Auto Maintenance North Richland Hills
Worker killed at Erie locomotive plant
January 12, Erie, Pennsylvania - A crane operator at a locomotive plant is dead after being crushed by a part he was moving. Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook says 46-year-old William Huff was pronounced dead yesterday afternoon at the GE Transportation plant in Erie. Mr. Cook says Mr. Huff was killed when a part that weighs several tons tipped over after he set it down with a remote-controlled crane. Mr. Cook says Mr. Huff was an experienced crane operator.
OCSO releases name of man crushed and killed
January 6, Orange County, California - The Orange County Sheriff's Office has released the name of a man who was crushed and killed when the bed of a dumpster trailer fell on him at a debris removal area near the Purple Heart Memorial Bridge over the Neches River. OCSO spokesman Chad Hogan tells KFDM News the victim has been identified as Martin Alanzo Sandaval, 34, of Beaumont. The Orange County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting the accident at about 8 p.m. Tuesday. Hogan says workers were using a pickup truck and pulling a dumpster trailer to haul concrete from a construction site to an approved debris removal area near the bridge.
UPDATED: Business owner crushed to death
January 6, Santa Clarita, California - A Castaic business owner died after being crushed by thousands of pounds of granite slabs at his warehouse, officials said Tuesday. Jacob Margalit, 44-year-old married father of two and owner of Golden West Tile and Stone, died Monday night in the 29000 block of Avenue Sherman in Castaic. He was trying to unload 12-by-8-foot slabs of stone tile from a trailer about 7:45 p.m. when they fell on him, authorities said. "The slabs came loose and fell against (Margalit) and pinned him against the side wall of the trailer," said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Bill Marsh of the Homicide Bureau. "Each of these slabs can weigh between 800 and 1,000 pounds apiece."
Otay Mesa worker crushed by heavy load
December 24, A worker at an Otay Mesa lumber storage yard was killed Thursday when several 20-foot boards fell off a truck and knocked him to the ground, authorities reported. The 54-year-old man was helping unload the planks at the lot in the 9900 block of Marconi Drive when the accident occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m., according to police and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. The worker, whose name was withheld pending notification of his family, fell backward and hit his head on the ground, SDFRD spokesman Maurice Luque said. He died at the scene.
Norfolk Port Accident Kills Worker
January 20, Norfolk, Virginia - A longshore worker at the Norfolk, Va., port died Tuesday when a mobile container carrier knocked into a light pole, sending it crashing onto the man’s vehicle. Officials say the accident happened Tuesday afternoon at the Norfolk International Terminals when a straddle carrier hauling a container struck a large light pole. Local television news footage of the scene showed the accident happened within 50 years of the terminal’s North Berth, where the tall light pole crushed the worker’s vehicle.
Plant owner crushed to death by machine
December 19, Huntersville, North Carolina – The owner and founder of Metrolina Greenhouses was killed Saturday morning in an accident inside the plant. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were called to the plant around 3:30 a.m. after a worker was crushed by a machine. The victim has been identified as Tom VanWingerden, owner and founder of Metrolina Greenhouses. In a statement released by the family, "Dad was the visionary founder, a constant inventor, a generous businessman, a missionary in Haiti, a great leader, and most importantly, a great husband, Father, and Grandfather to all of us in his family.
Tow Boat Worker Dies After Falling into Ohio River: Name Released
January 19, Kenova, West Virginia - A man has drowned after falling off a tow boat and into the Ohio River. The accident happened around 1:00 Tuesday morning near Kenova. Kenova's Police Chief tells WSAZ.com the man is Gary Adams, 25, of Waterloo, Ohio. That is in Lawrence County, Ohio.s Adams body was recovered a short time later by another tow boat operating in the area, according to a Kenova Police Dispatcher. Police tell WSAZ.com the tow boat was pulling away from the barge when Adams went to remove a remaining rope line and was thrown into the river.
News worker dies after falling down hotel air shaft
January 18, Charlotte, North Carolina - A North Carolina television news station is grieving the death of one of their own this morning. According to WLOS in Asheville, photojournalist John Billingsley fell down an air shaft at the Omni hotel in Charlotte. It happened early Sunday morning, at around 5 a.m. The Charlotte Fire Department, Police, and EMS were called to the hotel. Billingsley is from Rutherford County. He worked as a photographer for the WLOS news team. An investigation into his death is underway.
Worker Dies After Being Run Over on Logging Site
January 15, Columbia, South Carolina - Authorities told WYFF-TV that 61-year-old Howard Wardlaw Junior was killed Thursday at a job site for Wilson Creek Logging near Calhoun Falls.Investigators say Wardlaw was run over by a skidder being used to load cut logs on to trucks. Authorities say Wardlaw worked for Wilson Creek Logging for eight years.
Worker Dies After Hospital Chemical Spill
January 15, Mason, Iowa - Officials at a Mason City hospital said Friday that an employee working near a chemical spill has died but that it's unknown if the man's death and the spill are connected. Emergency crews were called to Mercy Medical Center's west campus laundry facility Thursday evening on a report of a person not breathing. The hospital on Friday said employees contained the chemical, sodium hydroxide, to one room in the building. The hospital said during the situation, employee David Weaver had a "medical emergency" and died. The hospital did not immediately release Weaver's age or hometown.
2 North Florida men among 4 dead in Ohio plane crash
January 20, Keystone Heights, Ohio — Flight was a passion and work was an extension of family for two Clay County men who died in an Ohio plane crash Monday that also killed the two others on the plane. “That was his life,” said Jessica Roemer, whose husband Wesley was flying the plane when it crashed in the afternoon while approaching the runway at Lorain County Regional Airport in Elyria, Ohio. “He loved to fly.” The 30-year-old Wesley Roemer began working at Kenn-Air when he was 17, his wife said, and met John Mengelson there. Mengelson, 46, a mechanic for Kenn-Air and co-pilot, also died in the plane along with Donald Brown, 89, and his wife Shirley Brown, 87, of Vermillion, Ohio, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Fire on Apache platform off Louisiana is fatal to worker
January 13, Houston, Texas - A fire aboard an Apache Corp. oil and natural gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico left one contract worker dead and halted production at the facility. The fire occurred about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday at Apache's East Cameron 2 processing platform, two miles off Cameron Parish in south Louisiana, Houston-based Apache said. All three workers on the platform were rescued by a commercial vessel working in the area. But Frank Richard, 34, of Mowata, La., died later at an area hospital. The other two workers were discharged from the hospital.
MythBusters’ Erik Gates Dies in Freak Accident
December 21, Thousand Oaks, California - Erik Gates, who has been featured on the Discovery Channel’s MythBusters, was killed in a freak accident last week. He was 47. According to the Ventura County Star, Gates fell through a skylight on Sunday December 21 in the afternoon, dying from blunt force chest injuries. The cause of death was announced after an autopsy. Gates owned electric company Gateco Electric in Thousand Oaks, California. He was walking across the roof before he fell through the skylight in the Xirrus Inc. building in Newbury Park, coroner’s officials said. Gates was doing contract work for Xirrus Inc. Gate’s brother, Dirk Gates, is the president and CEO of Xirrus.
Worker dies at Roseburg lumber mill
December 29, Roseburg, Oregon - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says a worker died in an accident at a Roseburg lumber mill. According to spokesman Dwes Hutson, 39-year-old Holger Fussell of Winston was found severely injured beneath a lumber stacker at Douglas County Forest Products. Co-workers administered CPR and first aid Monday until emergency responders arrived. Fussel was taken to Mercy Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. It is not known if Fussel fell or became entangled in the machinery.
Ford worker dies after incident
December 26, Louisville, Kentucky - A SCHOTT Gemtron worker has died after an accident at the Kentucky Truck Plant. The Jefferson County Coroner's office Sunday identified the victim as 54-year-old Ronald S. Cassady of Louisville. Deputy Coroner Jim Wesley said Cassady was pronounced dead Saturday morning at University Hospital of multiple blunt force injuries.
Worker dies after cave-in
December 24, Shelby, North Carolina - This year’s Christmas Eve brought with it the requisite holiday cheer, but also brought tragedy for at least one family and kept emergency officials on their toes. A construction crewman working in Lawndale Thursday morning died after the dirt collapsed around him at a sewer line construction site, officials said. Chris Parkhurst, 30, of Connelly Springs, was working for Hickory-based Neill Grading around 9 a.m., said Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Chapman. Co-workers told sheriff’s deputies they believed Parkhurst fell into the hole at Martin and Brackett streets. Workers rushed to dig him out.
Worker struck by glass dies from apparent accident
December 23, Sweetwater, Tennessee - Sweetwater police said a man has died from injuries while working with glass at a manufacturing plant. Police told The Daily Post-Athenian in Athens that 51-year-old James Bales of 10 Mile was killed when he was struck by a piece of glass Tuesday afternoon at the SCHOTT Gemtron plant. Police spokesman Kenny Wilkins said Bales' job was to cut glass and place excess pieces in a hopper. He said somehow Bales in doing that was struck by a piece of glass. Wilkins said "it looks purely accidental."
Airport Worker Falls 40 Feet To His Death
December 20, Denver, Colorado - A worker at the Denver International Airport fell 40 feet to his death down a manhole at the airport's heating and cooling towers Saturday morning. The Denver Post reports that the man was found by Denver Fire Department divers in 20 feet of water that was about 38 degrees. The water is used for the airport's air conditioning. The man fell through an opening of about 4 feet by 8 feet.
Worker dead after found on top of NY elevator
January 13, New York, New York - Police are investigating the death of an elevator worker who was found unconscious on top of an elevator in a building on Manhattan's upper West Side. Police say EMS responded to the Co-op building just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and pronounced the 24-year-old elevator mechanic's assistant dead on arrival. The Medical Examiner is to determine the exact cause of death. The victim's identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin.
One Dead, Another Injured After Chemical Leak at NE Texas Gas Plant
January 13, Dallas, Texas - Federal authorities are investigating to determine exactly what happened at natural gas processing plant in northeast Texas that left one worker dead and another severely injured. The fatal accident occurred when toxic hydrogen sulfide was accidentally released or leaked from an Enbridge Inc. processing plant near Bryan Mill, Texas on Saturday night. An Enbridge spokesperson said she did not know the cause of the leak, but that OSHA officials and the company are still investigating the accident. A 56-year-old, 30 year veteran of the plant was pronounced dead at the scene, and another injured worker was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Worker electrocuted at Pretium plant
January 7, Hazelton, Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania State Police have identified the victim of an electrocution at a bottle molder Pretium Packaging LLC plant as an outside contractor working on an air compressor. Steven Koffel of Canton, Ohio, worked for Gardner Denver Inc. and was working at Pretium’s Hazleton plant on Dec. 17 when he touched a live connection inside a control panel, police said. Koffel was treated at the scene, but pronounced dead at Hazleton General Hospital, police said.
Barksdale pipeline explosion kills civilian worker
January 7, Barksdale, Louisiana - One person is dead as a result of a natural gas pipeline explosion about 5:20 p.m. Wednesday in a remote, sparsely settled area on the southeast side of Barksdale Air Force Base. The dead person, whose identity had not been released, is a civilian who did not work for the Defense Department, 2nd Bomb Wing spokeswoman Maj. Carie Parker said. The explosion occurred near Union-Texas Road, which runs north off Sligo Road in the southern part of the parish near the base fence, Bossier sheriff's officials said. The area is miles from Barksdale's inhabited cantonment, runway and weapons storage area.
Worker dies in accident at Edaleen Dairy near Lynden
January 6, Bellingham, Washington - Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the death of a worker at the Edaleen Dairy north of Lynden Wednesday morning, Jan. 6, but believe it was an accident. Deputies were called to the dairy at 8:10 a.m. after a large, overhead door fell onto Nick L. Spoelstra, 30, and pinned him against an interior cattle gate, Undersheriff Jeff Parks said. Spoelstra was pronounced dead at the scene. Parks said the door falling was likely a mechanical failure, but deputies will continue to investigate and will forward their findings to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
Man found dead on Grand Haven railroad tracks
January 5, Grand Haven, Michigan - Grand Haven Police are investigating the death of a 54-year-old man, found lying on the railroad tracks. WZZM 13's partner, the Grand Haven Tribune reports a railroad worker discovered the body Monday afternoon near the area of Taylor and Robbins Road. Investigators believe the unidentified man was walking along the railroad tracks, and at some point became disoriented. However, police don't believe foul play was involved.
Worker dies at ISU while removing collapsed column
December 26, Normal, Illinois - A massive concrete column collapsed at Illinois State University on Christmas, and a 57-year-old worker died while trying to remove it. McLean County Coroner Beth Kimmerling says Stephen White of Bloomington was pronounced dead at the scene of Friday’s accident. No other injuries have been reported. Authorities say White was using an excavator to move part of the four-story column when it broke lose and crushed the cab of the vehicle. A university spokesman says the piece that fell on the excavator weighed about 18,000 pounds.
Worker dead after fall from roof
December 22, Mehuen, Massachusetts — One man is dead and another was flown to a Boston-area hospital after the two workers fell from a roof this afternoon, police said. Police received 911 calls about two men falling off a roof at 28 Annis St. at 1:47 p.m., said Lt. Greg Gallant. Police and firefighters rushed to the scene and discovered the men fell while working a construction job on the home. One man was pronounced dead upon arrival at Lawrence General Hospital and the second was airlifted to a Boston-area hospital, Gallant said. Police are withholding the victims' identities pending notification of their family members, Gallant said.
Worker crushed to death at construction site
January 16, Ocala, Florida - An Orlando construction worker died after a heavy metal beam fell on him at an Ocala site. Ocala Fire Rescue reports that 40-year-old Victor Lizarraga was attaching a safety cable to the beam Friday morning when it fell. He was working for Metal-Bilt Construction LLC, an Orlando-based subcontractor on the commercial construction project.
Asthma Attack Likely Cause Of Au Bon Pain Worker's Death, Attorney Says
January 8, New York, New York - The attorney for the family of a pregnant woman who died after emergency medical technicians allegedly refused to help her at a Brooklyn cafe, says early indications show she died of an asthma attack. The attorney says the preliminary results of a private autopsy show Eutisha Rennix died from the attack. A final determination of the cause of death has not yet been released by the medical examiner.
Worker falls to death at Decatur silo
December 30, Fort Wayne, Indiana - A man died Tuesday in Decatur after he fell 80 feet into a grain silo, according to Adams County officials. Deputies were called about 2 p.m. Tuesday to Peterson Grain, at 4815 North 400 West, on a report of a fall. A company employee was doing routine cleaning and maintenance when he fell into the grain silo, said Leslie Cook, a deputy coroner for the Adams County Coroner's Office. It took paramedics and firefighters about 2 1/2 hours to get to the victim. The worker was pronounced dead at the scene, Cook said.
State Investigating After Death At Chemical Plant
December 28, Longview, Washington - Washington State is investigating the death of a worker in a chemical plant on Christmas Day. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports. The body of 25-year-old Justin Florek was recovered early Sunday morning from a large salt pile at the Equa-Chlor plant. He was apparently was making rounds at the Longview plant on Christmas Day and never returned to his station. Workers told authorities he may have fallen into the pile and been buried. Searchers used tracking dogs to find him after locating an article of clothing.
Kmart Worker Greg Wainio Run Over for $400 in Compact Discs, Say Police
January 19, Waterford Township, Michigan - Greg Wainio, a Michigan father of two who was killed in a Kmart parking lot, died for nothing more than $400 worth of compact discs, according to county prosecutors. Wainio, a 36-year-old Kmart "loss prevention specialist," died last Thursday in Waterford, Mich. after grabbing onto the vehicle of two alleged shoplifters after a parking lot confrontation, according to Michigan police.
Goodhue County farm worker killed on the job
January 19, St. Paul, Minnesota - A farm worker in northwestern Goodhue County got Daryl Peake of Mount Holly, N.C., has passed on numerous opportunities to compete at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, but now that he found success in his tournament debut, he doesn't plan on missing another year.
On the way to third place in Classified All-Events at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Saturday night, the 37-year-old left-hander became the second Classified bowler this year to roll three 600 series. Peake finished with 628 in team, 618 in doubles and 603 in singles for a 1,849 all-events total. Daniel Dabkowski of Columbia, S.C., leads with 1,857.
"I'll never miss another one of these again," said Peake, who owns a lawn care and pressure washing business. "This was never really something I wanted to do, but it was totally different than what I expected. I thought it was just going to be in a regular bowling center, so seeing the atmosphere, the people and everything going on was a little overwhelming, but talking to everyone and walking down Center Aisle really pumped me up and made me want to bowl well."
While most bowlers battle first-time jitters, Peake shot out of the gate and started his USBC Open Championships career with six consecutive strikes on the way to a 233 game Friday. His good fortune continued Saturday as he teamed up with Bob Butts of Charlotte, N.C., to move into sixth place in Classified Doubles with a 1,207 total. Jacqueline Snyder and Bill Calhoon of Cooksville, Ill., lead with 1,282.
"My goal was to stay around the 190s or low 200s because I heard it was a pretty tough shot," Peake said. "I just planned to keep it simple and make the best shots I could and hopefully leave spares I could make. When we got done, I was headed to the snack bar for a soda and then out to the car to put my equipment away. I passed by the leaderboard, but didn't think anything of it and had no idea what my finals totals were."
Peake has signed up and paid to come to the Open Championships before, but because of his hectic work schedule and the responsibilities that come with owning his own business, he's been forced to back out in the past. This time, despite the high price of airfare, he decided to make the trip and is glad he did.
"It turned out to be a really nice experience," Peake said. "I haven't really had the time to work on my game, but this will definitely motivate me to bowl more and try to improve my scores for next year. I am satisfied with how I bowled, and while I can look back at the shots that I thought should've carried, I also have to think about the trips and breaks I got, too. We all want to be first, but it doesn't always work out that way. My hat is off to the guy in first place, and maybe I can do it next year."
Now that he's finally been to the Open Championships, seen the venue, walked down Center Aisle and enjoyed success on the tournament lanes, Peake understands the magnitude of the event and what it means to have your name hanging over the lanes on one of the championships banners.
"It would've been amazing for my wife and little boy to see my name on one of those banners next year," Peake said. "This really was a nice experience. From the worst bowler to the best bowler, I'd tell everyone to come and experience this. Since we've been here, I've been telling everyone that I have no idea what I was waiting on."
Presenting sponsors for the 2008 USBC Open Championships are Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus Reno in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Roto Grip, official sponsor of the Roto Grip Sport Bowling Challenge; Isleta Casino & Resort; Santa Ana Star Casino, the official brackets sponsor; Rainbow Ryders, the exclusive hot air balloon company of the 2008 Open Championships; and Sandia Resort & Casino.
