Employee dies after being hit by falling spool from crane at Carol Stream factory

An employee died Tuesday afternoon after being trapped underneath a crane at a stainless steel and aluminum factory in Carol Stream, Illinois.

Carol Stream police said the officers and paramedics from the fire department arrived around noon at S and S International at 457 St. Paul Blvd. for a report of a workplace incident involving a person trapped underneath a crane.  

Upon arrival, they found the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Preliminary information indicated that the victim, a 55-year-old man, was attempting to load a large metal spool onto a flatbed truck using an overhead crane. During this, the crane gave way, causing the spool to fall from an elevated height, hitting the employee.

His identity is being withheld as of Tuesday afternoon. Carol Stream police said the incident does not appear to be criminal in nature.

The Carol Stream Police Department and the DuPage County Coroner's Office are investigating. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, has also launched its own investigation.