TOLEDO, Ohio — Wednesday is a day that many employees at the Toledo Jeep Assembly Complex will be remembered forever.
"For this to happen just like that, in just seconds, it's unreal," said a Jeep employee who spoke with WTOL 11 Wednesday evening, hours after another employee was crushed at the plant and died from their injuries.
As a current Jeep employee, they asked to remain anonymous but shared their experience inside the plant during the incident.
The Toledo Fire & Rescue Department confirmed the death, but officials have not identified the employee or how it happened.
The anonymous employee, a quality inspector, says they heard the incident happen while others were on break.
"I know where this happened was where the chassis and the body comes down together, where all the parts from all the plants come together, so this gentleman was doing his job on break and he just apparently happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time," they said. "The conveyor turned on; it's just terrible."
The United Auto Workers Local 12, which represents employees at the plant, shared the following statement on social media:
"My heart breaks for them. I'm praying for them. I cannot imagine," the employee said. "I heard his wife called up to the plant, he's got a wife and kids I heard and that's all I really know. I cannot imagine."
OSHA representatives told WTOL 11 that they are starting an investigation into the incident and results may not be shared for up to six months.
Stellantis also issued a statement about the incident:
Stellantis is aware of an incident involving one of our employees at the Toledo Assembly Complex. The Toledo Fire Department has been called for assistance. As this incident is currently under investigation, we cannot provide any further details at this time.