Ford plant accident kills contractor, injures employee

A concrete wall collapse Saturday morning at Ford Motor Co.'s Chicago Assembly Plant killed a contract worker and critically injured a Ford employee who tried to help in the aftermath, according to police and company officials.

Ford described the incident as a construction accident at the plant, which builds the Explorer, Taurus and Lincoln MKS. The wall was about 8 feet tall by 8 feet wide, CBS Chicago reported.

"A large section of the wall" fell on top of a 45-year-old man who was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, Chicago Police Officer Veejay Zala said. Zala said the cause of the collapse, which was reported at 10:48 a.m., was not immediately known.

Ford, In a statement, and UAW Local 551, in a post on its Facebook page, described the man killed as a contractor but did not give his name or the name of his employer. They said a plant worker was hurt while trying to help the contractor. CBS Chicago said that worker, a 48-year-old man, was hospitalized in critical condition after concrete fell on his leg.

"We are saddened that a contractor was killed in a construction accident at the Ford Chicago Assembly Plant today and another worker was injured while trying to help after the initial accident," Ford said in its statement. "We offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. We are cooperating fully with the investigation."

About 4,000 people work at the plant, which opened on the south side of Chicago in 1924.