach himself to his ladder or put on a safety belt before trying to cut the cable -- standard safety procedures, his supervisors told police.


Worker dies after fall from transmission tower

HARRODSBURG, Ky. --A worker who was helping to build a transmission tower in central Kentucky fell from the tower and died, a utility company spokesman said. Timothy R. Barker, 42, of Morehead, fell 60 to 70 feet Tuesday, Kentucky Utilities spokesman Cliff Feltham told the Lexington Herald-Leader. Barker fell while working at the E.W. Brown power plant near Shakertown in Mercer County, Feltham said. Barker was employed by a Lexington company, B&B Electric. He was doing work for Kentucky Utilities but wasn't employed by the utility, the newspaper said.


Federal agency investigating fatal injury at glass business


PAYNE, Ohio - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a 25-year-old woman injured on the job at Taylor Made Glass here Friday. Amanda Moriah Eanes of Payne was carrying a large piece of glass with another female employee with it slipped out of Ms. Eanes' hand and struck her neck, causing severe bleeding, said Payne police who were called to the plant on North Maple Street about 6 p.m. She was taken to Paulding County Hospital and then flown to Parkview Memorial Hospital, Fort Wayne, Ind., where she died Saturday afternoon.


Two Vineyard Workers Found Dead


Breaking news today out of Santa Barbara County.

CA - Two workers were found dead this morning at Clos Pepe Vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills off Highway 246, halfway between Buellton and Lompoc. It appears that Regelio Ruiz Reyes, 25, and Ramon Cisneros Acosta, 42, a foreman with the winery for 10 years, drowned in an irrigation basin attempting to clean a filtration system. The Sheriff's Department is still investigating the deaths, but it appears to be an industrial accident. They aren't sure who went into the basin first. It is thought either Reyes or Acosta went in to rescue whomever dove in first.


Deadly work shooting shatters Valentine plans

Houston, TX -- In what Houston police characterized as a "random shooting," a man waiting for his wife to finish work so that they could celebrate St. Valentine's Day together was shot to death, allegedly by an employee at a northeast Houston business.


Hardware manager is slain in Maywood; Man served on Police and Fire Commission

Maywood, IL -- Less than 12 hours after seeing her only son shot to death in a holdup of their Maywood hardware store, June Lowenthal opened her shop doors Tuesday with a sense of duty and a heavy heart. "I was going to close today but it snowed last night and the customers need bags of salt for their sidewalks," said June Lowenthal, 80, whose voice was steady though her eyes were red. "And I'd go crazy if I stayed home." Jeffrey Lowenthal, 53, Bahcall's longtime store manager, was fatally shot in an apparent armed robbery attempt about 5:30 p.m. Monday, Maywood police said. No suspects were in custody as of late Tuesday.


CRASH KILLS NEWSPAPER CARRIER

Roanoke, VA -- A newspaper carrier for The Roanoke Times died after a single-vehicle accident early Tuesday morning in Alleghany County. Virginia State Police said Robert Bowen's 2007 Ford Fusion hit a patch of ice on Jackson River Road about 3 a.m. The car slid off the right side of the road and hit a tree. Bowen, 38, of Covington, was taken to Alleghany Regional Hospital and was pronounced dead at 5:30 a.m., according to Sgt. Robert Carpentieri. Bowen was not wearing a seat belt, Carpentieri said.


Truck driver killed in crash on Route 581 ramp

Harrisburg, PA -- A Harrisburg man died yesterday when his truck flipped over a concrete barrier after he lost control on a curving off-ramp on Route 581 in Hampden Twp., authorities said. Gerald F. Keever, 59, of Boas Street, was ejected from the truck when it flipped around 9: 30 a.m. when he tried to exit eastbound onto the Carlisle Pike, said Cumberland County Deputy Coroner Todd C. Eckenrode. The truck struck a barrier and overturned onto the westbound entrance ramp for Route 581.


El Dorado police shoot man accused in landlord's death

El Dorado, AR -- An El Dorado man was wounded by police Saturday night after, they say, he shot his landlord in the street and shot at officers responding to the disturbance. Michael L. Ward, 44, of El Dorado is charged with capital murder in the shooting death of his landlord and neighbor, Edward Wylie Ginger, owner of Bill's Pawn Shop in El Dorado.


Sports bar to raise money for slain security guard

LA MIRADA, CA -- Managers at Ocean's Sports Bar were scheduled to meet Monday afternoon to plan a series of fund-raising events to help the family of a 28-year-old security guard who was shot to death at the establishment on Friday. Reyes Armando Garcia of Pico Rivera was shot just before 10:30 p.m. Friday by one of a group of people who were refused entry into the sports bar because of their gang attire, police said. Garcia left behind a family and several children, sports bar employee Candace Plantier said Monday.


Fiery crash kills trucker, shuts toll road

HAMMOND, IL -- A Chicago truck driver was fatally injured late Thursday in a fiery crash that closed the Indiana Toll Road in Hammond for more than nine hours, police said. The driver for Dayton Freight Line was killed after he lost control of his eastbound semitrailer truck on the toll road (Interstate Highway 90) near Cline Avenue around 11 p.m. Thursday, Indiana State Police said. The semi slammed into the center concrete bridge wall, and the force pushed the cab of the truck up and over the wall, authorities said. The cab came to rest in the westbound lanes and caught fire. After the flames were doused, the water froze in the bitter cold, a state trooper said.


Plane Broke Up Before Crashing in Ga.

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- A small civilian plane that broke apart in the air, scattering wreckage in a wooded training area of Fort Stewart, was carrying passengers on a trip to buy a recreational vehicle, authorities said Monday. Killed were the pilot and three passengers, two of whom were planning to buy a recreational vehicle and drive it back to Florida, according to the charter company. Liberty County Coroner Reginald L. Pierce identified the passengers Monday as Joshua Manso, 28, of Melbourne, Fla.; Michael Marasia, 34, of Satellite Beach, Fla.; and Trevor Quinn, 30, of Melbourne.


Fatal accident closes I-26 for 4 hours


An 8-mile section of Interstate 26 in upper Dorchester County was shut down for about four hours Saturday after a fatal accident in which an 18-wheeler smashed into trees. He said the accident, near mile marker 171, ripped apart the cab of the eastbound tractor-trailer rig and ejected the driver, who died at the scene. The driver, whose name was not available, may have fallen asleep at the wheel, Brouthers said.


Sawmill worker snagged by blade and killed

St. Louis, MO -- An employee of a sawmill near Potosi died Thursday after an accident on the job, the Washington County Sheriff's Department reported. Officials said Jose Garcia, 31, of Park Hills, reached inside a large machine at the H & H Sawmill about 10 a.m. to try to keep a saw from jamming; the turning blade snagged his clothing and dragged him in.


Worker killed at Nashville waste water plant

NASHVILLE Tenn. -- A Florida man was killed Friday when he was pinned against a wall at a waste water plant, police said. Officers said Ezequiel Resendiz, 22, of Bonita Springs, Fla., was crushed when a backhoe operator pushed a box of construction materials against the wall at the Dry Creek Waste Water Plant.


Shades of the Old West: Two Ore. ranchers dead in cattle dispute

PORTLAND Ore.-- Four cows that had gone missing from their spread in Eastern Oregon led cattlemen Dennis Beach and his son, Travis, to a cousin's ranch about eight miles away. The ranch owner, Tom Beach, wasn't there when Dennis and Travis Beach arrived to fetch their cows. But the ranch caretakers were: Shane Huntsman and Donna Carol Beach Dunning, who is Tom Beach's sister. Huntsman killed Dennis Beach, shooting him off his horse with a .30-30 caliber rifle. Travis scuffled with Huntsman, who hit Travis in the head with a rock. Travis wrestled the rifle from Huntsman and shot him, according to the affidavit.


Truck driver killed in rollover near Roundup

BILLINGS Mont.-- A semi tractor-trailer went out of control on an icy stretch of U.S. Highway 87 near Roundup, causing a crash that killed the driver and injured his passenger, the Montana Highway Patrol said.The crash happened at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, when the southbound semi went off the left side of the road, spun out and rolled over, the patrol said. The driver, 77-year-old Jesse Lacock Jr., of Saco, was pinned inside the truck and died at the scene. His passenger, a 71-year-old man, was able to crawl out of the wreckage with only minor injuries. His name has not been released.


Trucker dies in fiery wreck

Kansas City, MO -- After a multivehicle accident involving a tractor-trailer, fire crews worked to put out the fire on the truck late Thursday morning. The truck driver (An Gang, 48) was killed in the crash, which occurred on northbound I-435 near the I-35 split. A tractor-trailer driver died and three other persons were injured in a fiery crash Thursday that closed part of Interstate 435 in Kansas City, North. The accident occurred when the northbound tractor-tractor rear-ended a Buick, forcing the vehicle into the right-hand lane, up an embankment and into a concrete overpass, Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Scott Meyer said.


Truck drivers die in head-on crash

St. Paul, MN -- The drivers of two semitrailer trucks were killed Thursday night when they collided head-on on Interstate Hwy. 494 in South St. Paul, the State Patrol said. At least one of the trucks burst into flames after the crash at 9:42 p.m. The patrol said a westbound truck crossed the median on the highway, crashing into the other in the eastbound lane. No other information was available late Thursday night.


Cabbie shot to death in robbery setup, charges say


Brooklyn, NY -- Using a stolen cell phone, a man called for a taxi at a Brooklyn Center apartment building before dawn Sunday. Green and White driver Jim Moody arrived with no idea that he had driven into a trap laid by two gunmen who wanted his money, authorities said. "He was going to give me the money, but then he grabbed my gun," Brandon D. Cox, 21, said afterward, according to murder charges filed Thursday against the Omaha man and his alleged accomplice, Willen T. McIntyre, 19, of Blaine.


Texan falls to his death at Port of Shreveport-Bossier

TX - A Texas man fell to his death Friday morning while working on a communications tower at the Port of Shreveport-Bossier in an unincorporated area of southeast Caddo. Authorities said they were unsure how far Anthony Shands fell. The 72-year-old Gilmer resident had been connecting cables on the 150-foot tower for about an hour, according to Caddo sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Chadwick. Shands was wearing a harness as he worked, but it had not been determined whether the equipment malfunctioned or may have been misused, Chadwick said.


Wharton County game warden shot and killed in high speed chase Friday night

PIERCE, TX - Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden Justin Hurst, who would have turned 34 today, was shot and killed following a high-speed chase that started on Alternate U.S. Highway 90 Friday night. Capital murder charges are expected to be filed today against a 26-year-old Wharton County man who led the chase. He is under guard at Oak Bend Hospital in Rosenberg where he is being treated for gunshot wounds, according to a news release from the Department of Public Safety. The pursuit started around 11:30 p.m. after a game warden spotted the man between East Bernard and Eagle Lake and suspected him of illegally hunting from the road. When he approached the vehicle, the man fled.


Electrical Worker Dies After Equipment Fell On Him

GREENWOOD, Ind. -- An Indianapolis Power and Light worker has died from injuries he suffered in an accident on Friday. Christopher Hartsock was replacing a transformer in Greenwood when he was trapped underneath a piece of equipment that had fallen on him. When police arrived, members of Hartsock's crew were already performing CPR and managed to revive him. Hartsock survived, but later died at Methodist Hospital from the injuries. He was a 13-year employee of IPL.


Engineering firm worker dies from fall off high-rise

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A worker died Monday after falling from a high-rise building, authorities said. Ed Salvano, 57, was on the 14th floor of the Coral Ridge Towers East when his harness broke about 11 a.m., Fort Lauderdale Detective Kathy Collins said. Salvano died at the scene. Salvano was working with Swaysland Professional Engineering, of Plantation.


Athens farm worker killed at crossing

AL - An Athens farm worker was killed when a train collided with a piece of farm equipment he was operating. Gerald Dean Jernigan, 67, was using an Ag-Chem Terra-Gator to spread fertilizer on fields south of the railroad tracks at the time of the crash about 3 p.m. Friday. Segers Volunteer Fire Department Chief Don Spencer said Jernigan appeared to be crossing the tracks heading north on Greenbrier Road, north of Interstate 65 in Limestone County, when the collision with the westbound train took place.


Oil Field Worker Dies In Crash

NEOLA, UT - An oil field worker was killed after his truck ran off the road and crashed into a ravine. That's according to the Utah Highway Patrol, who says the accident happened yesterday on state Route 121 in Duchesne County. UHP troopers say 29-year-old Thomas J. Starkey from Neola was heading toward Roosevelt on his way to work when he drifted off the road and crashed into a post. Troopers say Starkey then overcorrected, crossed into the oncoming lane before driving off the highway and into a 60-foot-deep ravine. He was pronounced dead at the scene.


Construction worker dies in trench collapse

CA - A construction worker was killed Monday when a trench he was digging for a new Thousand Oaks home collapsed on him. Daniel Contreras, 32, of Oxnard was standing in the 4-foot-deep trench about 8:50 a.m. when walls of loose dirt and shale fell in on him, officials said. An autopsy will be performed today, said James Baroni chief deputy medical examiner with the Ventura County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office. The trench was being excavated for a sewer line for a house being built on Antares Court, a small residential street in a development near Thousand Oaks' foothills.


Sheriff's deputy dies in car collision

CA - A Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputy died today in an early morning head-on collision on Pierce Street near 63rd Avenue in Thermal. The driver of the other vehicle was killed also. Deputy Manuel Villegas, 33, of Indio died at the scene around 1 a.m. today, according to Deputy Juan Zamora. He is survived by a wife and three children. The other victim was Jorge Alberto Martinez, 64, of Coachella, according to Tami Low of the California Highway


Patrol.Roofer falls to his death after roof collapse

AL - A 34-year-old Mobile man on a crew replacing the roof of a gymnasium at Bishop State Community College's main campus near downtown died Thursday when the roof collapsed and he fell through the hole and hit the gym floor, officials said. Officer Eric Gallichant, a police spokesman, identified the victim as Charles Michael Lammons, who was employed by Kiker Roofing & Sheet Metal Contractors of Mobile. The incident occurred about 7:30 a.m. The gym is part of the Fredericka G. Evans Cultural Centre on Broad Street, a building that also houses a swimming pool, classrooms and a dance studio


One dead, one injured in accident at mine

GLENFORD, OH — One man died and one man was taken to Grant Medical Center in Columbus following a noon accident Friday at a mine in Glenford. According to the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, David Flowers, 44, of Somerset, died after some sort of mining accident at Oglebay Norton Industrial Sands, Inc., which is located on Glass Rock Road in Glenford. Glenford is about 20 miles west of Zanesville in Perry County. A second worker, Stephen Dittoe, 42, of Somerset, was also injured during the accident. He was initially taken to Genesis Hospital and later taken to Grant Medical Center in Columbus where he is listed in fair condition.


Fort Smith Police Officer Killed

AR - A Fort Smith police officer was killed while helping a mother retrieve her child from a residence where she previously had a run in with her ex-boyfriend. Thirty-three-year-old Officer Daniel C. Martinez was shot in the head last night and died later at a hospital. 22-year-old Donna Stevens was shot in the back, shoulder and elbow, and taken to a Little Rock hospital for treatment. She is listed in serious condition. A police spokesman says 26-year-old Richard Englebright -- the suspect and the brother of Stevens' former boyfriend -- fled from the home in a car and shot himself in the head before Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers found him in his car near Spiro, Oklahoma.


Bridge worker dies in boating accident

PASS CHRISTIAN, MS — State and federal agencies are investigating a boating accident in which a bridge worker from Texas was killed and another injured. Steve Inscore, 47, of Wimberly, Texas, died in the Tuesday's crash, said Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove. Inscore was killed when the crewboat he was driving struck a barge just north of the construction site of the U.S. 90 bridge over the Bay of St. Louis. Inscore's death from massive head, chest and abdomen injuries was ruled accidental.


Police ID Construction Worker Killed In Shooting

POMONA, Calif. - Pomona police Wednesday identified a construction worker who was fatally shot in an attack that left two other workers wounded. Carlos Edward Gonzalez, 18, of Huntington Park, was shot at Oak Street and Mission Boulevard about 9:40 a.m. Tuesday and later declared dead at a hospital, according to Pomona police Sgt. Rob Baker. Jorge Solano, 18, of Riverside, and Jonathan Gomez, 20, of Corona, survived the attack, Baker said. The gunman opened fire on the truck the men were in while en route to a convenience store during a morning break from work. The motive was unknown. No immediate arrests were made.


Construction accident leaves worker dead

LEXINGTON, SC – Officials in Lexington County are investigating a construction accident that left one worker dead Tuesday when his roller overturned. Lexington County Coroner Harry Harman said Pascual Francisco was declared dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred at a construction site on the 5300 block of Sunset Boulevard. Witnesses told authorities Francisco was operating a roller used for paving when it overturned around 2:45 p.m. The victim was pinned underneath the heavy equipment. Harman said the victim died of multiple body trauma. The Lexington County Coroner’s Office and the Lexington Police Department are continuing their investigation into the accident.


Worker dies after falling

ROCK SPRINGS, MT - A worker performing maintenance to a boiler area at Jim Bridger Power Plant died after he fell about 25 feet off a scaffold, authorities said. Leo Greyeyes, 49, of Kayenta, Ariz., fell Tuesday morning and died of head and chest trauma, according to Deputy County Coroner Travis Sanders. Greyeyes was pronounced dead at the emergency room at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, Sanders said. David Eskelson, spokesman for Rocky Mountain Power, said maintenance work has been stopped while federal investigators look into the incident.


Construction Worker Dies at Potawatomi

MILWAUKEE, WI - An employee of Rochelle Erector, Rochelle, Ill., fell and died Thursday from an upper level of the parking structure being erected on the site of the Potawatomi casino expansion project. Potawatomi released a statement saying its "condolences go out to the family, friends and co-workers, and our thoughts remain with them during this difficult time." Potawatomi Bingo Casino and the project manager, Gilbane Building Company, said they were gathering information and cooperating with authorities.


OSHA probing worker’s fatal fall

NY - While Buffalo police have ruled Tuesday’s death of a construction worker at a downtown project site an accident, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing its probe. Jonathan Fundalinski died following a fall through an open stair shaft at the historic Webb Building at 92 Pearl St. Fundalinski, 24, an employee of Burke Brothers Construction of Hamburg, was working on the second floor of the building when he slipped into the open stair tower and fell to the basement.


Store Manager Killed Trying To Stop Burglar

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The manager of a sportswear business was fatally run down Thursday while trying to stop a burglar, police said. Fort Lauderdale police said employees at Exist Sports Line saw a man breaking into a storage trailer where boxes of clothing were kept at about 9:30 a.m. when the manager of the business, later identified as Mahmoud Mansour, tried to stop the man from escaping. "At some point, the suspect entered a blue pickup truck, which is a stolen vehicle," Fort Lauderdale police Lt. Kathy Collins said. "He crashed through the fence and, at some point, struck and dragged the victim as well."


U.S. Forest Service officer killed in crash

BUCKLEY, Wash. – A suspected drunk driver involved in a horrific crash that killed a respected law enforcement officer should never have been on the road. The Washington State Patrol says U.S. Forest Service Officer Shane Wyrsch was driving home on Highway 410 near Buckley Monday night when a pickup crossed the center line and slammed into him head-on. Witnesses say the man who hit Wyrsch was driving very erratically. Troopers say he was likely drunk, and driving with a suspended license. All that's left of Shane Wyrsch's truck is a mangled pile of metal.


Man Killed In Farming Accident

HENNESSEY, Okla. - A farmer died after he was run over by a tractor and dragged about 300 feet, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said. Joe Charles Sedlak, 82, was found dead Monday evening about 10 miles east of Hennessey and three miles south of Oklahoma 51, officers said. He was apparently working the ground with the tractor when the accident happened.


Dallas officer dies in shootout

DALLAS, TX - A Dallas police officer was shot and killed Friday following a car chase in which the suspect's car ended up nose to nose with the squad car, a police spokesman said. Senior Cpl. Mark Timothy Nix, 33, who had been on the force nearly seven years, was declared dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital, police Sgt. Gil Cerda said. The chase began around 5 p.m. when officers spotted the man, believed to be a suspect in a killing committed earlier this week, driving down the street, Cerda said. When police tried to pull him over, he sped off.


Man Dies After Fall Down Air Shaft

CLEVELAND, OH -- A Toledo man is dead following an accident at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veteran's Adminstration Medical Center. Police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho said 28-year-old Jason Whitt was working on Thursday inside heating and cooling ducts when he fell four stories down a vertical shaft. Stacho said firefighters tried to resuscitate him, but he died from trauma to his head and body. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.


Police investigate death of construction worker

PLAINFIELD, Ill. - Authorities in Will County are investigating the death of a construction worker who police say was killed after being struck by a piece of construction equipment. The Will County Coroner says 49-year-old Karl Reed of Joliet was pronounced dead yesterday afternoon. Officers were called to the scene in Plainfield around 1 p.m. Authorities say Reed was struck by concrete that fell from a crane cable. Reed was taken to Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.


Apartment worker killed on the job

TX - An apartment complex employee was shot and killed Monday night while he was on the job. It happened around 9:30 p.m. at 10201 Telephone at the Quail Meadows Apartments. Investigators said two men approached the victim to rob him as he was locking up the laundry room. The men were wearing ski masks. According to detectives, when one of the suspects pulled out a gun, the employee tried his best to fight him off.


Officer remembered as 'hero'

CO - Aurora police say the death of an officer who was responding to a medical emergency was a tragedy, not a criminal act. Officer Douglas Byrne, 37, was pronounced dead at 2:10 this morning at Swedish Medical Center, after crashing his patrol car en route to a medical emergency. Initial reports, that a driver who contributed to the accident then left the scene were untrue, according to Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates.


Second officer dies after Moncks Corner shooting

SC - A second police officer has died after being shot when they responded to a domestic disturbance in Moncks Corner. A spokeswoman for a North Charleston hospital says 26-year-old Marcus Stiles died Monday morning. Forty-year-old Officer Lonnie Wells was killed Sunday afternoon. The suspect in the officers' shooting, 51-year-old Gary Douglas of Moncks Corner, died Sunday afternoon after being shot by officers.


Mount Holly Worker Killed By Forklift

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. -- A strange accident claimed the life of a worker in Mount Holly early Tuesday. Few details have been released about the incident at the Clariant Corporation on East Catawba Avenue, but police say the man fell off his forklift around 10:30 a.m. The man hit the ground and the forklift rolled over his head. The worker's name has not been released.


Worker Killed In North Charlotte Industrial Accident

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A worker was killed in an industrial accident in north Charlotte early Tuesday. Paramedics responded to Carolina Steel & Stone Inc. on Metromont Industrial Boulevard, which is off of Statesville Road, shortly after 8 a.m. They pronounced the man dead upon arrival. Police said it appears a large crane counterweight landed on the victim while he was trying to off load it from a tractor-trailer bed.


Construction worker dies after falling from roof

GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Police say a 33-year-old construction worker who fell off a roof of a building has died. Alvaro Mancera was pronounced dead today at a hospital in Grand Rapids. Police say the Holland resident was unrolling roofing materials on a building outside Grand Rapids yesterday and was walking backwards. A co-worker yelled at him to stop, but Mancera fell 40 to 50 feet onto a concrete footing. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.


Worker killed on job was everyone's favorite

MI - Don Witt always had a smile on his face and usually had a good joke to share. The 53-year-old Bailey man was the center of his family and a favorite of his co-workers. Witt, a pipe fitter for Northwest Kent Mechanical, was killed Friday after the cap of a pressurized water pipe struck him in the chest while he worked 30 feet underground in a lift station.


Fourth day on the job

AVALON, PA - A 35-year-old McKees Rocks-area man was killed Friday morning when he became trapped under a concrete slab on an 80-foot high hillside as he was cleaning up the parking lot behind a restaurant and lounge in Avalon, authorities said. The maintenance worker at Anthony's Lounge on Route 65 was on level ground tossing leaves and brush down the hill to clear the lot for a wedding to take place today when he knocked loose a 3-by-6-foot slab that marked the edge of the lot, Avalon Manager Harry Dilmore said. The Allegheny County medical examiner's office identified the man as Ivan Johnson and ruled that he died accidentally of asphyxiation from the barrier compressing his body.


Worker dies after being trapped in pumping station

WALKER, MI -- A contracted county worker who was rescued after being trapped inside a 30-foot hole in a water pumping station has died from his injuries. It happened just before 10:30 a.m. Friday, when emergency crews were called to the station near Butterworth and Wilson in Walker. The station pumps ground water from a floodplain from Henry Johnson Park to the Grand River. The 53-year-old victim from Bailey and another worker were inside the hole repairing a water pipe. Officials say the men had inserted a special bladder into one of the pipes to restrict the water flow and enable them to complete their work. That is when something happened to cause a plug to blow off. The plug struck the Bailey man, injuring and temporarily knocking him unconscious. Emergency crews from Walker and Grand Rapids helped pull him to safety. He was taken to a hospital where he later died. The other worker was able to get out of the hole on his own.


Woodburn man dies in oil-tank explosion

OTHELLO, OR -- State and federal safety investigators were looking at an electrical fan as the possible cause of an oil-tank explosion that killed a Woodburn man and injured three other people, including the co-owner of a local oil company, the police chief said Thursday. Workers for Ulrich Industrial Coatings Co. were sandblasting an oil tank and applying an epoxy coating when the empty tank exploded Wednesday at the Lawrence Oil Co. site, Police Chief Steve Dunnagan said. "We have not confirmed what created the spark that ignited fumes in the tank, but we have a suspicion it was caused by a portable fan being used to suck fumes out of the tank," Dunnagan said. "It was the closest electrical device at the time of ignition." Dunnagan identified the dead worker as Michael Taylor, 60, of Woodburn. He was an employee of Ulrich, which is based in Hillsboro.


87-Year-Old Farmer Trampled To Death By His Cows

VERNAL, Utah - A farmer from Vernal who was trampled by his own cows last week has lost his fight to survive. 87-year-old Cecil Holmes of Vernal died after a week in the hospital. The family believes it’s because two of the cows have calves and they become very protective and must have thought they were in danger. But this is a man who spent his entire life on a farm and was very familiar with how to deal with cows. Out in the open range 170 miles east of Salt Lake City sits a farm that has belonged to the same family for nearly 100 years.


Painter dies following industrial accident at UMass construction site

MA - A Springfield man died today, just two days after suffering severe injuries while working on the construction site of the new central heating plant at the University of Massachusetts, according to the UMass News and Information office. Rejean Chicoine, 55, of Springfield was spray painting beams on a scissors aerial lift when he became lodged between a beam and the lift, police said. He was freed only after co-workers climbed up the lift to dislodge him and then lower the lift, according to Ed Blaguszewski, Director of the News and Information Office at UMass.


OSHA launches investigation of fatal ADM plant accident

DECATUR, IL - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death Saturday of a contract worker for Archer Daniels Midland Co., following an accident at one of the company's Decatur facilities on Friday. Francisco Moreno Garcia, 26, suffered severe burns from steam. He had burns over 87 percent of his body, said Sangamon County Coroner Susan Boone. Garcia died at 8:10 p.m. Saturday in the burn unit at Springfield Memorial Hospital, Boone said. He was transported to Springfield after being treated at a Decatur hospital. Garcia was living in Decatur, Boone said.

2 comments:

water tank sydney said...

It is a bad news about the death of the several persons. According to the my point of the death of the peoples is not accidental.

springfield VA Dance studio said...

Its soo sad to see the news and that too about deaths and all why don't people take better care.

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