All articles tagged with #fatality
OSP identified 20-year-old Zachary Mertens of Burlington, Kentucky, who died after slipping in a closed-off area at the top of South Falls in Silver Falls State Park; witnesses attempted rescue, and the fall occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 with the investigation ongoing.
A 24-year-old motorcyclist died after a crash with an SUV at the intersection of 11th Street NE and eastbound Orange Ave in Roanoke on Friday at 8:50 p.m. The rider was thrown from the motorcycle, treated, and transported to Carilion Memorial Hospital where he died. The SUV driver remained at the scene and is cooperating. The incident is under investigation, and police are seeking additional information.
A 62-year-old woman driving a Chevrolet Equinox died after a fiery crash on Interstate 80 near 102nd Street in Omaha when a Kenworth semi changing lanes struck the Equinox, sending it into a concrete barrier where it was hit by a second semi; the Equinox caught fire and she died at CUMC-Bergan Mercy Hospital. The interstate reopened around 3 a.m. as investigators continued to review the sequence of events.
Severe storms swept through Wake County, NC, toppling trees, downing power lines and damaging homes, causing thousands to lose electricity. A 71-year-old man, Mike Ferguson, was killed when a tree fell on his home. Duke Energy reported hundreds of outage events and tens of thousands without power at the peak. Crews worked to clear debris, restore power, and rebuild infrastructure while residents were urged to stay safe and consider trimming trees to reduce future risk.
During a night of severe storms across central North Carolina, a large tree fell onto a Wake County home, killing 71-year-old Mike Ferguson who was in bed; two of his four daughters were inside but unharmed. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene and investigators, working with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, are probing the incident. The storms caused widespread damage and power outages across the Triangle, with about 12,000 Duke Energy customers without power at one point, and neighbors began cleanup as the community mourned.
Multiple alligator attacks across central Florida over the past week injured three people, including a fatal attack on a 31-year-old woman in the Econlockhatchee River near Orlando; a boy was bitten in Marion County and a snorkeler in Rainbow River. Wildlife officials captured two large alligators at the scene and euthanized one. Florida, with about 1.3 million alligators, averages eight unprovoked bites per year; since 1948 there have been more than 450 attacks and 30 fatalities. Experts say awareness and avoiding risky water activities can significantly reduce risk.
A Tesla Model 3, reportedly in Autopilot mode, crashed into a brick home in Katy, Texas, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila inside; the driver, Michael Butler, was injured, cooperative, and the crash is under investigation, with authorities noting the vehicle was moving at a high rate of speed and Tesla’s Autopilot safety history is referenced in context.
Exclusive dashcam footage shows a jackknifed semi-truck veering from the right shoulder onto the center divider and into multiple vehicles on the I-210 in Irwindale, triggering a fatal crash that killed a 58-year-old woman and injured more than 30 people, including 10 hospitalized (six of them children). Authorities say at least three vehicles were involved and the cause is under investigation, with the freeway reopening just after 3 p.m.
A Tesla vehicle reportedly operating in autopilot mode crashed into a house, killing a woman, as investigators investigate whether autopilot was engaged and what caused the deadly crash; authorities have not yet determined a definitive cause, and updates are expected as the investigation continues.
A man died after a grey Honda Accord left I-71 North near Morse Road in Columbus, striking a pedestrian walkway. The driver, 20-year-old Ashton Krick, died at the scene. The Accident Investigation Unit is investigating the crash.
A South Carolina woman was killed when a gust of wind blew a patio umbrella from a table and struck her in the head and neck as she dined with her husband at the Driftwood Grill in Summerton; authorities are investigating the death as an accident and an autopsy is planned.
A South Carolina woman died after a gust of wind lifted a patio umbrella at the Driftwood Grill in Summerton and struck her in the throat; first responders could not save her.
Benjamin R. Goeckel, 50, was killed when his stationary John Deere lawn mower was struck by a northbound Polaris Ranger UTV on Indian Road in Washington County; the mower operator died at the scene, while the UTV driver and a 9-year-old passenger were not injured.
A 39-year-old Cairns man was killed by a shark while spearfishing with friends off Kennedy Shoal on the Great Barrier Reef. Witnesses pulled him from the water and paramedics could not save him. The incident comes on the heels of another fatal attack nearby earlier in May, making it Australia’s third shark fatality in 2026, amid ongoing research that warming oceans and crowded waters may be driving more attacks.
A 38-year-old man died after a four-metre great white attacked him at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island, off Perth. He was transported by boat to Geordie Bay Jetty where CPR was performed but he died at the scene. The incident is Western Australia’s first fatal shark attack since March, while recent eastern coast attacks have prompted beach closures; globally, shark encounters are most common on Australia’s east and southeast coasts, averaging about 20 incidents annually.