Worker crushed to death in industrial accident at Michigan manufacturing facility
An accident at DPR Manufacturing has cost an employee his life. The incident occurred at the company’s manufacturing facility in Warren, Michigan. According to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) the “22-year-old shop hand/apprentice was moving sheet metal with the use of a cart. While moving the sheet metal, the cart caught an uneven edge of a walking-working surface and tipped over onto the victim.” The worker was later identified as Matthew McCoy.
Mitch Hotts for Macomb Daily is reporting that when the Warren Fire Department reached Matthew on the scene, he was in cardiac arrest and had suffered other life-threatening crush injuries. After providing life support procedures, the worker was taken to Ascension Macomb Oakland Hospital where he eventually died.
Dave Spencer and Nour Rahal for FOX 2 Detroit spoke with Matthew’s sister, Jami Reiterman. Jami told reporters that Matthew “was kind. Always kind. He would always walk through the door and ask me how my day was. He was the only one that ever did that."
Jami also described Matthew’s passion for his work at DPR Manufacturing, a family-owned company that specializes in custom steel, stainless steel, and aluminum fabrication. Jami said, "He was a machinist, so he ran certain machines... He did a lot of painting of the parts. He loved his job. He really did. He would come home and talk about all the cool stuff he got to work on (like) props for the Barbie movie premiere, and he was always excited about his job."
Alayna Wilder, a friend of Jami Reiterman, set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help the family raise money for Matthew’s services. According to the GoFundMe page, “Matthew was a kind soul who loved his job, playing video games, and drawing. He was very close to his siblings and friends. If you know Jami, you know that she is a hardworking, generous, compassionate individual who has helped many other families as they lost their loved ones. As Matthew's family and friends begin this debilitating grieving process, we ask that Jami be the recipient of compassion and generosity to offset the financial burden of his burial services.”
Alayna spoke with Hannah Mackay for The Detroit News. "Matthew was an awesome kid. We just want to make sure that Matthew can be honored in the way that is appropriate for him and (he) deserves."
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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