GRANITEVILLE, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina authorities are investigating after a man working at a manufacturing plant was crushed to death.
Andrew Hobbs died Tuesday about 9 a.m. on the job at the Bridgestone-Firestone Manufacturing facility in Graniteville, Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables said in a news release.
The 58-year-old from Thomson, Georgia, suffered “crushing injuries,” and was taken to Augusta University Medical Center where he died, the release said.
An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday in Newberry, Ables said.
Bridgestone Americas called the death “an accident,” in a statement provided by company spokeswoman Emily Weaver, The State reported.
“On June 23, a contractor who worked at our Aiken County Passenger/Light Truck Tire Plant’s warehouse passed away following an injury sustained during an accident at the warehouse earlier in the day,” officials said in the statement. “We are currently investigating the situation. At this time, we do not have any further details about this incident. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and co-workers at our Aiken County Passenger Tire Plant.”
The Graniteville facility was one of two Aiken County manufacturing plants Bridgestone temporarily closed in March in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic.
There are approximately 2,200 employees combined at the plants in Greenville and Trenton.
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