A stampede at a Long Island Wal-Mart resulted in the death of one man and the possible miscarriage of a pregnant woman as they were trampled by a throng of shoppers on Black Friday.
The 34-year-old man, a temporary employee who was providing maintenance work at the store, was trying to restrain the crowd when he was knocked to the ground around 5:00 a.m. and died after being rushed to a local hospital just after 6:00 a.m.
The 28-year-old pregnant woman was knocked to the ground a short distance from the store worker. Her condition has not been released.
At least four other people were treated for minor injuries.
“The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority,” said Wal-Mart representative Dan Fogleman. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families at this difficult time. At this point, facts are still being assembled and we are working closely with the Nassau County police as they investigate what occurred.”
A spokesman for the National Retail Federation said “We are not aware of any other circumstances where a retail employee has died working on the day after Thanksgiving.”
Last year shoppers were trampled at another Wal-Mart location on Black Friday. See video below.