A Confined Space blog post

Weekly Toll: Workers Killed on the Job over the Past Two Weeks

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

REDDING, CALIF. —The National Park Service reports a second firefighter has died while battling the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County.  On Sunday morning, Capt. Brian Hughes of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots was killed. According to the National Park Service, 33-year-old Hughes was on the east side of the fire in an area with many dead trees when he was struck by one. He died before he could be hospitalized. Cal Fire heavy fire equipment operator Braden Varney died on July 14 when his bulldozer overturned into a ravine.

Rumpke worker dies after being pinned in Middletown crash

MIDDLETOWN, OH — The Rumpke employee who was pinned between the back of a trash truck and a pickup truck has died, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. A preliminary investigation shows that David J. Evans, 52, of Cincinnati, had stopped the Rumpke truck on Central Avenue. While he was at the rear of the truck collecting trash, a tan 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, operated by Brian A. Jankovich, age 41, of Middletown, struck Evans and the rear of the Rumpke truck, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. Evans was transported via Air Care to Miami Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Man killed doing electrical work in South Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA (WPVI) –Investigators say a 56-year-old man was pronounced dead after an industrial accident in South Philadelphia Saturday afternoon. Police say the man was severely injured while doing electrical work in a customer’s backyard along South Marshall Street.

Minnesota truck driver killed in crash in Iowa

Decatur County, IA –A Minnesota semi-truck driver was killed in a crash on Interstate 35 in Iowa on Thursday.  The crash report from the Iowa State Patrol says 62-year-old Paul Charles Griebel, 62 of Savage died when he crashed into a truck pulling a directional arrow sign on a trailer that was advising drivers to move to the left lane.  Griebel failed to move over struck the trailer before entering the ditch and rolling. He was not wearing a seat belt.

Construction Worker Killed in Trench Collapse in Daly City

Daly City, CA — A construction worker was killed in a trench collapse at a construction site in Daly City, authorities said Friday. The incident was reported 11:20 a.m. at a new housing development on 118 Linda Vista Drive, near Robertson Intermediate School and west of Highway 101. Authorities said the worker was installing a 24-inch concrete storm drain about 12 feet deep when the trench collapsed. Two search and rescue teams were on scene late Friday attempting to recover the worker’s body. “They’re trying to remove some of the dirt and debris from the area to stray and stabilize to allow the rescue workers to go in to extricate the victim,” said Inspector Clyde Preston from the North County Fire Department. The worker, Abel Sauceda Quinonez, 34, was a father of four.

Former NYPD officer killed by 9/11-related illness laid to rest in York County

York County, NC — Paul Johnson was an officer for the New York Police Department before moving to York County. Last week, Johnson died from the lung disease he contracted after the 9/11 attacks.

DPW Worker Killed In Saddle River Was Dedicated Hackensack EMT, Colleagues Say

Hackensack, NJ — He was a brother, a father and a friend to all, a dedicated EMT. That’s how the Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps remembers former member Thomas Epper, 48, who was tragically killed Thursday removing a Saddle River tree for the Bergen County DPW. Epper — a two-year employee with the Bergen County DPW’s mosquito division — was among five other workers removing a tree when the bank of the river he was working in gave way underneath him, Saddle River Mayor Albert Kurpis said at a municipal meeting following the 5:15 p.m. incident.

Worker dies after being struck by forklift at construction site in the Heights

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) –A 63-year-old worker is dead after he was run over by a forklift at a construction site in the Heights. This happened around 7 a.m. Friday on 598 West 24th Street near Lawrence. Police say the victim was trying to guide the forklift’s driver when the accident happened. The driver lost sight of the man who got between the front and back tires of the forklift, striking him.

Worker dies at downtown Baltimore construction site

BALTIMORE, MD – The Baltimore Police Department and state workplace investigators are probing the death of a construction worker who fell off a building’s roof in downtown Baltimore on Thursday morning. The man fell from the roof of 211 E. Pleasant St., a six-story storage at Pleasant and Guilford streets, police spokesman Detective Jeremy Silbert said.  The victim’s age was not immediately available, and police are withholding his identity pending the notification of family, Silbert said. Police received a call about the incident at 6:55 a.m. The man worked for Bel Air Foam & Roofing, Inc., in Bel Air, Silbert said. A receptionist referred questions to the company’s owner, who couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Friday.

‘We lost him’: Fort Myers police officer dies a week after being shot by fleeing suspect

FORT MYERS, Fla. – A Fort Myers police officer died Saturday a week after he was shot in the head while trying to apprehend a fleeing suspect. Adam Jobbers-Miller, 29, had been a Fort Myers police officer since September 2015. “We lost him,” police Capt. Jay Rodriguez said after a number of police cars suddenly raced to Lee Memorial Hospital around 6 p.m. Friday. “It is with a heavy heart that we inform our community that Fort Myers Police Officer Adam Jobbers-Miller has passed away,” police spokesman Mitch Haley wrote in an email release.  “We ask that you continue to pray for Officer Jobbers-Miller’s family, friends and our entire Fort Myers Police Department family.” Jobbers-Miller had been in critical condition since Saturday night when he was wounded while chasing a suspect in the reported theft of a cellphone from a car at a Marathon Service Station.

Dallas officer killed in the line of duty to be laid to rest in Oklahoma

PURCELL, Okla. – A Texas officer who was killed in the line of duty will be laid to rest in an Oklahoma town on Friday. Authorities say Sr. Cpl. Earl “Jamie” Givens was escorting a funeral procession for a fellow officer when he was struck and killed by a suspected drunken driver. The 55-year-old was known for his larger than life personality, welcoming smile and big heart. “He was a community police officer before it was cool,” Dallas Sgt. Lawrence Nichols said

Officials detail next steps after prison guard killing

ST. PAUL, MN (AP) –Minnesota corrections officials are set to announce new security plans following the fatal attack of a prison officer by an inmate. Corrections Officer Joseph Gomm was killed last week after an inmate allegedly attacked him at the state’s prison in Stillwater. State Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy is to lay out “next steps” on security on Friday.  Authorities say 42-year-old inmate Edward Muhammad Johnson is suspected of attacking Gomm with a weapon. Johnson has been serving time on a nearly 29-year murder sentence from 2002. The union representing Minnesota prison employees has said prisons are understaffed, and state records show assaults on officers have been increasing. Gomm is believed to be the first Minnesota correctional officer to be killed while on duty.

Ariz. trooper killed, another wounded in highway shooting

PHOENIX, AZ  — A man with a history of mental illness grabbed an Arizona state trooper’s gun and killed a rookie in training and wounded another trooper during a fight along an interstate in suburban Phoenix, authorities said Thursday. The shooting occurred after troopers responded to reports late Wednesday of a person throwing rocks at vehicles on Interstate 10 roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of downtown Phoenix. Motorists had also pulled over to try to get the suspect off the road, according to Arizona Department of Public Safety officials. A fight ensued when troopers tried to get 20-year-old Isaac D. King off the roadway. Trooper Tyler Edenhofer, 24, was shot and killed during the struggle. He was in his last week of field training.

Apple Valley man, 27, dies in industrial accident in Fontana

APPLE VALLEY, Calif. (VVNG.com) — Joshua Aaron Gutierrez, 27, of Apple Valley died in an industrial accident in the City of Fontana Wednesday. It happened on July 25, 2018, in the 11000 block of Calabash Avenue at about  3:14 pm. Fontana police responded to the area and located Gutierrez with trauma to his body, according to the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office. Gutirrez was pronounced dead at 3:23 pm.  Additional details on the incident were not immediately available.

Pool maintenance worker, 40, found dead from apparent drowning in Santee

Santee, CA — A 40-year-old pool maintenance worker was found dead Thursday in an apparent accidental drowning in a backyard pool in Santee. Sheriff’s deputies and Santee firefighters were summoned to the residence off Chaparral Drive around 2 p.m. when it was reported that a man was floating face down in the shallow end of the pool, San Diego County sheriff’s Sgt. Phillip Beaumont said. When firefighters pulled the victim out of the water, his body was already beginning to stiffen, though it was unclear when or how he drowned, sheriff’s officials said. His name was not released.

Flight Instructor, Students Killed in Plane Crash

Deer Park, WA — A single-engine Cessna 172 went down about 10am in a field near 5047 Bittrich-Antler Road in Deer Park. In the plane was the flight instructor Diego Senn and two students pilots. (Source: Washington Department of Labor and Industries.)

Milwaukee police officer killed in shooting identified as Michael Michalski

MILWAUKEE, WI  — The Milwaukee police officer killed in a shooting Wednesday evening has been identified by MPD as Officer Michael Michalski.  Police Chief Alfonso Morales says Michalski, a 17-year veteran officer, was shot and killed while on duty, and a suspect is in custody. He leaves behind a wife, Susan, and three sons.

Texas truck driver killed in Alabama crash

Eutaw, Alabama — A truck driver from Texas was killed in a crash on Interstate 20/59 Friday afternoon. Sergio Herrera, 38, was driving a 1997 Freightliner that struck several trees near the 54 mile marker, about 14 miles north of Eutaw in Greene County, according to Alabama State Troopers.

Authorities Investigating Fatal Incident at Crozet Business

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) – Authorities are investigating how exactly an employee was crushed by lumber Wednesday morning at a business in Crozet.  First responders were called out to the R.A. Yancey Lumber Corporation a little before 7 a.m. Wednesday, July 25, for a reported industrial accident. The accident shut down eastbound lanes of Rockfish Gap Turnpike for a short time, as well. The lumber company confirms an accident happened, but is not offering any other details. Forty-six-year-old Floriberta Macedo-Diaz of Waynesboro was transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center, where she died as a result of her injuries.

LAPD Says Trader Joe’s Employee Was Killed by Officer’s Bullet in Standoff

Los Angeles, CA — Melyda Corado, a Trader Joe’s assistant manager who died during a three-hour standoff between a gunman and police on Saturday, was killed by a Los Angeles Police Department officer’s bullet, the LAPD said Tuesday. “As chief of police, I am sorry for the loss, this tragic loss,” Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said in a news conference. “I want to express my deepest condolences and sympathy to her family and to everyone who knew her.”  A standoff ensued when a gunman took dozens of hostages Saturday at a Trader Joe’s in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. The suspect, Gene Atkins, shot at officers as he ran into the store, police said. When officers returned fire, a bullet hit Corado, 27, as she stood at the store’s entrance. She ran back into the store and collapsed behind the manager’s desk, according to Moore. The officers involved in the incident are “devastated,” Moore said.

Autopsy confirms homicide in care home worker’s death

Joplin, MO — An autopsy performed today on the body of Joplin care home employee Monte Little Jr. has determined that Little’s death was a homicide. Little, 19, was slain Monday night at The Arc of the Ozarks care home at 2809 N. Santa Fe Drive in an apparent altercation with a co-worker. An autopsy conducted today at Frontier Forensics in Kansas City, Kansas, determined the death was a homicide. But police have not as yet released what the autopsy found to be the cause of death.

Construction worker electrocuted at Thompson High School

ALABASTER, AL (WBRC) – A construction worker working on electrical work inside the Thompson High School Athletic Center was electrocuted Tuesday afternoon. He was taken to a local hospital where authorities pronounced him dead. Witnesses tell authorities that the victim was working on a ladder inside the new athletic facility. Construction at the school has been stopped for the rest of the day.  The Shelby County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 35-year-old Ladarius Williams.

9/11 losses continue: Honoring White Plains Fire Department Lt. Clark Douglass

White Plains, NY — The death of retired White Plains Fire Lt. Clark Douglass brings another 9/11 loss for our communities. And sadly, there will be more to come. Douglass died on July 21. He was 53. Douglass had joined in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero, one of about 60 White Plains firefighters who headed to the World Trade Center site to help their FDNY brethren.  Douglass retired in March as a direct result of his 9/11 illness.

COMPANY COMMENTS ON FOREST CITY MAN KILLED IN FORT DODGE CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT

FOREST CITY, Iowa – A Forest City man working as a contractor was killed at a manufacturing plant in Fort Dodge. Shannon Torkelson, 41, died as a result of the construction accident when he was hit and pinned under a steel beam Thursday evening. Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Deborah Babb says the beam was being erected as part of a construction project at CJ Bio America in Fort Dodge when the accident happened.

Man killed in tractor accident at Monterey Mushrooms.

Royal Oaks, CA — A 60-year-old man from Aromas was killed on Monday morning after being run over by a tractor while working at Monterey Mushrooms in Royal Oaks. According to a press release from California Highway Patrol, around 11am on July 23, Mark Odle was working at the facility when he was hit and run over by a tractor. Medics arrived and pronounced Odle dead.  This is the second incident involving Monterey Mushroom after the District Attorneys of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties reached a settlement with the business, and its subsidiary, Spawn Mate, over alleged violations of the California Fish and Game Code. The company agreed to pay more than $300,000 in penalties.

Lawn care worker’s death was accidental

GOSHEN, IN — An Elkhart woman apparently choked to death during a lawn maintenance job at Roxbury Park mobile home community in Goshen Monday. Syma DiCarlo, 46, died from traumatic asphyxia, and the death was an accident, the Elkhart County Coroner reported as preliminary findings following an autopsy Tuesday. A co-worker found DiCarlo unconscious and not breathing under a riding lawn mower at 357 Marlin Court around 11:30 a.m. Monday, Goshen police said. Information about what led to DiCarlo’s death was not provided Tuesday. The case remains under investigation.

Howard County Firefighter Dies After Falling Through Floor of Burning Home

Clarksville, MD — A Howard County firefighter died Monday after falling through a floor while battling a seven-alarm house fire.  Firefighter Nathan Flynn was killed as he tried to extinguish a fire in Clarksville.  He is the first career firefighter to die in the line of duty in the department’s history, a spokesman said at a news conference Monday morning. Officials’ voices trembled as they described what happened.  “Nate was a 13-year veteran of the department. He was a heck of a firefighter. It ‘s a hard day for us,” deputy fire chief William Anuszewski said.

3 teens arrested after police officer killed in car chase

KENT, WASH.  — Three teenage suspects are now in custody in connection with a police chase that led to a suburban Seattle officer being struck and killed by a pursuing officer in a patrol car. Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla said at a news conference Monday that a passenger in the suspect vehicle was arrested with the help of a police dog after the incident early Sunday that killed Officer Diego Moreno. Two other suspects, including the 16-year-old driver, have since been arrested, he said.

Driver dies after tractor-trailer crashes off Arkansas highway, hits two trees

Hackett, AR — A truck driver was killed after his tractor-trailer traveled off a west Arkansas highway and hit two trees Monday afternoon, police said. The crash happened shortly before 3:20 p.m. on Arkansas 10 at Reeves Road in the Sebastian County town of Hackett, according to a preliminary report from Arkansas State Police. Authorities say 51-year-old Kennith D. Watts of McCurtain, Okla., was driving west in a 2000 International tractor-trailer when it veered off the highway and struck two trees. Watts suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash, the report states. No one else was reported hurt.

OSHA investigates after construction worker killed in Butler County

REILY TWP., Ohio — Federal work safety officials have launched an investigation into the death of a Cincinnati man working on a new home construction job in Reily Twp. That man is 60-year-old Ramon P. Rangel-Luna, of Cincinnati, according to an autopsy report released Friday by the Butler County Coroner’s Office.

Man Killed in Guilford Work Site Incident

GUILFORD, CT — Some work in the area of downtown Guilford took a terrible turn last week, resulting in the death of a 46-year-old male employee of a private company who sustained fatal injuries during a work site incident. According to a press release from the Guilford Police Department, on July 19 at around 1:50 p.m. Guilford Police and Fire personnel were dispatched to the area of State Street and Little Meadow Road for a reported work site incident.

Gas tank explosion in Kemah leads to welder’s death

Kemah,  TX — A welder is dead after an explosion on a boat he was working on Monday morning near Kemah. The man, 57, was welding a small gas tank on an off-shore boat, which was dry-docked at a business in the 900 block of Lawrence Road, when deputies believe the fumes from the tank ignited, according to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Darrell Isaacks. The man was rushed to Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival, Isaacks said. The business where the explosion occurred, Gulf Coast Trawl Door, specializes in boat welding and fabrication.

Man dies in industrial accident at hospital

Concord, MA — A 46-year-old man died Wednesday as a result of an industrial accident at a hospital in Concord, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement. The man died while working in a crawl space on a boiler system at Emerson Hospital, according to a preliminary investigation by State Police assigned to the district attorney’s office, the Concord police and fire departments, and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the statement said.

Name of worker killed in Letterkenny explosion released

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — The name of the worker killed following Thursday’s explosion at the Letterkenny Army Depot was released Saturday evening through a post on the depot’s Facebook page. Eric S. Byers, 29, of Saltillo, in Huntingdon County, Pa., died Thursday at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pa., as a result of injuries he sustained at the facility north of Chambersburg.  Letterkenny representatives were not immediately available for comment Saturday, but as of Friday morning, two employees remained hospitalized in critical but stable condition, while the others were treated at Chambersburg Hospital and released, according to Col. Stephen Ledbetter, the depot commander. Their names have not been released.

Inmate Kills Minnesota Corrections Officer

STILLWATER, Minnesota — An inmate serving time for homicide killed a corrections officer Wednesday afternoon in Stillwater prison, marking the first such death of an on-duty Minnesota prison guard.  The attack occurred about 1:30 p.m. in an industry building and prompted a temporary lockdown of all state prisons, according to the state Department of Corrections. Officer Joseph B. Gomm, who had celebrated 16 years on the job Tuesday, was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he died of his injuries.

Washington Police Officer Killed in Crash With Another Officer During Car Chase

KENT, Wash. — Authorities say a police officer in a Seattle suburb who was trying to stop a fleeing driver was apparently struck and killed by another officer. The Washington State Patrol says preliminary information shows the Kent police officer was attempting to deploy spike strips at an intersection early Sunday when he was hit by a police vehicle.

Tree service worker killed by falling tree near Healdsburg

Healdsburg, CA — A Santa Rosa arborist was killed near Healdsburg after a tree he was cutting down with a chainsaw unexpectedly snapped and fell on him, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday. The arborist was identified as Luis Garcia, 48, of Santa Rosa. He was the sole owner of Ponce Tree Removal Service, a private tree-cutting company, according to a spokesman for Cal-OSHA. Two employees ran to help Garcia after he was struck by the tree Wednesday afternoon in the 1300 block of West Dry Creek Road. They administered CPR but could not revive him, sheriff’s officials said in a statement.

Investigation continues into fatal Covington construction incident

Covington, KY — Covington police have still not released the name of a construction worker killed in an incident Thursday. The death happened near Tuscany Drive and Holds Branch Road in Covington, where excavation was underway for a Fischer Homes project.  Covington police spokesman Col. Brian Steffan said a contractor was killed when the heavy machinery he was operating fell from the top of a hill, rolling several times and landing on top of the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Steffan said the name is being withheld as next of kin are being notified.

N.C. Labor Department investigating forklift fatality in Kernersville

Kernersville, NC — A 74-year-old man was crushed to death when the forklift he was operating fell from a tractor-trailer June 25 at a Roadway Express Inc. facility in Kernersville. The victim was identified by Kernersville police as Jeffrey Whitworth of Kernersville. “The deceased was operating a forklift and was in the back of a tractor-trailer,” Jones said. The tractor-trailer had been backed up to a concrete dock, but at some point the tractor-trailer was moved away from the dock, leaving a gap, Jones said. Jones said that as Whitworth backed the forklift out of the tractor-trailer, it fell 4-5 feet to the ground. Whitworth was crushed.

Worker Dies In Forklift Accident On Pomona Construction Site

POMONA. CA – A 20-year-old worker was killed in a construction accident involving a forklift in Pomona, authorities said Saturday. The Redlands resident was working within a construction zone on the eastbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway, between Via Verde and Kellogg Drive, the California Highway Patrol said. He was operating a telescopic forklift, going eastbound on a dirt road south of the freeway when the forklift went down an embankment and the worker was ejected from the vehicle. The forklift landed on top of him.

Hawaii police officer dies in shooting, manhunt underway for alleged killer

Mountain View, HA — The suspected gunman who fatally shot a Hawaii County police officer during a Tuesday night traffic stop and then fled into a wooded area was the subject of an intense dragnet Wednesday, as authorities combed the Big Island just 20 miles from where lava flows recently devastated residential areas. The Hawai’i Police Department said in a news release that officers were conducting a traffic stop around 9:45 p.m. along Highway 11 in Mountain View, located about 15 miles southwest of Hilo, when the driver of a vehicle — identified as 33-year-old Justin Waiki —  got out and fired “multiple shots” at officers.

Paint Creek firefighter dies after injuring self while working with compressed air cylinders

Paint Creek, OH — An Ohio firefighter was injured while on duty Sunday afternoon and died from his injuries, according to a news release. Joe Patterson, who worked for the Paint Creek Joint Fire and EMS District in Highland County, was working with compressed air cylinders when he was critically injured.  He later died from his injuries. The accident occurred at the firehouse. The official cause of death listed by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office was listed as Blunt Force Trauma to the head. Patterson was transported by medical helicopter to Kettering Medical Center in Dayton for treatment before his death.

Man burned beyond recognition in fatal Loving tank battery fire

Loving, New Mexico — A man killed in a tank battery explosion Wednesday near Loving was so badly burned he could not be identified after police found his body. The deceased oilfield worker died when the facility owned by WPX Energy ignited at about 12:45 p.m. in an area off U.S. Refinery Road. Another man was injured and treated for burns, read a news release from WPX. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the facility completely engulfed in flames and evacuated the site, according to the release.

Contractor killed in fall from Dyess Air Force Base hangar identified

Abilene, TX — A roofing contractor who was killed in a fall from a Dyess Air Force Base hangar has been identified. Donte Donnell Tyce Allen, 21, died at the base at about 11:20 a.m. Monday, according to a news release from Dyess. Allen was a new employee for South Dakota-based Rushmore Roofing, said David Darnell, company owner. “He hadn’t been there very long. I understand he was a good worker,” Darnell said. “He was happy. He liked working there. It was refreshing because young kids these days, they don’t want to work. One of a kind.” Allen was a laborer moving materials on the roof of the large hangar. He fell through a skylight, Darnell said. “He was out in the middle, far away from the edge. It’s really just like a freak accident. I can’t believe it. I’ve been doing this over 30 years, and I’ve never had anything like this happen,” Darnell said.

Idaho Falls truck driver killed in crash on I-86

Idaho Falls, ID — Idaho State Police have released the name of a man killed in a crash on Interstate 86 near American Falls Tuesday afternoon. Stephen Peterson, 75, of Idaho Falls was traveling eastbound on I-86 in a semi hauling potatoes when the vehicle went off the left shoulder and into the westbound lanes of travel. The vehicle then flipped on its side and caught fire.  Peterson succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the crash.

Man dies 7 months after being assaulted during a convenience store robbery in Minneapolis

Minneapolis, MN — A man who suffered critical head trauma in a robbery at a Minneapolis convenience store last year has died, and the man charged with assaulting him is now facing murder charges.  According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, Lance Kenneth Grant, 24, of Brooklyn Park, died on June 27 – seven months after being assaulted during a robbery at Buzz Mart in downtown Minneapolis on Nov. 27, 2017. His cause of death was from complications of a blunt force head injury.

3rd worker dies weeks after hospital explosion in Texas

GATESVILLE, Texas (AP) — A third worker has died after being injured in an explosion last month at a hospital in Central Texas. Officials say 30-year-old Wilber Dimas died Sunday, more than two weeks after the June 26 explosion at Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville. Dimas was working at a construction site at the hospital when the blast occurred.  More than a dozen workers were hurt. Most had blast or burn injuries.  The two other people to die were 44-year-old Michael Bruggman and 36-year-old Filiberto Morales. Gatesville police said on July 1 that the cause of the explosion hadn’t been determined. However, an initial investigation indicated a construction-related accident resulted in a natural gas explosion.

Missing migrant field worker found dead

Grand Island, NE — Migrant workers endure triple digit temps for single digit pay. And a death in a central Nebraska corn field illustrates the dangers. A migrant field worker who went missing on Wednesday has been found Police said they found a body 100 feet into the field near W Abbott Road and N Schauppsville, west of Grand Island.  52-year-old Cruz Urias-Beltran, from San Luis, Ariz., was reported missing by Rivera Agri Inc. which is a corn detasseling company. Urias-Beltran was last seen entering the cornfield located on the southwest corner of Abbott Road and Highway 2 at approximately 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. When Urias-Beltran failed to return from the field, Rivera and his workers searched and were unable to locate him.

Employee shot to death at north Houston mattress store, police say

HOUSTON,  TX  – Police officials said an employee was shot to death Monday at a mattress store in north Houston. Authorities said Jose Gilberto Rodriguez is a person of interest in the shooting. The shooting was reported about 3:30 p.m. at the Mattress One store in the Northline Commons shopping center at Interstate 45 North Freeway and East Crosstimbers Street. Edward Magana was pronounced dead at the scene.

Semi-truck driver killed in rollover crash on U.S. 41

VANDERBURGH COUNTY, Ind. — One man has died after a semi-truck rollover on U.S. 41, Vanderburgh County officials say. The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office identified 48-year-old Kenneth White of Shelbyville, Kentucky, as the victim in the crash Monday morning. White was driving the semi when it overturned on U.S. 41 near I-64, near the Vanderburgh-Gibson County line. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:08 a.m., according to the Coroner’s Office.

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