Weekly Toll:Death in the American Workplace

Longtime Volunteer for Maritime Museum Dies From Fall

July 18, SAN DIEGO, CA - 68 year old Gregory Vance Gushaw, a former Naval officer volunteering at the Maritime Museum of San Diego died Sunday after falling from the mast of the famous 19th century ship the Star of India, authorities said. Gushaw was on the 140-foot forward mast of the ship doing a training exercise with three or four other crew members when he fell and hit his head on the iron-hulled ship as he fell an estimated 40 to 50 feet into the water of the San Diego Bay. Gushaw was on the 140-foot forward mast of the ship doing a training exercise with three or four other crew members when he fell, the museum's president and chief executive Ray Ashley said. Gushaw was a retired Naval officer who was a longtime volunteer crew member, tour guide and member of the museum's board of trustees, Ashley said.


Man Found Dead on Roof of Burlington Business

July 17, BURLINGTON, NC - 36 year old Dwayne Thomas Feaster was found dead on the roof of Burlington Industries House Finishing Plant Friday afternoon. When emergency responders and police arrived at the plant located on N. Anthony Street, Feaster was unresponsive. Plant employees attempted CPR, but EMS responders pronounced him dead soon after. Police say the cause of Feaster's death is unknown.


Utility Worker Dies in Trench Collapse

July 17, BALTIMORE, MD - an unnamed utility worker died Saturday after falling into a hole while doing private utility repair work in northeast Baltimore, according to Baltimore City Fire Department officials. Officials said the victim was climbing up a ladder from a large hole that had been dug during a utility repair job when he fell back into the hole. Somehow, dirt from the side walls covered the worker up to his waist. Medics said the man went into cardiac arrest before they could get to him.


Texan Killed in Industrial Accident

July 17, TYLER, TX - an unidentified man was killed Saturday in an industrial accident. The accident occurred during the off loading of sand like material from a railroad train hopper car onto a conveyor belt. During the course of this procedure a white male became trapped in the upper end of the conveyor system. He was freed from this device by the efforts of the Tyler Fire Department personnel. The man was transported to ETMC by ambulance and pronounced dead at this hospital. UPDATE: Authorities have identified 41 year old Eric Ferguson of Big Sandy as the C&C Trans Load Co. employee who was killed.


Truck Driver Dies After Accident

July 17, AUGUSTA, GA - 42 year old Robert James Lackey was found dead inside the cab of his truck after being involved in a crash, Coroner McDonald told News 12 on Saturday. McDonald believes Lackey had some type of medical emergency, causing him to lose control of the truck. He says Lackey has a family history of heart problems. But McGlohorn doesn't believe Lackey was disabled at the time of the crash. He says there are company cell phone records of Lackey calling 911 and alerting family members after the accident. He says witnesses at the scene saw Lackey get out of the truck and check on the other vehicle after the crash. He believes the stress of the crash triggered a heart attack once Lackey returned to his vehicle.


Worker Dies in Industrial Accident

July 16, JOPLIN, MO - 44 year old Keith Pickering died when he was hit by a falling piece of steel, which fractured his skull, on July 12. He was an employee of General Dynamics - formerly EVB Explosives. No other information is available.


Farm Worker Collapses and Dies

July 16, ARVIN, CA - 54 year old Rodolfo Ceballos Carrillo collapsed while working in a vineyard in Arvin on Wednesday. He apparently was helping to load heavy boxes of grapes onto trucks in 95 degree weather. California workforce safety officials say Carrillo's death is one of five possible heat-related deaths they're investigating across the state.


City Worker Suffers Heart Attack While Driving

July 16, CORPUS CRISTI, TX - 60 year old Eli Alaniz, a city worker, has died after crashing a city truck on the Crosstown Extension. Police say Alaniz may have suffered a heart attack. According to a witness, the Solid Waste employee crashed into a concrete barrier on his left. The impact then sent Alaniz straight into another concrete barrier on the other side of the freeway. Alaniz was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.


CA Farmer Killed When Struck by Semi

July 16, ALTON, CA - 37 year old Stephen Baer, who was driving from one field to another, was killed when his farm tractor was struck from behind by a big rig on U.S. Highway 101 on Wednesday in Fortuna. The Humboldt County Coroner's Office said Stephen Baer of Alton was driving a tractor and hay rake northbound at the Kenmore exit when a semi-truck driving the same direction plowed into the back of Baer's tractor.


Biologist found dead in Angeles National Forest ravine

July 15, PASADENA, CA - 70 year old Michael San Miguel was found dead in a ravine deep in the Angeles National Forest on Thursday morning. San Miguel was studying the environmental impact of running power lines in the area when he fell down the ravine Wednesday evening, Sgt. Debra Herman with the La Crescenta Valley sheriff's station said. He was working with Pasadena-based Bon Terra for the Renewable Transmission Project, Edison spokesperson Vanessa McGrady said. Homicide is continuing its investigation to determine San Miguel's injuries and cause of death, county Homicide Bureau officials said.


Michigan Farmer Dies When Tractor Rolls Onto Him

July 15, MANCHESTER, MI - 45 Jeff Bristle died Tuesday in a tractor accident. He was working on his tractor’s engine when somehow it went into gear and rolled over him, said Gary Bross of Sharon Township, a close friend of Bristle. No other details on the incident were available.


Pastor Hit by Car Dies From Injuries

July 15, JACKSONVILLE, FL - 35 year old Byran Turner, who was hit by a car Saturday has died of his injuries. Turner, a campus pastor, friend, husband and father, had been in a coma at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. Turner, campus Pastor of University Baptist Church, was hit by a car Saturday when he stepped out in the road while passing out Vacation Bible School fliers.


Fiery Crash Claims Two Semi Truck Drivers

July 15, ST LOUIS, MO - 52 year old Carl Jones of Florissant, MO and 54 year old Randy Reynolds of Haran, IL, both tractor-trailer drivers, were killed in a fiery crash in a freeway construction zone in Frankfurt, Ill., Thursday. Illinois State Police said seven cars, including three tractor-trailers, were involved in the wreck.


Dairy Farmer Killed by Bull

July 15, BARNARD, VT - 55 year old Dwight Clark was killed by a bull while bringing in the cows for milking. Police say the bull was a full-grown Holstein that did not have horns. The bull had been left in the pasture with the cows for breeding.


Worker Crushed Between Two Dump Trucks

July 15, FORESTVILLE, MD - 27 year old William Davis of Bryantown, MD was killed in a construction zone accident near the Beltway in Forestville early Thursday, authorities said. Davis was standing on the step to the driver side seat of a dump truck parked in the first lane trying to retrieve an item from the cab, authorities said. Another dump truck then backed into the vehicle, wedging him behind the door.


Responder Killed on The Way to Scene of Accident

July 15, TROUT RUN, PA - 20 year old Richard L. Springman of Cogan Station was on his way to a fatal two-vehicle collision on Route 15 Wednesday afternoon when he lost control of his pickup truck and crashed. He was nearing the first crash scene at Powys Curve in Lewis Township when apparently his vehicle swerved and struck a guardrail along the west berm of the highway,and that after hitting the guardrail, Springman oversteered, causing his truck to travel sideways across both southbound lanes and up onto a guardrail along the east berm, Trooper James Doane said. "After sliding on the guardrail, the truck rolled once and maybe twice" before landing upright in the middle of the southbound lanes, about 300 yards north of the crash he was responding to, Doane said. It is the first line-of-duty death for the fire company. Springman, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the truck, landing about 15 feet from his vehicle, Doane said.


Industrial Accident Claims One at NV Energy Plant

July 15, MOAPA, NV - 50 year old William Paul Hammond was killed Monday in an industrial accident at the NV Energy Reid-Gardner Station in Moapa, NV. The cause and manner of his death have not been determined. A spokeswoman for NV Energy declined to comment on the circumstances of the death. Officer Marcus Martin, a police spokesman, said medical help was requested for a man who "possibly severed his arm," although that had not been confirmed, he said. More details of the accident are not yet available.


Carlsbad City Treasurer Found Dead in his Office

July 14, SAN DIEGO, CA - 59 year old Harold McSherry, Carlsbad City Treasurer, was found dead this week in his office, where he apparently committed suicide by putting plastic bags over his head and inhaling nitrogen gas, according to the county coroner's office. McSherry was suffering from brain cancer and recently had been in significant pain from the illness, according to published reports.


Worker Dies of Heart Attack

July 14, BOSSIER CITY, LA - 51 year old Peri Joe Curro was found dead Wednesday afternoon on a piece of property in rural south Bossier Parish appears to have died of a heart attack, the coroner said today. The man suffered from coronary artery disease and his condition likely was aggravated by the high temperatures and manual labor he was doing, Dr. John Chandler said. Curro had been working outside much of the day doing odd jobs for a landowner, including clearing scrap metal. The landowner found him dead about 5 p.m., sheriff's deputies said.


Shipyard Employee Found Dead

July 14, NEWPORT NEWS, VA - an unidentified employee of Northrup Grumman's Shipyard was found dead Wednesday morning. Harold Eley, a spokesman for Newport News police said that foul play was not suspected in the death, but that investigators were looking into it as a suspected suicide. Little information on the employee's identity or the circumstances of the death was available on Wednesday. No information was available about what the employee did and what role the person might have had with the company. UPDATE: Authorities identified 45 year old Hugh E. Ball III of Poquoson and has determined cause of death.


Commerce City Employee Dies From Injuries

July 14, COMMERCE CITY, CO - 76 year old James Bohling, who was injured at Buffalo Run Golf Course on Tuesday has passed away at Denver General Hospital from injuries sustained in the accident. Bohling was a seasonal worker at the golf course for the past four years.


Construction Killed at NJ High School

July 14, LINWOOD, NJ - 59 year old Robert Carter of Egg Harbor Twp died of possible electrocution at the Mainland Regional High School where he was a construction worker. Carter was reportedly given CPR at the scene and was transported to Shore Memorial Hospital by AtlantiCare for further treatment. Carter died with electrocution as the suspected cause of death. No further information is available at this time.


Worker Killed in ATV Accident

July 14, BLACKFOOT, ID - 54 year old Glen Raymond Murbrook, who was spraying weeds in the Wolverine area near the Blackfoot River died when the four-wheeler he was driving tipped over and landed on top of him. Murbrook was working for a private contractor spraying weeds for the Bingham County Weed Department, according to a sheriff's department news release. An investigation indicates that he was traversing a side hill when the left front wheel hit a root causing the ATV to roll down an embankment landing on top of him.


Construction Worker Struck and Killed

July 14, COLUMBUS, OH - 25 year old Eric Kirkbride of Zanesville was killed this morning while working on Interstate 70, with Shelly and Sands Inc. Kirkbride was working with a construction crew when he was struck by a vehicle that kept going after the accident. A person of interest in the case was being questioned by detectives, but no arrests have been made, police told 10TV. UPDATED article.


Donut Shop Worker Killed During Robbery Attempt

July 14, DUNCANVILLE, TX - Police are on the scene of a deadly shooting at a donut shop in Duncanville. Someone armed with a gun tried to rob the Donut Palace in a strip center on S. Cedar Ridge Drive at W. Center St. One worker was killed, and the shop's owner was wounded. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. UPDATE: Authorities have identified the man shot as 38 year old Carlos Martinez of Seagoville.


Bunker Hill Woman Killed in Tractor Rollover

July 14, BUNKER HILL, IL - 56 year old Jacquelin L. Waters was killed Wednesday morning when the tractor she was driving overturned, pinning her beneath it. Macoupin County Sheriff Don Albrecht said the family told him that Waters and her husband, Paul, had been cutting some timber on their property, and she was driving the 4000 Series Ford tractor. A chain was attached to the back of the tractor and also was attached to a large section of sawed tree that had several branches remaining on it and it appeared the sawed section snagged on the ground, causing the tractor to rear up, and overturned, pinning Mrs. Waters underneath it," Albrecht said.


Truck Driver Changing Tire Crushed by Trailer

July 14, DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FL - 56 year old Elmer Dudley Reams of Woodville, FL died Wednesday after his trailer crushed him as he tried to change a flat tire. Reams was driving his tractor trailer north on U.S. Highway 331 near Hawthorn Road when a tire on the right side of his truck’s trailer went flat. He crawled under the trailer, the release reads. As he was changing the tire, the trailer overturned on its right side, crushing him. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.


Delivery Driver Killed in I-20 Wreck

July 14, BOSSIER CITY, LA - 24 year old Anthony Jordan Copia was killed Wednesday morning when his truck crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer rig that had stopped in heavy traffic on Interstate 20 in Bossier City. Copia, a driver for Porter's cleaners, was trapped in the truck after the collision. A Fire Department rescue squad rushed to extricate Copia from the wreckage but he was dead when firefighters got to him, authorities said.


Worker Fatally Crushed

July 14, MISSION, TX - 48 year old Eduardo Sonen of Edcouch was fatally crushed beneath a spilled load of cattle fencing Wednesday afternoon. A worker was using a forklift to move some cattle panel fencing when the load fell toward Sonen, crushing his body atop a three-point hay buck, a tool used to move hay, Garza said. Firefighters and paramedics were unable to resuscitate Sonen at the accident scene. Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Luis Garza pronounced his death.


Worker Crushed by Drilling Gear on Arlington Gas Rig

July 13, ARLINGTON, TX - an unnamed worker was fatally crushed Tuesday afternoon by drilling equipment at a gas well site close to the Kennedale border, authorities reported. The man is thought to be an employee of Trinidad Drilling, a Canadian company working for Chesapeake Energy, which owns the pad site in the 5700 block of U.S. 287, authorities said. Alan Kassen, Arlington assistant fire chief, said it appeared that a large piece of drilling equipment fell on the worker about 4:15 p.m., killing him instantly, during assembly of the rig. UPDATE: Authorities have identified the man killed as 34 year old Nabor Moctezuma Alvarado.


Okmulgee Teen Dies After Crashing Tow Truck

July 13, OKMULGEE COUNTY, OK - 16 year old Troy Don Kimbley was killed when the wrecker he was driving overturned on a curve. Kimbley's 1991 International Rollback wrecker was headed westbound when the vehicle failed to negotiate a curve, ran off the right side of the road and overturned two and a half times coming to rest on its top. The tow truck was hauling a vehicle, the report states. The passenger in the vehicle was treated and released from the hospital.


Tractor Trailer Driver Dies in Rollover

July 13, BINGHAMTON, NY - 53 year old Robert Morell of Cochranton, PA is dead following a tractor-trailer rollover at 4:20 p.m. Monday on State Route 414, south of Cons Road in Franklin Township. Morrell was driving a 2000 Freightliner westbound on the roadway, hauling an empty cattle trailer, Pennsylvania State Police in Towanda said. Morrell suddenly swerved out of control and left the westbound lane. The vehicle rolled onto its passenger side and slid west along the ditch, where the cab struck a utility pole, police said.


Rail Worker Killed in Train Accident

July 13, DEERFIELD, NH - 35 year old Kurt Ward of North Conway was killed in an accident involving train cars early Tuesday morning while working at the Pan American Railway yard in east Deerfield. Ward was rushed to Baystate Franklin Medical Center with a severely injured leg and was pronounced dead at the medical center. Authorities said Ward was working at uncoupling rail cars at the time of the accident, which damaged his leg and caused significant bleeding. According to the district attorney, an autopsy is expected in the case by the end of the week.


Delivery truck driver shot in Fort Worth robbery spree dies

July 13, WATUAGA, TX - 29 year old Ruben Martinez, a delivery truck driver shot last month during a crime spree in Fort Worth has died, authorities say. Martinez was delivering beer to a North Fort Worth convenience store on June 29 when he was shot in the neck during a robbery. He died at 10:30 p.m. Monday at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Two men from Fort Worth have been arrested in the robbery.


Firefighter Dies Weeks After Suffering a Heart Attack

July 12, MILMONT, PA - Charles Hornberger died on July 12 from complications of a heart attack he suffered after a call on June 30, according to the fire company's Web site. Hornberger responded to the call shortly after 11:32 a.m. at a commercial structure on MacDade and Milmont Avenue. Following the call, he collapsed and was transported to Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park. Hornberger was a life member of the Milmont Fire Company and held the position of assistant engineer as well as past deputy chief.


Two Young Workers Die After Falling Into Silo

July 12, MIDDLEVILLE, MI - 18 year old Victor Perez and 17 year old Francisco M. Martinez have died after falling into a silo at a Michigan dairy farm. Authorities say they were using a power-washer to clean a 10-foot high silo when they fell in. The silo was used to store a molasses-type mixture used in cow feed. Farm worker Bob Forbes told The Grand Rapids Press the teens weren't doing something particularly dangerous and they knew how to do it. UPDATED article to cause of the deaths.


Construction Worker Killed By Dump Truck

July 12, IOWA CITY, IA - an unnamed construction worker was struck and killed by a dump truck Monday in a construction area on Interstate 80 in Iowa City. Iowa City Police, Iowa State Patrol, Johnson County Ambulance and the Iowa DOT responded to the accident late Monday morning, but the victim was already dead when they arrived at the scene. The victim's name has not been released and the incident is still under investigation. UPDATE: Authorities have identified the worker as 31 year old Gamaliel Rodriguez of West Liberty.


Tree Trimmer Killed in Accident

July 12, SOUTHGATE, KY - A 32 year old man who had been hired to trim a tree is dead after an accident Monday afternoon in Northern Kentucky. Police say the man had been trapped when a large tree that he and a small work crew had been working to remove accidentally fell on him causing fatal injuries.


Police Investigating Truck Stop Death

July 12, GREENSBORO, NC - Authorities continue to investigate the death of a 45-year-old man found dead in his truck cab Monday at the Truck Stops of America Greensboro Travel Center near Burlington. The man’s identity is being withheld pending family notification, Yancey said. Police did not say how the man died and provided no other details.


Farmer Killed in ATV Accident

July 12, GREENSBURG, PA - 69 year old James Rugh died yesterday after overturning an all-terrain vehicle while working on his farm. Authorities said Rugh was spraying weeds along a fence line on his property when the accident occurred. Police said a passing motorist spotted the tires from Rugh's overturned ATV and telephoned police.


NHRD Driver Dies in Accident During Race

July 12, KENT, WA - 60 year old Mike Niver of Phoenix, AZ died on Sunday in a fatal car accident while racing at the Pacific Raceways. Niver, who had been into racing for more than 40 years, died a tragic death after a car crash, during which the parachutes of his racing car ripped off, and prevented the veteran driver from avoiding the collision.


Man Electrocuted After Hitting Electrical Wires

July 12, HOUMA, LA - 46 year old Rodney J. Martin of Chauvin was electrocuted about 3:15 p.m. when the device he held made contact with electrical wires at a shopping center in Cut Off, said Lafourche Sheriff's Office Sgt. Lesley Hill Peters. Martin was in a man-lift, a device used to elevate workers within reach of roofs and other hard-to-access items. Martin owned a power-washing and tree-removal business that he operated during his time off from the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office, officials there said.


University Professor Found Dead in Lab

July 12, BOSTON, MA - 62 year old Francesco Cerrina, known as Franco to his colleagues, was found dead in a fifth-floor lab at the university’s Photonics Center this morning, BU officials said today. Boston police have not released the cause of death, but have ruled out homicide, a police spokesman said. OSHA was also notified. "Anytime there is a workplace death, OSHA would investigate unless it's obviously not work-related. And at this point, that's not so obvious," said John Chavez, a spokesman for the US Department of Labor which oversees OSHA.


Two Workers Dead in Albuquerque Office Rampage

July 12, ALBUQUERQUE, NM - 47 year old Sharon Cunningham and 36 year old Michele Turner were killed by a gunman who was on a rampage at the site of his former employer, Emcore Corp. Cunningham was the first to be shot in the attack that police say capped a bitter custody dispute between Robert Reza and his ex-girlfriend, Adrienne Basciano, 49, over their 5-year-old twins. Basciano was shot several times and injured in an employee break area where she was sitting with another woman, Michele Turner. Schultz said Reza then killed Turner, shooting her multiple times as she lay helpless. Three others were shot and wounded before gunman Reza killed himself.


CA Based Aid Worker Killed in Uganda

July 12, SAN DIEGO, CA - A San Diego aid group says one of its American workers is dead in an attack that killed dozens of people in the African nation of Uganda. The website for Invisible Children, a group that helps child soldiers, identified the man as Nate Henn. Officials say 64 people died Sunday in Kampala when explosions tore through crowds at a rugby club and an Ethiopian restaurant. Henn, who was at the rugby field, apparently was the only American killed.


Farm Worker Dies After Being Run Over

July 11, SHELBY, NY - an unidentified western New York farm worker has died after he was run over by a flatbed truck driven by another employee. The Orleans County Sheriff's Office says the man was lying under the truck late Sunday afternoon when another worker moved the truck, unaware that someone was underneath the vehicle. The identity of the victim has not been released. The victim and the other worker, were employed by the Root Brothers Farms of Albion.


Employee Dead After Truck Slams Into Store

July 10, GREELEY, CO - 23 year old Jennifer Hudgens was killed when a pickup truck smashed into the Visonworks store in the Greeley Mall. Police told The Greeley Tribune that the driver seemed to be accelerating when he hit the building, although authorities don't know why. A witness told the newspaper the Chevrolet pickup was traveling at 30 to 40 mph. A female customer was also killed and her 9 year old son was injured in the incident.


Tragic Plane Crash Kills Three Executives

June 10, GLENPOOL, OK - Three executives of US Highland, Inc., a Glenpool motorcycle manufacturer, have died in a plane crash late Saturday night in Mohawk Park, just north of Tulsa International Airport. 51 year old Chase Bales, COO; 41 year old Mats Malmberg, President; and 37 year old Damian Riddock, CFO. All three were returning from a business trip to Michigan. The pilot requested an emergency landing at Tulsa International Airport, but the Twin Engine Cessna never made it. The morning after the fatal crash, the wreckage of the Cessna was barely visible from SkyNews6. The plane went down in a heavily-wooded area of Mohawk Park, making it difficult for first responders to reach. National Transportation Safety Board investigators will determine whether or not a lack of fuel caused the crash.


Store Employee Shot and Killed During Robbery

July 10, BROOKFIELD, IL - 38 year old Bashar Fakhouri of Alsip was shot and killed during an apparent armed robbery in west suburban Brookfield Friday night. Brookfield police responded to a call of shots fired at about 10:27pm Friday night according to Police Chief Steven Stelter. Police arrived to find a man shot and unconscious inside the store.


State Worker Dies of Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle

July 9, TRENTON, NJ - 31 year old Hikema George died from her injuries late this afternoon after being struck by a runaway SUV outside her office at Riverview Plaza on the Trenton waterfront this morning. State police reported that an intoxicated driver, traveling south on a small street that runs between the office building and a parking garage, jumped the right curb and pinned George against the wall. Officials with the state police said George suffered a severe leg injury and lost a large quantity of blood before she arrived at the hospital.


Man Dies in Farming Accident

July 9, CABELL COUNTY, WV - an unidentified man working on a piece of farm equipment Friday afternoon was pinned against a tree and died. The man apparently was working on a large piece of equipment known as a "ditch witch" when it slipped over an embankment and pinned the man - killing him. Cabell County Sheriff Tom McComas says the man's neighbor discovered his body around 7 p.m. Friday along Barker's Ridge Road near Milton. UPDATE: Cabell County Police have identified the man as 60 year old Paul M. Miller.


One Dead in Crash of Semi Truck

July 9, DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FL - 45 year old Morris G. Hamontree, of West Green, GA died in a Thursday night accident on I-10 approximately two miles west of DeFuniak Springs. He was the passenger in the tractor trailer rig. According to the FHP, the rig was traveling westbound on I-10 in the inside lane when the driver apparently failed to negotiate a curve and drove off the roadway into the center grass median. The driver over-corrected and lost control of the rig, which then crossed both westbound lanes of I-10 and overturned onto its right side.


Firefighter Responding to Call Dies of Heart Attack

July 9, WILLIAMSTOWN, PA - 50 year old Douglas L. Smith, a veteran member of Williamstown, Dauphin County's Liberty Hose No. 1 fire company died this morning after going into cardiac arrest as he tried to respond to a call. Smith arrived at Liberty's station to head to a house fire in Orwin, about 10:30 a.m, however, Smith did not look well, Slough said. Slough said an ambulance was called and as crews rolled out, Smith's heart stopped. Smith is survived by a teenage daughter.


Mine Accident in Kentucky Claims One

July 9, SALINE COUNTY, KY - an unidentified 58 year old miner was killed when a twenty-ton piece of equipment rolled over the worker according to Peabody officials. The victim’s name has not been released, but a source tells News Three he's a 58 year old man from Cadiz, Kentucky who was planning to retire in just a couple of weeks. The accident happened 500 feet below ground and three miles into the mine when a battery hauler, a piece of equipment that loads coal onto a conveyor belt, struck and killed the victim. UPDATE: Officials have identified 61 year old Thomas N. Brown of Eddyville, KY as the miner who was killed in this incident.


Firefighter Dies on Job Months Before Retirement

July 9, GREENVILLE, SC - 61 year old Bob Flintom battled fires for more than 30 years but the Pelham Batesville Fire Department firefighter had been on light duty since September, though, due to health reasons, according to his boss. Chief Phill Jolley said Flintom was in the kitchen preparing lunch when he blacked out, fell and hit his head hard on the dishwasher. "He got back up and had blood on his head," Jolley said Flintom told his co-workers that found him. Flintom later went to the hospital and discovered his fall caused some internal bleeding, according to Jolley.
The next day, he suffered a setback and went unconscious. Flintom never woke up.


Electrician Dies on Job at Disney

July 9, KISSIMMEE, FL - 50 year old Steven Synder of Davenport has died in an apparent industrial accident while working at Walt Disney World. He was an electrician employed by Buena Vista Construction Co., a Disney business entity. Snyder was helping to build a temporary platform at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. He was injured shortly after 10 a.m. while connecting a power supply to the platform. A spokeswoman for the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said she could not confirm whether he was electrocuted. She said the investigation is continuing.


Welder Dies Following Explosion

July 8, ENGLEWOOD, CO - 33 year old Erik Donaldson of Arvada died this afternoon after he was injured when vapors inside a fuel tank exploded in Englewood. Donaldson was working on a 21,000-gallon railroad tank car that was about half full of fuel and water when a fire ball erupted from a vent "and caught him," said Englewood Fire Department spokeswoman Marla Wilcox.


Farmer Dies When Tractor Overturns

July 8, OTTER TAIL COUNTY, MN - 62 year old John Antonsen of Lakeville was killed after being pinned underneath a tractor that was submerged underwater Tuesday night, according to the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office. Otter Tail County Deputies arrived on scene and located the tractor. It was an older model, with no cab or protective frame and was found lying upside down and was partially submerged in about one to two feet of water on the north side of Heart Lake Rd.


Diver Who Died in Accident Identified

July 8, SPARTENBURG, IL - UPDATE to a post in the July 5th Weekly Toll - 33 year old Chris Hollifield has been identified as the diver who died during a diving accident while performing maintenance on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Hollifield was just one day away from returning home from a month-long diving trip off the Gulf Coast when the accident occurred, and — as an expecting father with new responsibilities on the horizon — Hollifield planned to stop diving and pursue a career as a supervisor in the field. It is still unknown just what caused the accident.


One Dead After Three Semi Trucks Crash

July 8, TURLOCK, CA - One man is dead after three big rigs were involved in a fiery crash that closed the southbound lanes on Highway 99. The California Highway Patrol says the crash occurred just before midnight Tuesday when the first tractor-trailer that had been on the shoulder of road began re-entering the highway. A second semi slowed to let the truck merge, but a third semi driver apparently didn't see what was happening and drove into the rear of the second truck. CHP officer Rick Horrocks says that crash pushed the second semi into the first. Meanwhile, the third semi exploded in flames and the driver was killed. His name wasn't immediately available. The other two drivers just had minor injuries.


Feds Release Name Of Worker Killed At Massey Mine

July 7, POCOHONTAS, WV - UPDATE to post in the July 5th Weekly Toll blog. Regulators have released the name of an electrician who died from injuries suffered at a Massey Energy coal mine in southern West Virginia. Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Amy Louviere said Wednesday the victim was 60 year old Wilbert R. Starcher of Orient Hill. Regulators say Starcher was run over by a piece of heavy equipment at Massey's Pocahontas Mine in Greenbrier County last Thursday.


Agriculture Worker Dies in Accident

July 7, ROOSEVELT, WA - 33 year old Luis Enrique Macias of Prosser was killed on Highway 14 near Roosevelt in Klickitat County on Sunday when his pickup truck drifted off the road and rolled. The state patrol said he was not wearing a seat belt. The cause of the crash is under investigation. He was born in Michoacan, Mexico, and lived in the Lower Valley for 12 years. He worked for Mercer Ranches.


Chicago Police Officer Shot With His Own Weapon

July 7, CHICAGO, IL - 43 year old Officer Thor Soderberg was shot and killed with his own weapon Wednesday afternoon during a struggle outside a South Side police station, authorities said. Soderberg was an academy instructor who volunteered his time by serving as a guide to a blind triathlete. Soderberg had finished his shift and was standing near his car when a 24-year-old man attacked — disarming him and shooting him with Soderberg’s own weapon, Jackson said.


Worker Collapses and Dies at Construction Site

July 7, WAYNESBURG, PA - 25 year old Mike Czerwein of West View, a Waynesburg University football coach died after collapsing Tuesday at a construction site where he was working. Czerwein died at Ruby Memorial Hospital a short time later. A cause of death has not been released.


Worker Dies After Fall From Ladder

July 7, ALEXANDER, IA - an unidentified employee of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds in Alexander has died after apparently falling off a ladder. He was taken to Belmond Medical Center and then flown to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City, where he died, company vice president Shannon Latham said. His name is being withheld until his relatives are notified.


Polk County Man Dies On The Job

July 7, BARSTOW, FL - 61 year old Ronald Sandford Lewis of Fort Meade was killed at Marden Industries around 8:30a.m. when a large metal structure he was welding on toppled over, killing him. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating why the structure, which is used for agricultural work, fell over.


Worker Crushed as Concrete Roof Collapses

July 7, FREMONT, OH - 35 year old Nate Kern of Gibsonburg was killed when he was trapped under the roof of a food-packing plant that collapsed. Kern and another co-worker of B&W Welding were on the plant's roof about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when it suddenly dropped over the cooking room at the Fremont Co., 802 North Front St., police said. Mr. Kern suffered injuries related to being crushed and was pronounced dead on the scene, Fremont Police Chief Tim Wiersma said. His co-worker was trapped by the concrete for hours but was finally freed by rescue personnel.


Police Sergeant Hit by Drunk Driver, Dies

July 7, SHELTON, CT - Sergeant Orville Smith who was struck over the weekend while directing traffic after a fire died early Wednesday of his injuries. Smith was directing traffic on Route 110 at Indian Well Road when he and his cruiser were hit. Police say he died of complications from the injuries he suffered in the accident.


Bus Driver Dies in Collision

July 7, ARARAT, PA - 72 year old Ruth Lynady of Clarks Summit is dead after the bus she was driving collided with one being driven by her husband. Susquehanna County Coroner Anthony Conarton says 72-year-old Ruth Lynady was ejected from the bus she was driving in the crash Tuesday in Ararat, about 30 miles north of Scranton. Conarton says the buses were driving together to a nearby camp at the time of the crash. No passengers were aboard.


Young Man Dies in Farm Tractor Accident

July 6, MOBERLY, MO - 14 year old Curtis D. Stallo died Sunday morning from injuries sustained in a tractor accident south of Salisbury. Stallo died after a John Deere tractor he was driving overturned off a bridge. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the tractor was pulling a flatbed trailer Sunday when it collided with the railing on a Chariton County bridge. The tractor toppled over and disconnected from the trailer. Young Stallo was ejected and the tractor landed on him. The Chariton County Coroner pronounced the high school student, who was a member of the FFA, dead at the scene.


Pilot Killed in Chopper Crash

July 6, MADISONVILLE, KY - 55 year old Timothy E. Watson of Lawrenceville, GA has been killed while spraying a field in western Kentucky. A news release from the KSP states Watson was spraying fungicide and fertilizer late Monday afternoon on a farm field in Crittendon County when his helicopter struck power lines. The investigating trooper said the Robinson Model R44 helicopter came down about 200 feet from the utility lines and burned.


Tucson Clerk Shot and Killed During Robbery

July 6, TUCSON, AZ - 54 year old Mahesh Patel, a clerk at the Catalina Market was found dead on the floor inside the store by Tucson police just after 1 p.m. Monday, according to a department news release. Patel's body had "obvious signs of trauma," the release said. Police have declined to elaborate on the victim's cause of death. Witnesses told police they saw a man leave the store carrying a cash register and get into a Chrysler 300 sedan, according to the release.


Young Landscape Worker Killed in Explosion

July 6, BUSHKILL, PA - 12 year old Luke Hahn of Pen Argyl was helping his dad do landscaping work at Cherry Hill Tree Farm in Bushkill on Monday and accidentally backed a dump truck into the valve of an underground tank, sending propane rushing from the tank that was used to heat a nearby swimming pool. Luke got out of the truck to investigate. His father, Kraig Hahn, must have heard something and got out of the backhoe he was operating to see what happened. No one knows what sparked the explosion, causing the escaping propane to ignite. But at that moment, flames spread across the ground, consuming the boy first and then his father. Luke, whose birthday would have been Wednesday, was to start seventh grade at Wind Gap Middle School in the fall, Pen Argyl Area School District Superintendent William Haberl said. His mother worked as a teacher's aide in the district.


Wytheville Town Employee Hit by Car

July 6, WYTHEVILLE, VA - 61 year old Carl Donald "Duck" Linkous died Friday at a Roanoke hospital, where he was airlifted on June 29 following a collision. He died after his tractor was struck by a vehicle on North Fourth Street. According to Wytheville Police Department Lt. Joel Hash, Linkous had been mowing and was headed toward town on a 2002 Kubota tractor at 9:44 a.m. when a 79 year old man attempted to pass in a no-passing zone. The driver swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle and struck the left rear of the tractor, which ejected Linkous, Hash said. The driver who hit Linkous faces Reckless driving charges.


School District Employee Succumbs to Injuries

July 6, TOWANDA, PA - 51 year old Bruce Allen Clouse of Wyalusing, died Tuesday from injuries he sustained in a fall last month. Clouse, a maintenance worker for Wyalusing Area School District, accidentally fell for an unknown reason from the scaffolding, Bradford County Coroner Thomas Carman said. The accident occurred at approximately noon on June 25, the coroner said. Mr. Clouse fell 15 feet from the scaffolding and landed on his head on cement, the coroner said. The cause of his death was respiratory failure secondary to a subdural hemorrhage, which was the result of multiple skull fractures, the coroner said.


Farmer Dies in Tractor Accident

July 6, CAZENOVIA, NY - 83 year old Gorden A. Bowers died today while operating an International Harvester tractor to rake a field about 600 feet from his house, troopers said. He was found by family on his back under the tractor's left rear tire with the machine still running, troopers said. His death does not appear suspicious.


ND Truck Driver Dies in Accident

July 6, STEARNS COUNTY, MN - 62 year old John Rhinesmith of West Fargo, ND was killed after the tractor truck he was driving rolled on I-94 just before noon on Monday, near Avon, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Rhinesmith crossed the center median over the eastbound lanes, ran off the road and the truck rolled, according to authorities.


Farmer Killed When Tractor Rolls

July 5, RURAL MODE, IL - 76 year old Ralph Slifer died Saturday at the scene of a mowing accident during which the full-sized farm tractor and mower attachment he was operating rolled over, pinning him underneath the machinery. Slifer was discovered underneath the overturned tractor by a relative on the family farm in rural Holland Township. He had been mowing on a steep embankment on the east side of County Rural Road 1900E, said Shelby County Coroner Brian Green.


Florida Store Clerk Killed in Robbery

July 5, WEST PALM BEACH, FL - 55 year old Mohammad Rahman and a customer were shot and killed during a robbery at a convenience store. Both were shot and killed Saturday night in the Dixie Food and Beverage convenience store after witnesses saw two men come into the store with guns and demanded money. Police are still searching for the two suspects.


Tanker Truck Crash Kills Driver

July 5, LAGRANGE, OH - 75 year old Philip Linden, owner of Linden Propane, was killed when he drove off the road, overturned and his truck caught fire. Their investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing. Troopers are examining the truck and waiting for the coroner's report, which could take weeks. Fire officials said the truck, a 2005 Mack truck, was carrying about 6,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia – a fertilizer – when the crash happened. A small amount of the chemical leaked from the truck. Officials said the truck was taking the chemical to a farm south of where the incident occurred.


Yoga Instructor's Death Under Investigation

July 5, NEW BERLIN, PA - Sudharman, director for Integral Yoga Center on Market Street in New Berlin was found dead at the center by another instructor. Debbie Tillet said Sudharman was a good yoga teacher and well-known in the community. His death is being investigated as a possible homicide.


Dallas Tavern Owner Killed for Profits

July 5, DALLAS, TX - 50 year old Antonio Charles, owner of a local tavern, was shot and killed after leaving work. Police believe it was a robbery of the day's profit's and that it was a planned attack. According to Lt. Craig Miller with the Dallas Police Department, three people were returning home from work at a nearby nightclub. A suspect approached as they were getting out of a Ford pickup truck in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Some words were exchanged and shots were fired. "It was a planned attack. there's no reason the individual that committed this crime didn't know the people inside. Certainly knew their schedule - knew what time they'd be home - knew exactly where they parked the vehicle" said Miller.


Man Killed in Tractor/Train Accident

July 5, ORRICK, MO - 24 year old Ryan Bunch of Richmond died Saturday when a train hit his farm tractor that was stopped on a railway. The Missouri Highway Patrol says the crash occurred just after 1 p.m. Saturday in the small down outside of Richmond, Missouri.


Log Truck Overturns, Kills Driver

July 4, PADUKAH, KY - 62 year old Richard Rittenberry died when the semi he was driving, hauling logs, overturned at the intersection of Blandville Road and McCracken Boulevard near the Information Age Park in Paducah around 9:15 am Friday. Police say Rittenberry was going west on Blandville Road when for unknown reasons, the semi dropped off the right shoulder of the road. Rittenberry was not able to get the semi on the road before overturning.


Construction Worker Electrocuted

July 2, MUSKOGEE, OK - 38 year old Charles Emmitt "Chad" Pritchard III was killed Friday afternoon while painting a house at 723 Callahan St., said his sister. “He was moving a ladder and it hit an electric line,” she said. Pritchard was a carpenter and had lived in the Muskogee area for the past year.


Crash Results in Three Deaths

July 2, KANSAS CITY, MO - in a two vehicle collision that happened Friday, 44 year old Brian Lee and 32 year old Anthony McBride, both of Grandview, were killed when their work van was hit by a dump truck. The driver of the dump truck, 53 year old Stephen R. Froggee was hurt in the collision and has since died. The collision happened at about 5:44 a.m. when one of the vehicles may have run a red light, while the other was traveling at a high rate of speed, investigators said.


Fourth Worker Killed in Rampage Not Previously Named

June 8, CORAL GABLES, FL - in the June 13th posting of the Weekly Toll one victim of a deadly shooting spree was inadvertently not named in that post. 56 year old Lavina M. Fonseca was the 4th victim in the tragic incident. Gerardo Regaldo of Coral Gables entered the Yoyito Restaurant in Hialeah early last month and shot and killed his wife Liazan Molina in the parking lot. He then entered the restaurant and opened fire on several women inside.


Young Man Dies in Heat Related Incident

July 7, CHATTANOOGA, TN - 25 year old Cody Fortner, a volunteer Firefighter, was helping his step father in his side business of mowing lawns. He wasn't feeling well before getting started but decided to continue. After mowing three lawns he had his step father, Gale Tinsley, take him back to the house where he died after Tinsley left again to finish work. When Tinsley returned to the house, he found Fortner not breathing in the living room. Medical professionals at the Hamilton County Medical Examiner's office are searching for answers. Fortner had asthma and high blood pressure. He added people with high blood pressure must be mindful of the side effects medication can have with extreme heat.


UPDATE: Railroad worker killed in New Albany

June 2, NEW ALBANY, NY - 24 year old Jeffrey Dale Thompson of Myrtle died from head trauma Wednesday morning while on the job with the Mississippi-Tennessee Railroad. “They were using a backhoe to load a generator,” said New Albany Police Chief David Grisham. “Apparently something went wrong, and the generator slipped and pinned him between it and the railroad car.”