Teen cutting up tree is latest on-the-job fatality in Michigan. What we know
MIOSHA said the fatality was the third in one week in Michigan and the third in June.
The teen was hired to cut up a fallen tree at a "residential location" in Muskegon, MIOSHA said in a release.
The homeowner later found found the victim next to their chainsaw "with a laceration to their neck," the release said. No other information was released.
In 2024, Michigan saw 12 worker deaths in the first six months of the year — one in June — while 17 workers died through June 2023.
There were 36 MIOSHA-related deaths in 2023 and 31 overall in 2024. 2009 saw the lowest number with 24.
"Employers and employees are urged to use extreme care and safety diligence in all work activities," MIOSHA said in an email. "Every life is precious. Our mutual goal must be that every employee goes home at the end of every shift."
What to know about worker safety in Michigan.
According to MIOSHA, in addition to the latest fatality, the following deaths have occurred in 2025:
Jan. 3, Almont: A 43-year-old cement finisher died of "inhalation" after using propane-powered equipment in an enclosed barn without ventilation. A second worker was hospitalized in critical condition.
Jan. 16, Ravenna: A 42-year-old laborer died when they were struck by the tongue of a trailer.
Feb. 10, Traverse City: A 29-year-old roofer fell 20 feet to the ground.
Feb. 12, Carsonville: A 34-year-old pipefitter died when a trench in which they were working caved in.
March 9, Sterling Heights: A 32-year-old roofer fell about 20 feet to the ground.
April 7, Dundee: A 63-year-old machine repairman was struck and pinned by a motorized arm near a conveyor line.
April 15, Ann Arbor: A 64-year-old truck driver was struck by a semi-trailer while attempting to hook it to the truck.
April 30, Jackson: A 46-year-old student support specialist was found unresponsive with a metal file cabinet on top of them. Emergency services were called. The employee was pronounced on scene. The autopsy indicated the cause of death to be traumatic (compression) chest asphyxia from the file cabinet.
May 14, White Cloud: A 38-year-old arborist was killed when an oak tree fell.
May 24, Comstock Park: A 71-year-old machine operator fell and was struck in the head while cutting bands from metal tubing.
May 28, Oakland Township: A 32-year-old laborer was operating a riding lawnmower was pinned when it overturned.
June 16, Potterville: A 27-year-old construction worker who was killed at Potterville High School when steel trusses fell on them and another worker.
June 19, Ann Arbor: A 48-year-old truck driver was killed when their vehicle overturned and pinned the man in the cab as they were backing up for stone delivery.
The number of workers killed on the job by year:
2024: 31
2023: 36
2022: 45
2021: 54
2020: 75
2019: 39
2018: 38
2017: 39
2016: 43
2015: 29
2014: 37
2013: 28
2012: 27
In fiscal year 2024, federal OSHA investigated 826 worker deaths, an 11% reduction from 928 in the previous year, the agency said. Excluding COVID-related deaths, fiscal 2024 was the lowest number of worker fatalities OSHA has been mandated to investigate since 2017.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan workplace death toll for 2025. Latest on-the-job fatality in Muskegon
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Space Force Analyst Suspected Teens of Stealing His Wife's Car, and Killed 1 — Now He's Sentenced to 54 Years
Orest Schur has been sentenced for second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder following his June 2025 conviction NEED TO KNOW Former U.S. Space Force signals intelligence analyst Orest Schur was sentenced to 54 years in prison for second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder In July 2023, the Afghanistan veteran shot at the 13-year-old and 14-year-old boys after they allegedly attempted to steal his wife's car Schur fired 11 shots at the two teens, fatally shooting one of them, Xavier Kirk, 14 Orest Schur, a former U.S. Space Force signals intelligence analyst, has been sentenced to more than five decades in prison after shooting two suspected teen car thieves and killing one of them, per a news release from District Attorney Brian Mason. On Friday, Aug. 15, Judge Caryn Datz sentenced Schur, 29, to 54 years in prison after he was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder in June 2025. He will serve 36 years behind bars for the murder charge and 18 years for the attempted murder, which will be served consecutively. Schur, an Afghanistan veteran, could have faced a maximum of 80 years in prison or a minimum of 26. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. In July 2023, in Aurora, Colo., Schur, who at the time was a U.S. Space Force technical sergeant, chased the 13-year-old and 14-year-old boys down after he allegedly caught them attempting to steal his wife's car. As the unarmed teens drove away and ultimately crashed the car, Schur fired 11 shots at them, per the forensic testing results — some of which hit 14-year-old Xavier Kirk in the back and head. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died. The 13-year-old, whose identity has not been publicly revealed, was shot in the back but was able to get to a relative's home for help. The teen was taken to the hospital, and he survived his injuries. Ahead of Schur's sentencing, he addressed the court and apologized for his actions. "I am sorry for the events that occurred that night, for the pain, for the grief and trauma that have followed and for the impact that my case had on so many lives,' per CBS News. At Schur's sentencing, the boys' family members condemned the boys' actions, but said they did not deserve to die. "You know, kids make mistakes, and so, I always teach my kids in my family, like my nephews and nieces, about consequences and repercussions,' one family member said, per CBS News. 'We're not trying to excuse any wrongdoing of Xavier, or wrong they were involved in. The part that's messed up is Orest Shur's car was never stolen." Additionally, prosecutors read the surviving teen's statement in court. "An adult chose to use deadly force against two unarmed teenagers. That is not justice, that is not safety, that is not accountability,' the statement read, per CBS News. 'I survived, but I am not the same. My friend didn't survive at all. And no matter what we did that night, I didn't deserve to be shot, and Xavier didn't deserve to die." District Attorney Mason also issued a statement, calling Schur's actions 'vigilante violence at its worst.' 'Now a young man is dead,' the statement read. 'The defendant took the law into his own hands, chasing down a fleeing vehicle and opening fire on its occupants. A 14-year-old boy will now never grow up because of the defendant's actions. I'm grateful to the Aurora Police Department for their investigation and to my team at the DA's Office for securing justice in this case.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fox News' Bret Baier Stopped In G-Wagon By DC Police
Amidst the big law enforcement push in Washington, DC Fox News anchor Bret Baier was stopped in his Mercedes G-Wagon by police. It happened on August 16 in Georgetown as a bystander filmed part of the traffic some are characterizing law enforcement in DC as stopping everyone for no reason, Baier admits he was pulled over for good reason while cruising around the capital city: distracted driving. Taking to X, the journalist admitted the whole thing was his fault: 'I picked up my ringing phone as I drove past an officer while driving my wife's car in Georgetown. He pointed to have me pull over- I did. He was very professional. I had to dig for the registration card. Got a ticket and left. I didn't know there was paparazzi.' We have to say, his wife has excellent taste, if she's the one who picked out the G-Wagon. But we're not wild about those wheels, although the tires are appropriate for those who just cruise around urban areas instead of venturing onto trails. Just like in a lot of other areas, it's illegal to hold your phone while driving in Washington, DC. If someone wants to use a device while cruising around, they have to use the handsfree feature on it, not pick it up like Baier did. The crackdown on crime in the capital was sparked by the beating of Edward Coristine, a former DOGE employee who's affectionately known by a nickname we can't use without being censored. The 21-year-old stepped in to prevent a group of teenagers from carjacking a woman when the teens beat him senseless. President Trump took to social media to voice his displeasure with how rampant crime had become in the nation's capital, which included carjackings. His solution has been to send federal law enforcement flooding into the city in a crime crackdown. According to the DC Police Union, the move has led to an 83 percent drop in carjackings as other crimes have also become far less common than before. The only drawback is with all those cops everywhere, elites like Baier have to watch what they do. Image via _johnnymaga/X, bretbaier/Instagram
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
California man who admitted shipping weapons to North Korea is sentenced to 8 years in prison
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to shipping weapons and ammunition to North Korea that he said were to be used for a surprise attack on South Korea, authorities said Tuesday. Shenghua Wen, 42, came to the U.S. from China on a student visa in 2012 and remained in the country illegally after it expired, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles. Wen pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, the statement says. He was sentenced on Monday. Wen told investigators that before he entered the U.S., he met with North Korean officials at an embassy in China, where they instructed him to procure goods for the North Korean government. He also admitted that he tried to buy uniforms to disguise North Korean soldiers for the surprise attack, a federal complaint says. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has demonstrated an intent to deploy battlefield nuclear weapons along the North's border with South Korea, a U.S. ally, recently delivering nuclear-capable missile launchers to frontline military units. United Nations resolutions ban North Korea from importing or exporting weapons. In 2022, North Korean officials contacted him via an online messaging app and instructed him to buy firearms, prosecutors said. He shipped two containers of weapons and other items from Long Beach, California, to North Korea via Hong Kong in 2023. He told U.S. authorities that he was wired about $2 million to do so, according to the complaint. Authorities did not specify in the complaint the types of weapons that were exported. To carry out his operation, Wen purchased a business in 2023 called Super Armory, a federal firearms licensee, for $150,000, and registered it under his business partner's name in Texas. He had other people purchase the firearms and then drove them to California, misrepresenting the shipments as a refrigerator and camera parts. Investigators did not say whether Wen had organized any shipments during his first 10 years in the U.S. The FBI in September seized 50,000 rounds of ammunition from Wen's home in the LA suburb of Ontario that had been stored in a van parked in the driveway, the complaint says. They also seized a chemical threat identification device and a transmission detective device that Wen said he planned to send to the North Korean government for military use, the complaint says. The Associated Press
