Posted with permission from Confined Space, a newsletter of workplace safety and labor issues.

Rockford police officer killed after traffic stop

ROCKFORD, Ill. — A Rockford police officer was killed in the line of duty, and a man he pulled over was also killed, after the two were involved in a “scuffle” early Sunday, according to officials. Rockford Chief of Police Dan O’Shea said 30-year-old Officer Jamie Cox, who had been on the force for about a year, pulled over 49-year-old Eddie Patterson as he drove a small pickup truck near the northwest suburb around 1 a.m. Sunday.  When officers arrived, they discovered the pickup truck crashed into a tree two blocks north of the intersection where the stop occurred. Officer Cox was found with critical injuries at the scene of the crash. O’Shea said it appears Cox became “entangled” in the pickup truck after he and Patterson got into a “scuffle” during the traffic stop, and Officer Cox fired his weapon at some point. Few other details are available at this time. O’Shea said autopsies are pending for both Cox and Patterson.

Cardinal Employee Dies in Work Accident

Durant, OK — An employee of Cardinal Glass Industries died in an accident at the company’s Durant, Okla., float glass plant, according to a local media report. KTEN News, a local NBC affiliate, reported that a male employee got caught in machinery at the facility Thursday and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Arkansas construction employee dies in crane accident, company says

Wheeler, AR — A construction worker died in a crane accident in Northwest Arkansas on Thursday, the company’s president confirmed Friday. Cory Hale, 48, was setting up a crane at a cellphone tower north of Wheeler in rural Washington County, Multi-Craft Contractors President Rick Barrows said. The circumstances of his death are still under investigation, Barrows said.

Fourth corrections employee dies following failed escape at Pasquotank Correctional Institution

PASQUOTANK COUNTY, NC (WITN)- A fourth employee at Pasquotank Correctional Institution passed away from his injuries sustained three weeks ago in the failed prison escape.  Geoffrey Howe, 31, was a maintenance mechanic at the prison.  He passed away Thursday at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital from injuries suffered during the Oct. 12 incident.

Third person dies from injuries sustained in attempted Pasquotank prison escape

PASQUOTANK COUNTY, NC — Correctional Officer Wendy Shannon, 49, died Monday evening at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Shannon had worked as a correctional officer at the prison since Oct. 21, 2013. “Our hearts are broken at the passing of Officer Shannon,” Department of Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks said. “Our deepest condolences go out to the Shannon family during this difficult time.” Corrections officer Justin Smith, 35, and Correction Enterprises manager Veronica Darden, 50, were killed in the escape attempt. Nine other prison employees and four inmates were injured during the Oct. 12 incident.

Construction worker dies in trench collapse at Welch College

GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) – A construction worker died after becoming trapped underground when a trench collapsed in Gallatin. It happened around 1:45 p.m. at Welch College off Bison Trail, just off Big Station Camp Road. Gallatin police said the contract worker was repairing a water line when the accident happened. According to Sumner County EMS, the Hendersonville Fire Department was called to assist in the worker’s recovery due to falling rock and rubble.

Man electrocuted in Nashua construction accident

NASHUA, NH — Officials are investigating how a construction worker died Thursday afternoon while on site at Cannongate Condominiums.  Few details were released Thursday about the accident, which took place shortly after noon on Cannongate Road. Emergency crews were called to the scene for a medical emergency, according to Deputy Chief Glen MacDonald of Nashua Fire Rescue.  “The worker came in contact with power lines, which resulted in fatal injuries,” said MacDonald.  The construction worker, whose identity and age were not released by fire officials, was working in a hydraulic lift when the lift came into contact with the electrical wires, said MacDonald. s

Gainesville teen shot, killed while taking break at work

Gainsville, FL — Bryan Ramirez, 18, was always known for his big heart and persistent smile. “Everything he did, he did it with kindness. He did it with a smile, regardless if he was having a bad day or not,” his aunt Diana Peralta said of the Gainesville man. Ramirez, an employee of the Cleveland Highway Texaco, was shot and killed late Thursday night while taking a break with a friend at a picnic table outside the business. He was struck in the back with a single round from a rifle and transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, according to a news release from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

Man killed in Kenosha industrial accident

KENOSHA, WI — A 25-year-old man is dead after an industrial accident that occurred in Kenosha on Thursday night. At about 7:18 p.m. Thursday, the Kenosha Police Department and Kenosha Fire Department responded to Affiliated Foods, 5521 88th Ave. (Highway H), for a workplace injury. A worker was found dead at the scene from blunt trauma, according to a release issued by Kenosha police. Witnesses reported that the man had been operating a piece of machinery when he may have become unconscious and fell from the machine, leading to his trauma and death. Officers and detectives collected statements from witnesses and unspecified evidence from the scene.

Draper truck crash leaves one dead

Draper, UT — On November, Stetson D. Peck, 29, was c on Minuteman Drive early Thursday morning after losing control of his vehicle. At around 2 a.m., Peck was driving northbound lost control of his pick-up truck while attempting the road’s curve. The truck left the roadway, rolled two times, and crashed into a restaurant at 12458 S. Minuteman Drive.

Construction Worker Killed On The Job Near Lake George

HOBART, IN – A construction worker was killed in Hobart Wednesday afternoon while working on replacing sewer lines near Lake George. An investigation continues into the workplace accident that claimed the life a 62-year-old man who lived in South Haven. Hobart police responded to Lakeshore Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue around noon and spoke to a construction crew about the incident, according to a report from the Northwest Indiana Gazette. Crew members told police that the operator of an excavator had a piece of clothing caught on a lever that controlled the bucket on the excavator while he turned back to situate himself in the seat. The action caused the bucket to move forward and “pinned the crew member against the wall,” according to the report.

2 dead in Northern Nevada gold mine accident

BATTLE MOUNTAIN, Nev. (AP) — The owner of a northern Nevada gold mine where two workers were killed in a collision involving a large haul truck has released the names of the victim. SSR Mining Inc. says Pete Kuhn was a safety superintendent at the Marigold Mine in Valmy along U.S. Interstate 80 northwest of Battle Mountain. Omar Bernal was an open pit operator. They were riding in a van that was run over by the truck Tuesday afternoon. Seven trainees in the van were treated for minor injuries and released from an area hospital. The driver of the haul truck was hospitalized for treatment of shock.

Aspiring model dies after being crushed by dump truck

Worker Killed at Berkshire Hathaway Manufacturing Subsidiary in Georgia

Dalton, GA — Authorities in Georgia say a man is dead after being caught in a piece of machinery at a plant in north Georgia. Whitfield County Coroner Greg Bates told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that 51-year-old Jesus Pimentel was caught between a moving part of a machine and a stationary steel I-beam Monday. Pimentel, an employee of Shaw Industries in Dalton, died on the scene. Bates says the man apparently was trying to get something out of the machine. The coroner says another worker threw him a piece of rope and he was caught in the machine when he bent over to get the rope.

Troopers ID truck driver killed on Giants Despair hill in Laurel Run

LAUREL RUN. PA — A Philadelphia man is dead after a tractor-trailer rolled over while descending the steep Giants Despair hill in Laurel Run on Wednesday morning. State Police identified the driver as Anthony W. Williams, 54. The Northampton Street rollover occurred sometime around 6:17 a.m., troopers say. The truck was pulling a flatbed trailer with an unidentified container on it at the time. Williams was driving north on the winding road, losing control as he tried to negotiate a right downhill turn.

Man working on roof at retirement community falls, dies

CENTERVILLE, OHIO — Police say a man fell from a roof he was working on at a retirement community and died in southwest Ohio Centerville police say the contractor was working on a roof at the Bethany Village retirement community when he fell Wednesday from a multiple-story building. Police Officer John Davis says medics and fire crews were called to the facility around 1 p.m. on reports of a man who had fallen and was injured. Davis says the man died at the scene. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office later identified him as 54-year-old Mark French, of Dayton.

Mowing crew member Mitchell Williams, 18, died from hyperthermia

Massillon, OH — An abnormally high body temperature killed an 18-year-old Massillon area man who died June 15 after working on a mowing crew, according to Tuscarawas County Coroner Dr. Jeff Cameron. Cameron’s office released on Thursday a report saying that hyperthermia was the primary cause of Mitchell Williams’ death. Williams was on his first day on the job with Fimple’s Lawn Care of Massillon when he was found unconscious by the owner and an employee of the landscaping company. He was pronounced dead at at 4:57 p.m. at the Ohio Northern University Metzger Nature Center, a 70-acre site about 4 miles south of Ragersville. Williams had not mowed at the site at 5716 King Road SW in Bucks Township, although he had worked with the crew earlier in the day.

Ottawa Man Killed After Fall at Newark Business

Newark, IL — A 25 year-old Ottawa man was killed on Tuesday after an apparent fall at a business in unincorporated Newark. The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office says 25 year-old Wayne Wackerlin of Ottawa suffered injuries sustained in a fall and was pronounced dead at the business in the 9000 block of Helmar Rd., shortly after 5:23 p.m. According to dispatch logs, the location emergency crews were called to was FS Grain or, “Grainco. Kendall County Sheriff’s Office officials confirmed Wackerlin fell from a ladder while performing work at the business.

Police search for 2 women after employee killed during robbery at O’Reilly Auto Parts in Detroit

Detroit, MI — Police are searching for two women in connection with the fatal shooting of an employee at an auto parts store in Detroit. The homicide investigation is underway at the O’Reilly Auto Parts store on Schaefer Highway in northwest Detroit, police said. Police said two young women walked into the store and walked around before going behind the counter. Surveillance video shows them taking the money and running out. As they were leaving, one of the women shot the 75-year-old manager in the head. He died from the gunshot wound.

Birmingham city employee gunned down while mowing grass in Wylam

Birmingham, AL — A Birmingham Public Works employee was shot to death this morning while mowing grass in the city’s Wylam neighborhood.  The shooting happened around 10:30 a.m. on 4114 8th Avenue Wylam, Birmingham police spokesman Sean Edwards said. Birmingham police on Wednesday night identified the slain city worker as 51-year-old Grady Isam Jenkins, known by many of his friends as “Shady Grady.”  The victim was found deceased, sitting on his city-issued lawn mover. Edwards said the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle, but investigators have not released the make or model of car. No one is currently in custody.

Log Truck Driver Killed

Port Angeles, WA — Aaron Cochran, an employee of Double L Timber, Inc., was killed when the loaded log truck he was driving around Lake Crescent heading east towards Port Angeles, crossed the centerline, and hit the guardrail, causing the truck to roll over. (Washington Department of Labor and Injuries Report)

ALDOT worker dies after being hit by vehicle

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) – One of the three Alabama Department of Transportation employees struck by a vehicle Tuesday morning on Atlanta Highway has died, according to the Montgomery Police Department. The victim, identified as 62-year-old Leo Fournier of Montgomery, was pronounced dead at Jackson Hospital. Fournier and two other men were hit on Atlanta Highway near Dalraida Road around 11:30 a.m. The other two victims are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A Buick LaSabre was traveling the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of Atlanta Highway when it left the roadway and hit the men, police say. The driver of the Buick was taken into custody and charges are pending, police say. According to ALDOT, Fournier was an engineering assistant and had worked for ALDOT for about eight years.

Worker killed at construction site of new Bucks arena

MILWAUKEE, WI – An electrician was killed after an accident at the construction site of the new Milwaukee Bucks arena Saturday. According to a new release from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, a 57-year-old Menomonee Falls man was working at the site on 4th Street and fell off an eight-foot ladder on last Wednesday around 1 p.m. He suffered traumatic injuries and was complaining of chest pains.  He was taken to Froedtert Hospital and died on Saturday evening.

DeKalb Firefighter Dies In Traffic Accident

DECATUR, GA — A paramedic with the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department died Friday following a traffic accident in Meriwether County, the department announced Sunday. Senior Firefighter Brannon “BC” Davis succumbed to his injuries sustained in the Friday morning accident, the DeKalb fire department announced in an Instagram post. Davis served in Fire Station 22B, and he also served full-time with the Meriwether County Fire Department, according to the Instagram post.

Truck Driver Killed on Friday was Father of Five

Minnesota — The truck driver who died on Friday after his semi went into the St. Louis River was a father of five. That’s according to information from a GoFundMe page set up to help his family. The page said that Chris Lucia, 44, had two children with Wendy Lucia, Chris Jr. and Nina. He also has three other children, Joe, Lily, and Nate. Lucia had been heading north on I-35 near Scanlon, when his truck went off the road and into the river. That was early Friday morning, during the season’s first winter storm.

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