UPDATED 3:54 P.M.
MAPLETON, Ill. – A 28-year-old man is dead after a fire Thursday at the Caterpillar’s Mapleton facility.
Peoria County Sheriff’s deputies responded at around five P-M, finding a fire in the foundry, and a man dead inside.
Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood has identified the man as Daulton Simmers of West Peoria.
Simmers suffered severe thermal burns throughout his body and likely died in a matter of seconds, Harwood says.
Toxicology tests are pending. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office and OSHA.
Thursday’s fatal accident comes two years after another CAT employee died after falling into a crucible at the foundry.
In a statement Thursday night, a Caterpillar spokesperson said the company was “saddened” by the loss of an employee at the facility, and that they are working with authorities as the incident is investigated.
UPDATE 6/7 7:30 a.m.
MAPLETON, Ill. – An investigation is underway after a fire claimed the life of a 28-year-old man at Caterpillar’s Mapleton facility on Thursday.
Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins says deputies responded at around five P-M to the facility’s foundry, finding a fire…and confirming an individual was deceased.
Thursday’s fatal accident comes almost exactly two years after another CAT employee died after falling into a crucible at the foundry.
A Caterpillar spokesperson said in a statement Thursday night, that the company was “saddened” by the loss of an employee at the facility, and that they are working with authorities.
The man’s identity will be released by the Peoria County Coroner…pending notification of family.
UPDATE 11:19 P.M.
In a statement Thursday night, a Caterpillar spokesperson said the company was “saddened” by the loss of an employee.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of a colleague at our Mapleton, Illinois, facility on June 6, and are working with authorities as the incident is investigated. We will have counselors onsite for our facility employees, and our thoughts are with the affected family, friends and colleagues,” said Lisa Miller of Caterpillar Inc.
Thursday’s fatal accident at CAT’s Mapleton facility comes almost exactly two years after another employee died there after falling into a crucible in the foundry.
MAPLETON, Ill. – One person is dead after a fire Thursday afternoon at the Caterpillar Mapleton facility.
Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins says deputies responded at around 5:00 P.M. and observed a fire in the foundry. He says deputies did confirm an individual was deceased inside the foundry.
Watkins says the identity of the body will be released by the Peoria County Coroner at a later date.
In addition to the sheriff’s office, the Timber-Hollis Fire Department and AMT responded to the fire.
The fire is under investigation.
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