Sears worker in upstate New York dies after shelves collapse

(Reuters) - A Sears employee in northern New York has died of injuries suffered when storage racks at the store collapsed and pinned him underneath, authorities said. Josh Quintilliani, 35, was organizing the racks on Saturday in the Sears store warehouse at the St. Lawrence Center Mall in Massena when the shelves gave way, according to a statement released by the New York State Police. The racks held plywood, glass and metal materials, the police said. Quintilliani, of Waddington, New York, was air-lifted to Fletcher Allen Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont, where he died late on Wednesday, police said. "We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the Quintilliani family," Sears Holdings said in a statement on Thursday. "We take the safety of our employees very seriously and we are currently investigating this matter." Massena lies on the south shore of Lake St. Lawrence, just south of the Canadian border and about 86 miles (138 km)southwest of Montreal. (Editing By Ellen Wulfhorst and Sandra Maler)