A 36-year-old contractor with Caterpillar has died in a workplace accident at the company’s Peoria Proving Ground facility in rural Washington.
Tazewell County Coroner Charles Hanley says the man from Michigan was pronounced dead at the scene after authorities were notified of the accident shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Hanley said an autopsy is scheduled for Friday and additional information would be released following that procedure.
A spokesperson for Caterpillar issued a statement saying the company is “saddened by the death” and “working with authorities” as the incident remains under investigation by the coroner’s office, the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office, and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“We will have counselors onsite for our facility employees, and our thoughts are with the affected family, friends and colleagues,” said the spokesperson.
