Monday, May 28, 2007

Weekly Toll: Death In The American Workplace

Worker injured in UW building dies

MADISON, Wis. - A worker died today from injuries sustained in an accident at a University of Wisconsin building in Madison. U-W police say officers responded yesterday afternoon to Hiram Smith Hall, where an employee of Robinson Brothers Environmental fell from a ten-foot ladder while working on asbestos removal. The 37-year-old worker, whose name is still being withheld, fell about seven feet and landed on the back of his head.


Worker Pulled From Manhole Dies

GA - A construction worker who was discovered unconscious at the bottom of a 20-to-25 foot deep manhole next to Northside Forsyth Hospital died of his injuries about 3 a.m. Thursday, a hospital official told 11Alive News. The 23-year-old man was found in the oxygen-deficient manhole Wednesday afternoon. A fellow worker who climbed into the hole to rescue him also fell unconscious but was expected to be released from the hospital later in the day. The two men were project engineers who were conducting a survey to get the site ready for construction of a new women's center at the hospital. They were taken into the hospital following their rescue. Lt. Jason Shivers of the Forsyth County Fire Department said that air is normally 21 percent oxygen, and humans need at least 19.5 percent to live. Firefighters measured the oxygen content at the bottom of the manhole and found it to be “well below 19.5 percent,” but Shivers did not have the exact data Wednesday afternoon.


Worker dies from Jackson fire injuries

GA - An employee of a tire recycling business that burned down in Butts County died Wednesday night of injuries from the fire. Jeff Cyronis, 39, of Covington "died as a result of burns suffered in the fire," said Butts County coroner Ralph Wilson. Cyronis was working at Greenman Technologies when it caught on fire "and got burned really bad," Wilson said. He was taken by helicopter to a burn center in Augusta. The blaze sent smoke drifting into metro Atlanta. The state fire marshal and local authorities are investigating the fire, Wilson said.


Airline worker dies following elevator accident

OH - Officials at the Dayton International Airport say an airline worker has died from an accident with a baggage elevator. Pinnacle Airlines says the accident happened yesterday. Her identity isn't being released at the family's request. No further details have been released. The elevator is in an area that is inaccessible to passengers. It's used to transport carry-on luggage at the airport to a ramp, where it is moved for loading onto departing airplanes. Pinnacle Airlines President Philip Trenary says the company is saddened by the loss. He says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. The regional airline is based in Memphis, Tennessee.


Helicopter found crashed, pilot killed

LINDSEY HALL – The search for a missing Kansas helicopter pilot who was scheduled to land Sunday at Muscle Shoals ended Tuesday when searchers found the crumpled remains of the aircraft in Bankhead National Forest. Lawrence County Sheriff Gene Mitchell said the aircraft, piloted by John Scott, of Pomona, Kan., was located around 11:30 a.m. in a densely wooded area of the forest east of Owl Creek Road near the Winston County line. Authorities said Scott’s father, J.D. Scott, was flying with pilot Phil Montgomery in a forestry service fixed-wing airplane and spotted smoke from an area of the forest. They radioed a National Guard helicopter that was also involved in the search. It was able to get close enough to identify the wrecked aircraft.



Constantia Highway Superintendent Killed in Work Accident

Town of Constantia, NY - People living in the Town of Constantia are in shock this evening over the death of David Webb. He died Tuesday in a freak accident, when a tree stump fell on top of him. As the town's Highway Superintendent, he's described as someone who was very safety conscious. David Webb is described as someone who did it all. Town Supervisor Ron Sakonyi says, "He was very dedicated; dedicated to the job. He was tireless. He went above and beyond what would normally be expected of anyone in his position." Watch This Video


TV station employee dies after being struck on Interstate 85

Spartanburg, SC - A Greenville television station reporter died Monday night after he was struck by a van while covering a wreck on Interstate 85 in Spartanburg County. Highway Patrol says Joe Loy, 58 years old, of WHNS was standing between an SUV owned by the station and a guardrail when the SUV was struck by the van. Officers say the van's driver had swerved to avoid a pickup truck that had cut him off. The truck never stopped, and now police are looking for that driver. Loy was the assignment editor at WHNS. He previously had worked at another Spartanburg station as well as one Columbia station. He was president of the South Carolina Associated Press Broadcasters in 2004 and 2005.


Carnival worker dies in fall from Ferris wheel

JERSEY SHORE, Pa. - A carnival worker hanging over the side of a Ferris wheel to work on the ride fell to the ground and died. Thomas Simcox, 28 of Petersburg, Huntingdon County, was working on the ride Monday afternoon when he fell about five feet to the ground and landed on his head, Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr. said. "I was told he was changing light bulbs on the Ferris wheel when he fell," Kiessling said. Simcox was an employee of Bartlebaugh Amusement Inc., of State College, setting up for a carnival that opened Monday and runs through Saturday at carnival grounds across from the Citizens Hose Co.


Lakewood police officer dies in crash

LAKEWOOD, NJ - A police officer was killed early Monday when his patrol car crashed into a tree after swerving to avoid a deer, authorities said. Officer William Preslar, 36, was killed instantly in the 4 a.m. crash on New Egypt Road, also known as Route 528, Lt. Joseph Isnardi said. Preslar, who had been with the department for 6{ years, was responding as a backup officer to a call for assistance from another officer. It was not immediately clear what type of assistance the other officer requested, Isnardi said. "A deer walked out in front of his patrol car, and he struck a tree," Isnardi said.


New Jersey Officer Dies in Crash

LAKEWOOD, NJ - A police officer was killed early Monday when his patrol car crashed into a tree after swerving to avoid a deer, authorities said. Officials identified the officer as 36-year-old William Presler, a six-year veteran of the Lakewood Township Police Department and member of its 20-member tactical unit. Presler was the department's first officer killed in 60 years. Police said he was working the overnight shift and responding to assist another officer at about 4 a.m. when a deer ran in front of his vehicle, causing his patrol car to veer off the road and into a tree.


Two employees shot to death in Bessemer bank holdup

AL - A third Wachovia bank employee who was shot in a morning holdup is in critical condition, authorities said. Two other employees were killed, including one who was pregnant, and a fourth was wounded during the robbery that happened shortly after the bank on the Bessemer Superhighway opened at 9 a.m.
"We have two cases of capital murder and hopefully we won't have to file the third,'' said Bill Vietch, chief assitant district attorney in the Bessemer Cutoff. Authorities said the gunman walked past a line of customers and immediately opened fire on tellers, killing the first two he shot.


Chinese Restaurant Owner Shot, Killed In Robbery

TAMARAC, Fla. -BSO Says Gunman Demanded Money, Shot Owner For No Apparent Reason. The owner of a Chinese restaurant was shot and killed during a robbery Sunday night, the Broward Sheriff's Office said. It happened about 10:15 p.m. at the Hong Kong City restaurant, located at 5301 North State Road 7. According to the BSO, a man with a gun walked into the restaurant and demanded owner Wai NG to hand over cash from the register. After making his demand, the man shot NG, 28, for no apparent reason and fled the restaurant with an undisclosed amount of money.


Man shot and killed during apparent robbery in SW Houston

TX - An employee of a southwest Houston game room was gunned down and killed during an apparent robbery. It happened around 12:30am at the Kung Fu Club on Bellaire and Cook in southwest Houston. Police say one or more suspects walked into the gaming operation armed and apparently demanded money. In the process of getting that money, one employee was shot. He was later taken to the hospital, where he died. "It looked like the motive might have been robbery," said Detective C. Howard with the Houston Police Department. "The victim was an employee here. He had reportedly had cash on him at the time, which was not found on him when he was transported." There were other witnesses inside the business at the time of the shooting. Authorities hope someone comes forward to give an exact description of what happened. The gunman remains on the loose.

7-Eleven clerk dies after chasing beer shoplifters

SAN DIMAS, CA - A convenience-store employee described as a hard worker collapsed and died early Sunday after chasing two shoplifters. Two males entered the 7-Eleven at 660 E. Foothill Blvd. at about midnight and stole some beer. The man, who has not been identified pending family notification, took off after the shoplifters. He did not catch them. As he made his way back to the market, the man collapsed shortly after midnight, sheriff's Sgt. Vicki Gregory said. A store employee called the sheriff's station at 12:10 a.m.

The man was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later by Los Angeles County fire paramedics with the assistance of a Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center physician.

Authorities believe so far that the clerk died of natural causes, Gregory said.


Worker Who Died In Tanker Was Wearing Safety Gear

TAYLORS, SC - A worker at a Taylors plant fell unconscious and died Saturday in a tanker he had been hired to clean. CPJ Technologies had hired David Lee Ingram, 53, who was from Charlotte, to clean the tanker. Taylors Fire Chief Bobby Baker said that Ingram was wearing breathing apparatus and had on the proper safety lines. Baker says a second employee who was cleaning the tanker was not hurt. Rescuers had to get Ingram out through a two-foot opening in the tanker truck and were delayed almost 30 minutes by the threat of lightning in the area around noon on Saturday.


Worker dies in trench collapse near Brooklyn private school

NY - A construction worker was killed Friday after an 8-foot-deep trench he was digging beside a church school in Brooklyn collapsed on top of him, firefighters said. There were no permits for the construction and the trench had no shoring or bracing, which is required for holes deeper than five feet, said a Department of Buildings official at the scene. Police Friday night identified the victim as Juan Amendano, 30, of Brooklyn. The victim, who worked for the Starpak Construction Co. was digging by himself himself as two other employees, including his brother, worked nearby, said Fire Department Deputy Chief William Tanzosh.


Bode Miller's cousin kills officer, then is killed by passer-by

FRANCONIA, NH - A cousin of skiing star Bode Miller fatally shot and ran over a police officer, then was killed by a passer-by who grabbed the officer's gun. Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said Liko Kenney shot Cpl. Bruce McKay four times, then ran over him with his car after a traffic stop Friday night. Gregory Floyd, who was driving by with his son, grabbed McKay's gun, then shot the 24-year-old Kenney when he refused to put his gun down, Ayotte said. "This once again reminds of us of the difficult and dangerous work that is done everyday by the law enforcement of this state to protect each of us," Ayotte said at a news conference in Concord. Authorities said McKay pulled Kenney over for speeding on Route 116. Kenney then took off, and McKay pursued him for about 11/2 miles before pulling his cruiser in front of Kenney's car and pushing it off the road.


Plane crash kills skydivers and pilot

CO - Plane crash kills four skydivers and pilot. A plane crash killed four members of a group of skydivers and the pilot Saturday in northwestern Montana, the Flathead County sheriff said. The crash happened late Saturday morning in a field about 30 miles southwest of Kalispell in an area known as Lost Prairie, Sheriff Mike Meehan said. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane went down shortly after takeoff, then burned. The pilot of the Cessna 182 operated by Skydive Lost Prairie was carrying two skydiving instructors and two trainees to jumps, said Michael Morrill, a manager of the company. He said the plane took off in good weather.


KPD officer dies Kosciusko

MS - Police Officer Stanley Rowe died Thursday morning at Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson after being hospitalized for several weeks, said Kosciusko Police Chief R.J. Adams in a press release. Rowe was hospitalized in March after suffering a stroke while driving. "Stan was well thought of by his fellow officers and by the citizens of Kosciusko … I found him to be an officer who would answer the call for help, no matter when or what the circumstances. He had the traits of a real man - truthful, faithful, dependable and he had more than his share of courage. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him," Adams said in the press release. “He was a good man,” said Kosciusko Police Officer Dirk Thayer. “There was no fear in him.” The 46-year-old officer had been employed with the police department since January of 2005.


Police officer dies in crash

ALDWELL, ID — Idaho law enforcement suffered a shocking blow Wednesday when an off-duty patrol sergeant was killed in a collision with a propane truck. Sgt. Stacey Heim, 31, of the Caldwell Police Department, was killed around 9 a.m. when her vehicle crossed the center line for unknown reasons and ran into an oncoming truck carrying 2,900 gallons of propane. The accident occurred on Simplot Road near the intersection with Farmway Road. Officials said Heim was dead when investigators arrived at the scene, saying there was substantial damage to her vehicle, a 2003 Ford Escape. “The propane truck was on top of the SUV and was part way through it,” Idaho State Police spokesman Rick Ohnsman said. The driver of the propane truck, Louie J. Szakacs, 39, was transported to West Valley Medical Center and was still hospitalized as of Wednesday evening. The hospital would not comment on the extent of his injuries.


Worker killed in 'tragic accident'

AL - Employee of sand, gravel company crushed by loader. A Hobbs Island Road man was killed Wednesday morning at Baker Sand & Gravel when an employee began operating a front-end loader, not knowing his co-worker was under the machinery. Norman Davis, 63, was pronounced dead at the scene after he was crushed by the large tires of the front-end loader shortly after 11 a.m. Sgt. Charles Berry of the Madison County Sheriff's Department said there was nothing to suggest that the death was anything other "than a tragic accident."


Worker dies of injuries on job

Groveland, FL - A construction worker run over by an earthmover Monday at South Lake High School has died from his injuries, authorities said. Dale Peters, 35, of Brooksville was working at the school's new ninth-grade center when another worker backed over him with a Caterpillar loader, Lake deputies said. He was flown to Orlando Regional Medical Center but died Monday night. An autopsy was scheduled at the district Medical Examiner's Office.


Boss says worker killed at water park was always careful

WA - David Kessler Jr.'s job with an Everett communications company often placed him dangerously close to high-voltage lines. His former boss says he was extremely careful. "I don't think he ever made a mistake," said Mark Knapp, vice president of Metzker Communications, where Kessler had worked for the past year. "He just had his first traffic ticket this year." But on Monday, Kessler, 27, of Marysville, was killed and co-worker Steve Uplinger, 19, of Snohomish, was seriously burned after they struck a 7,200-volt power line while working at Wild Waves water park in Federal Way.


Officer dies after Idaho shootings; 2 found dead in church

MOSCOW, Idaho - A sniper sprayed dozens of bullets on a courthouse, killing a police officer and wounding a sheriff's deputy and a civilian, then apparently killed a caretaker and himself Sunday in a nearby church, police said. Investigators believe the shooter deliberately fired into an emergency dispatch center inside the Latah County Courthouse late Saturday to lure people into the line of fire. The officer was killed as he rushed to the courthouse, and the deputy helped pull the officer out of the way before being shot, said David Duke, Moscow's assistant police chief. Shortly after 6 a.m., three SWAT teams entered the First Presbyterian Church and found the bodies of the shooter and another man, Duke said. An assault rifle, ammunition and spent shells were found next to the gunman's corpse, he said.


Waukegan loan clerk fatally shot in head

IL - Lake County authorities were searching for clues Tuesday in the fatal shooting of an employee at a cash advance loan store in Waukegan Monday. Police arrived at the Check 'n Go store in the 1100 block of North Green Bay Road about 5 p.m. after a customer found a woman there unconscious, said Cmdr. Wayne Walles, a Waukegan police spokesman. The woman, a clerk, had been shot once in the head and was found in a rear open office area, said Coroner Richard Keller. The victim was identified as Melinda Morrell, 22, of the 300 block of Timber Creek Drive in Round Lake Park, Keller said.


Accident victim dies in Denver, Snowmass Village mourning loss of two local workers

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO — The passenger who was seriously injured in a two-car collision Saturday on Highway 82 in El Jebel died on Sunday, according to his employer, Snowmass Village Mayor Doug Mercatoris. Alejandro Carranza, who worked at Mercatoris’ Snowmass restaurant, The Mountain Dragon, was airlifted to Denver after a crash Saturday at the entrance to the Blue Lake subdivision. The Snowmass Village restaurant community is mourning two losses this week — Carranza and Rolando Ocaña Figueroa, the employee at the Big Hoss Grille who died early Sunday after the vehicle he was driving went out of control on Brush Creek Road in Snowmass Village and landed in Brush Creek, at the bottom of a steep embankment. His vehicle wasn’t spotted until Monday; autopsy results indicate Ocaña Figueroa died from the cold.


Employee killed in Sanderson Farms fire

MS - A 52-year-old Pine Belt man lost his life late Tuesday night in a fire at the Sanderson Farms chicken plant in Collins. Harvey McDonald of Collins worked in the maintenance department and had been employed by Sanderson Farms for 14 years. According to Chief Financial Officer Mike Cockrell, McDonald was in a freezer working with welding equipment when the accident occurred. The actual cause of the accident is still under investigation. Officials at Sanderson say McDonald's death is being felt throughout the company.



New York Trooper Killed, Two Others Shot, Funeral Information Below

MARGARETVILLE, N.Y.-- An 8-year-veteran of the State Police died this morning, killed in the hunt for a man suspected of shooting at least two other troopers. Trooper David C. Brinkerhoff, 29, was shot at 8:45 a.m. while he and fellow Trooper Richard Mattson were searching a home on Cemetery Road for Travis Trim, a 23-year-old St. Lawrence County man wanted for questioning in the shooting Tuesday of another trooper. Mattson was also shot and was undergoing surgery Wednesday afternoon at Albany Medical Center Hospital. Watch WYSR-TV Video


Indiana Officer Dies after Early-Morning Shooting, Funeral Information Below

IN - One South Bend officer is dead and another is injured after a shooting early this morning. At a 7:00am news conference at the South Bend Police Department headquarters, South Bend Police Chief Thomas Fautz confirmed the death of Corporal Nick Polizzotto, 34, a nine year veteran of the force. Corporal Michael Norby, 29, was injured and is listed in stable condition at Memorial Hospital. The two officers were shot around 1:40 Tuesday morning at the Wooden Indian Motel on Lincolnway East, in South Bend, only a few blocks from the Mishawaka city line. Authorities tell us the suspect was hit with gunfire and killed during the shootout with police.


Several people reported shot at Houston apartment complex

HOUSTON, TX - Police say a man killed an office worker and seriously injured two others today before killing himself outside a luxury Houston apartment complex.
The man who was not immediately identified entered the office of The Post Oak at Woodway complex early this afternoon. He shot a 44-year-old man who was in the office and pistol-whipped a female courier. He then fatally shot a woman in the office, whom residents identified as the manager. Police say that the man then went outside and shot himself.


30-foot fall kills Washington man

PA - A Washington man died Monday after he fell 30 feet at the Hatfield's Ferry power plant in Greene County. Michael Cox, 40, died of blunt-force trauma, according to the Fayette County coroner's office. Allen Staggers, manager of corporate communications for Allegheny Energy, said the incident occurred about 9:30 a.m. The plant is located in Cumberland Township near the Fayette County border.


Probation officer dies after jumping into Ohio River while chasing fleeing suspect

GALLIPOLIS, Ohio - Ohio authorities are investigating the death of a probation officer, who jumped into a river in pursuit of a suspect and never resurfaced. His body was recovered early this morning. The suspect was arrested on an island in the Ohio River. He's being held on $$200,000' bond on a charge of obstructing official business. The probation officer is identified as 32-year-old David Poling, who worked for the Gallipolis (gal-ih-poh-LEES') Municipal Court. He'd tried to stop a suspect on a city street, but the suspect ran away and jumped into the river.


Man found dead in truck

CO — Sheriff’s deputies on Friday found the body of a semitrailer driver inside the sleeper of his truck parked at a service station here. The identity of the 50-year-old man, believed to be from Nebraska, was not released as of Friday afternoon, pending the notification of his next of kin, said MaryAnn Johnson, investigator for the Logan County Sheriff’s Office. The man’s truck was parked at the Kuskie’s Interstate Service and Cafe on Interstate Highway 76 and Colorado Highway 55. Johnson said dispatchers from the Omaha, Neb., -based R&M Transportation called the sheriff’s office after repeated radio transmissions to the unidentified man went unanswered. Sheriff’s deputies who responded to the scene knocked several times on the truck’s door and finally decided to have Crook firefighters break the truck’s window. The sleeper revealed the lifeless body of the unidentified man.


Florida tractor-trailer driver dies after wrecking on I-95

FL - A tractor-trailer driver from Florida died early yesterday when his truck overturned while exiting Interstate 95 to get onto Interstate 295 in Henrico County, state police reported. Ian Dwight Jumpp, 38, of Miramar, Fla., died at the scene. His southbound tractor-trailer was on the I-95 exit ramp toward northbound I-295 about 4 a.m. when it veered off the left side, overturned and fell down the embankment.


Airline worker dies following elevator accident

TN - Officials at the Dayton International Airport in Ohio say an airline worker has died from an accident with a baggage elevator. Memphis-based Pinnacle Airlines says the accident happened yesterday. The victim's identity wasn't released at her family's request. No further details have been released.


Employee killed at Holy Spirit; gunman sought

PA - Police are still searching for a suspect in the slaying of Mary C. Moola at the Holy Spirit Hospital's Medical Arts building in East Pennsboro Township Friday afternoon. First assistant district attorney Jaime Keating said the 51-year-old Moola, an East Pennsboro resident who worked at the building, was killed a little after noon on Friday. Although he confirmed there was a shooting on the building's fourth floor, Keating said the coroner has yet to establish Moola's manner of death. An autopsy is scheduled for today.There were no other injuries reported. Keating said the suspect, who is described as a male between 5 foot 6 inches to 5 foot 10 inches tall with dark, wavy hair, a medium to dark complexion and a slight build, fled the building before police arrived. Motive unclear


Man Found Dead in Garbage Truck

CT - An employee of a Westport garbage collection company was found dead on Greens Farms Road today, police said. A contractor at the scene called police after he found the male employee wedged in the compactor of his garbage truck at 243 Greens Farms Road, police said. The truck was owned by Malone’s Refuse of Westport, and the employee was dead when police, firefighters and EMTs arrived at the scene, police said. Police said the next of kin need to be contacted before the name of the victim is released, and police continue to investigate the incident.


Worker killed in plant accident

BURGIN, Ky - A worker at a Mercer County plant was killed in an accident Monday. Another man died in an accident at the same plant a month ago. The incidents happened at Kentucky Utilities' Brown Generating Station plant. A worker at the plant called Lexington's WLEX TV and said the worker died when a crane fell on him. A crane at the site was seen with yellow tape surrounding it. Officials would not confirm the cause, or the identity of the worker who was killed. Last month, a Morehead man died when he fell from a transmission tower at the plant.


Girlfriend of Murdered Cab Driver Speaks

CO - The girlfriend of the cab driver who was shot and killed in downtown Colorado Springs speaks to 11 News. Zoanna Tyma says she was completely shocked when she heard that her boyfriend 53 year-old Terry Lee Wilson had been shot and killed. “I just could not believe that happened, I still can't believe he's gone," said Zoanna. Colorado Springs Police say they believe Wilson was the target of random gunfire. “It is believed at this point that there were 2 groups of people exchanging gunfire. We believe the cab driver was heading south on Wahsatch and was probably struck by a stray bullet," said Sal Fiorillo, a detective with the Colorado Springs Police Department. Zoanna says Wilson loved being a cab driver and looked forward to meeting new people each day. "He was just that type of person, everybody loved him. He was funny, he was fun and he made me laugh a lot," she said. A family left devastated by the news that their loved one was just simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. "I just wish he'd walk through the door right now and say this is all a nightmare, because that’s what this is, I'm living a nightmare." Terry Wilson leaves behind four kids. And as of Thursday night police had no suspects and very few leads in the case.


Two Men Charged with Killing Their Boss

LAKE WATEREE, SC -- A pair of West Columbia construction workers has been arrested in connection to a murder at Lake Wateree on Friday afternoon. West Columbia police arrested 32-year-old Danny Lee Wilkerson and 21-year-old Jafari Callaham around 9:45 Friday night. The two were wanted for the murder of 64-year-old Perry Williams, whose body was found by Fairfield County authorities Friday afternoon. Investigators say Wilkerson and Callaham will likely be charged Monday with first-degree murder, second-degree arson, grand larceny, robbery, and assault and battery with intent to kill. View here


Masked gunmen storm bank, killing teller and wounding two others

CHICAGO, IL - Three masked gunmen stormed a community bank Tuesday, killing a teller and wounding two other people during an exchange of gunfire with a security guard before speeding away in a getaway car, authorities said. The 23-year-old male teller died after being shot in the back, Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond said. Also shot were a 48-year-old male security guard, who was struck in the chest, and a 73-year-old female customer, said Maria Maher, chief of detectives for the police. Both were in fair condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, a hospital spokesman said.


Lake County worker run over by construction vehicle, dies

GROVELAND, Fla. - A worker run over by a construction vehicle at South Lake High School has died from his injuries, authorities said Tuesday. Dale Peters, 35, of Brooksville, died Monday after another worker backed over him with a Caterpillar loader earlier that day, said Sgt. John Herrell, Lake County sheriff's spokesman. A reverse warning beeped as the operator of the construction equipment backed up, but authorities were not clear why Peters did not respond to the loud signal. "He was probably so use to hearing the warning that it didn't even phase him," Herrell said. Peters was airlifted from the scene to Orlando Regional Medical Center. An autopsy was performed Tuesday. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the "unfortunate accident," Herrell said.


Jonesboro Man Dies in Industrial Accident

JONESBORO, AR - A Jonesboro man is dead as the result of an industrial accident that occured Monday afternoon in Jonesboro. Police say 44-year-old Matthew Rouse died after falling from a forklift while installing Internet cable on a warehouse owned by CNI Construction, at 5214 Stadium Boulevard. Detective Scott Baker of the Jonesboro Police Department said Rouse was in a forklift basket when the weight in the basket shifted, causing Rouse to fall approximately 8-and-a-half feet onto a concrete floor. The steel basket then fell on top of Rouse, causing a traumatic head injury. Rouse was the owner/operator of Dish Express, Inc. of Jonesboro. His funeral arrangments are being handled by Emerson Funeral Home.


Worker Found Dead at Construction Site

FL - A Plant City man was found dead at a construction site where he was working in Davenport. Guy Richard Kotzin, 51, was found face down and unconscious about 10 a.m. at the Tera Del Sol subdivision, 200 Bella Citta Blvd., where he was working as a carpenter, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Emergency medical staff were unable to revive him. Kotzin, of 1206 Fletcher Lane, was last seen cutting wood for stairs shortly before another worker found him. Sheriff’s officials said the cause of death was still being determined but foul play is not suspected.


Driver killed in Spokane garbage truck rollover

SPOKANE, Wash. - The driver of a garbage truck died this morning when the rig crashed and landed upside down in a creek in northeast Spokane. Washington State Patrol spokesman Officer Nicholas Hopper says it is not clear whether the driver died as a result of the crash, or drowned when the cab filled with water. Hopper says 47-year-old Waste Management driver Surapol Pattarnon was traveling eastbound on state Highway 206 about 9 am when the truck went off the road and slid into Deadman Creek, landing on its right side. Pattarnon, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was found dead on the truck's passenger side by a Spokane County sheriff's deputy. The crash is still under investigation.


Inquiry into fatal construction accident will take months

AZ - The investigation into a fatal accident Thursday at a Queen Creek construction will likely take three months to complete, one official says. Darin Perkins, director of the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health, said his department is currently investigating the accident that occurred while employees of S.J.L. Construction of Arizona were laying pipe at the site of future shopping center near the intersection of Rittenhouse and Ellsworth roads. According to officials on the scene, last Thursday's accident occurred while two workers were inside an 8- to 10-foot section of corrugated pipe in an open trench, which was crushed by collapsing dirt. One of the workers made it out with minor injuries, but Marcos Garcia, 25, of Mesa was killed.


Berks Co. Mushroom Worker Accidentally Killed

OLEY, Pa. - The death of a worker at a Berks County mushroom barn is now ruled to be an accidental electrocution. A deputy coroner said 23-year-old Sergio Flores touched a live wire on a lighting fixture at the Gaspari Brothers barn Monday. Flores' clothing was wet because of the moist conditions for mushroom growing. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.


Two found dead

VA - Murder-suicide suspected in Collinsville shootingTwo people were found shot to death Monday in what police say appears to have been a murder/suicide in Collinsville. Linda Sue Bostwick, 59, of Terrace View Apartments on Charles Street in Collinsville, and her ex-husband, John H. Franklin Jr., 64, of Roanoke, were shot to death in the office of Sam Adkins Home Builders Inc. on Coffman Drive, Collinsville, according to Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry. “We believe it was domestic in nature,” he said of preliminary indications of the incident. “We feel she was the victim of multiple wounds. ... It appears he may have had a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Perry said Monday night. He added that autopsies are to be done on both bodies.


Clemson Employee Killed In Crash; Driver Charged

ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. -- A Clemson University employee is dead after a wreck in Anderson County on Monday. James Michael Pollard was a passenger in a car that crashed on Highway 187. Police said that the driver, Fredrick Blanding, 41, lost control, overturned and hit a line of trees at about 3 p.m.. Pollard, 49, died at the scene. He was employed at the Clemson University engineering department. Blanding was airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital. He was treated and released.


Convenience store clerk fatally shot

WARRENTON, N.C. -- Warren County sheriff's deputies are searching for three suspects in connection with the fatal shooting of a convenience store clerk. The incident happened around 9 p.m. Friday at Pa-Pa's Country Store and Grill on Highway 401 in the southern part of the county. Surveillance video shows three armed men entering the store and 41-year-old Randy Terrell's last moments before he was shot and killed behind the counter. view here


Angels police mourn officer killed in crash

CA - The Calaveras County law enforcement community is reeling after one of its own was killed Saturday in an off-duty traffic collision near Murphys. Jared Poortinga, 30, an officer with the Angels Camp Police Department, was pronounced dead at the scene of a morning crash on Murphys Grade Road west of French Gulch Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.


Martinsville man dies in work accident

IN - A local man was killed at work when he apparently touched a live electrical line that knocked him off a ladder. Clinton L. Gray, 34, Martinsville, was pronounced dead at 4:10 p.m. Monday at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis after being shocked and falling. The Marion County Coroner's office has not determined yet if Gray died from the shock or because of head injuries from the fall. Gray, an electrician working for All One Inc. electrical contractors, was reportedly stripping a wire at a Kroger store under construction at 1330 W. Southport Road when he fell from a ladder after being shocked.


Loan Store Clerk Killed In Waukegan

WAUKEGAN, IL - A deadly shooting claimed the life of a clerk at a loan store in north suburban Waukegan on Monday. CBS 2 North Suburban Bureau Chief Katie McCall reports that people who work and shop at the strip mall in the 1100 block of North Green Bay in Waukegan were still in shock Tuesday after the shooting death of 23-year-old Melinda Morrell. Morrell, a clerk at the Check ‘N Go store, was shot and killed Monday evening. Mall employee Jacuelynn Medina said, “It's scary, you know? I have a family and it could have been anybody; it could have been me sitting here by myself and he could have chosen to come here. It could have been one of the girls here.”


One worker killed, one injured at Wild Waves park

FEDERAL WAY, WA - Two workers who came in contact with an electrical wire Monday received a severe shock at the Wild Waves water park in Federal Way and one has died (Dave Kessler Jr., 28) . The second worker -- a 19-year-old -- was transported to Harborview Medical Center. He is in serious condition in the intensive care unit. The man that died was given CPR for about 30 minutes but medics were unable to resuscitate him. He was 28 years old. The two men worked for Metzker Communications and were sub-contracted to work on the park's phone and fiber-optic system. South King County Fire and Rescue say the workers hit a 7,200-volt Puget Sound Energy line. The company says the man that died lived in Marysville and was a former football star at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. He leaves behind a wife, young daughter and stepson.


City police officer dies in accident

IL - Chief: Blaum's death creates 'tremendous void' in depart. A Lincoln police officer was killed late Saturday after his truck crashed into Fancy Creek on Business Interstate 55 just north of Sherman. Todd M. Blaum, 28, of Lincoln was pronounced dead at the scene by Sangamon County Coroner Susan Boone. Boone said today an autopsy revealed Blaum died from blunt force injuries to the chest. A news release from Lincoln Police Chief Stuart Erlenbush said a search was started after Blaum failed to return home or to report for his Saturday afternoon shift.


Sheriff’s Deputy killed

GA - Authorities are investigating the cause of an accident Sunday that killed a Henry County sheriff’s deputy. Marvin Jerome Scarlett, 42, was killed about 5:30 a.m. when his vehicle struck a pickup truck and a large box truck before rear-ending a tractor-trailer while northbound on Interstate 75 north of Ga. Highway 20/81, the Georgia State Patrol said. The Henry County Police Department and state patrol were investigating the accident, which occurred about two hours after an accident farther north snarled traffic on the interstate. Scarlett is believed to be the first Henry County sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty, Chief Deputy David McCart said.



Worker dies of injuries sustained in tire fire

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga.- A worker has died of injuries he sustained in a fire at a tire recycling fire in Jackson, south of Atlanta. Jeffrey Cyronis, 39, of Social Circle died Wednesday while being treated for burns at the Joseph Still Burn Center in Augusta. Butts County Coroner Ralph Wilson said Cyronis died as a result of burns suffered in the fire. Family and friends said Cyronis' co-worker and best friend, Don Smith, pulled him out of a burning pile of shredded tires on Tuesday. They said Smith rolled Cyronis on the ground to put out the fire and tore the burning clothes off his friend before driving him to a hospital.


Construction Worker Killed by Fall from New I-280 Bridge

NORTH TOLEDO, OH - Tragedy has again hit the Veterans' Glass City Skyway construction project. A bridge worker fell to his death Thursday morning in north Toledo. Ron Rothenbuler, regional director for Carpenters' Union Local 1138, says 36-year-old Andrew W. Burris of Curtice, Ohio, was working on the north side of the bridge around 9:15am Thursday when it gave way. Burris fell about 80 feet, and landed in a grassy area near Summit Street next to the existing I-280 traffic lanes. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Toledo Police cordoned off the scene to investigate, but a detective on the scene tells News 11 the death appears accidental. view here


Cab Driver Fatally Shot In Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - A stray bullet from a gun battle may have killed a Colorado Springs cab driver (Terry L. Wilson, 53), police said Thursday. Officers were called to the area of Pikes Peak Avenue and Wahsatch Avenue at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday after callers reported hearing gunshots. They found a taxi cab crashed on Wahsatch and discovered the driver was dead. "It appears that the cab driver was traveling southbound on Wahsatch Avenue when he was struck by a bullet from the shots fired on Pikes Peak Avenue," said Lt. Rafael Cintron, of the Colorado Springs police.
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Kohler Co. worker crushed to death at plant

WI - A 64-year-old Kohler Co. employee from Two Rivers was crushed to death tonight by some heavy equipment at the plant, Kohler police said. Lt. Dave Darin said the incident occurred shortly after 6 p.m. in the electric melt section of the foundry division. The man, whose name was not released pending notification of relatives, was pronounced dead at the scene. Village of Kohler police are leading the investigation, along with Sheboygan County Coroner David Leffin and Kohler Co. safety officials and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Darin said.


Worker killed when barge overturns at Manasquan River bridge

New Jersey - A construction worker was killed on Wednesday when a barge and a push boat apparently collided underneath a drawbridge, which caused the barge to overturn and trap the man underneath, officials said. The accident at the Route 70 bridge, which spans the Manasquan River between Monmouth and Ocean counties, occurred just before 4 p.m., authorities said. The victim's body was recovered about two hours later. The man was identified only as a 35-year-old employee of the George Harms Construction Co., the company performing the work on the drawbridge, which is being replaced by a $51 million span that opened to traffic last week. Work to dismantle the old bridge began on Monday. The cause of the accident remained under investigation late Wednesday night. Steven D. McDonnell, of the Coast Guard's Manasquan Inlet station, told the Asbury Park Press of Neptune that the barge was carrying debris from work being done to dismantle the drawbridge.


Worker killed while loading rail containers

SEATTLE, WA - A male longshore worker was killed while helping load and secure containers onto a rail car at Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle, police said. Port of Seattle police spokesman Mick Shultz said the worker was latching down the containers when the equipment used to pick up the containers called a "top-pick" ran him over around 8 p.m. on Thursday. Officials said a driver was operating the top-pick at the time. It is not known whether that driver is at fault. The killed worker's identity has not been released.The Seattle Fire Department responded to the scene of the accident. The Port of Seattle Police Department is investigating.


Killed Md. Miners Part of Coal Brotherhood

BARTON, Md. - Mike Wilt and Dale Jones, the coal miners killed when a rock wall collapsed in western Maryland, spent their lives near Georges Creek, a rushing Potomac River tributary tainted with acid drainage from the abandoned mines that tell the region's history. Wilt, 37, was married, with children and a pregnant wife, said Rick Rafferty, who grew up with Wilt and last saw him about six weeks before the accident. "He was a real good guy," Rafferty said. "He'd go out of his way to do anything for anybody." He said Wilt had worked for more than a decade at an auction house before he started running heavy equipment at Tri-Star Mining Inc.'s Job No. 3 surface mine about two years ago. Such jobs, paying $12 or more an hour, are among the best in the region.


Construction worker dies in Wynnewood accident

PA - An unidentified construction worker was killed yesterday while doing maintenance work on a section of a water pipeline in Wynnewood. The pipeline is owned by Aqua Pennsylvania, but a subcontractor was doing the work, said company spokeswoman Donna Alston. She said that until the victim's family was notified, the company would not release the name of the victim or the contractor. Alston said that the accident occured between 2:30 and 3 p.m. near the intersection of Severn Lane and Fairwood Road. Lower Merion police had no further information about the accident last night. - Nancy Petersen


Indiana County man crushed to death at loading dock

BERWICK, Pa. -- An Indiana County man was crushed by a tractor-trailer full of potatoes at the Wise Foods plant in Columbia County. Rodger Bennett, 63, of Strongstown, was between the rig and the loading dock yesterday afternoon when the truck backed up, crushing him. Mr. Bennett died at the scene. Officials from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were investigating.

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