Aerial view of Michigan Sugar Company’s Croswell, Michigan, processing facility. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Sugar Company)
A 41-year-old employee at Michigan Sugar Company was killed Nov. 4 after being struck by heavy equipment at the company’s sugar-beet processing site in Croswell, Mich.
The incident took place around 6 p.m. at the company’s ground-piling facility in Sanilac County when the worker was hit by a payloader. Emergency responders arrived and attempted life-saving measures, but the employee was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Michigan Sugar, a grower-owned cooperative headquartered in Bay City with four beet-sugar factories in Michigan, said its safety department is investigating the incident in cooperation with local authorities.
In a statement, the company extended its condolences to the worker’s family, friends, and colleagues, and said support services have been made available to employees at the Croswell facility.
The Croswell plant plays a key role in Michigan Sugar’s operations. The cooperative produces beet sugar under several brand names and operates multiple factories across the state.
The exact circumstances surrounding how the accident occurred remain under investigation. The local police department and the company’s safety team are jointly reviewing the scene.