22-year-old worker dies after forklift hits him at distribution center, NC cops say
A 22-year-old worker died after a forklift ran into him at a distribution center in North Carolina, officials said.
Dereck Rafael Carrero of Hope Mills was on the job when he was filling an order on Saturday, Dec. 4, according to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office. While he was in an aisle to pick out a product, deputies said Carrero “was struck by a high reach motorized forklift driven by another employee.”
Officials said Carrero was injured at a facility in Dunn, roughly 40 miles south of Raleigh. The incident was reported at ADUSA Distribution, LLC.
“We deeply regret this accident occurred and our thoughts remain with his family during this difficult time,” the company told McClatchy News in an emailed statement. “ADUSA Distribution continues to investigate the incident and is cooperating with other investigative authorities. Because the situation remains under investigation and out of respect for the family, we have no additional details to share at this time.”
The N.C. Department of Labor said it received a report that an incident at the facility left a worker “caught between a forklift and a rack support.”
Carrero had a serious head injury and was hospitalized. He died Dec. 6, according to Capt. Joseph Webb of the sheriff’s office.
Though the sheriff’s office had told McClatchy News that Carrero was an employee of the grocery store chain Food Lion, the distribution company said he worked for it. ADUSA Distribution serves Food Lion and other supermarket brands.
The N.C. Department of Labor was notified about the incident and is investigating, spokesperson Jennifer Haigwood wrote in an email. Investigations from the agency’s Occupational Safety and Health Division can take up to six months and can involve a site visit, interviews, and documentation of possible health and safety violations.
CORRECTION: The original version of this story incorrectly stated who employed the worker. It is ADUSA Distribution, LLC.
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