Anyone who has been swept up in a crowd of people on the move knows that it is a terrifying feeling.

Even worse is when someone is knocked down and trampled. The result can be tragic, as in the case of a Wal-Mart worker in Mineola who was killed by shoppers seeking store bargains early on "Black Friday."

Jdimytai Damour, 34, died of asphyxiation when about 2,000 people broke down the electronic doors and overwhelmed the 6-feet 5-inches, 270-pound man. The unfortunate worker had only been employed at the store one week and reportedly had no training in crowd control.

"Literally anyone, those hundreds of people who did make their way into the store, literally had to step over or around him or, unfortunately, on him to get into the Wal-Mart store," said Nassau County Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey.

Thus a man loses his life because shoppers could not or would not stop, slow down, walk around him or help him. Four other injured people, one a pregnant woman, were treated and released at hospitals.

The incident must give store operators nationwide pause for reflection on how to safely hold such sales events. Anyone who deals with crowds must be aware of what can happen.

But the main fault lies with those who, in their rush to find sale items, heedlessly ended a life. Black Friday, indeed.

This must not happen again.