Probe underway into death at BMW paint shop in S.C.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office is investigating an accidental death in the paint shop of BMW's assembly plant in Spartanburg, S.C., according to a company statement.

"I can confirm at this time that my office responded to the BMW plant off Hwy 101 where we discovered a private contractor working on BMW equipment deceased," Rusty Clevenger, Spartanburg County coroner, wrote Wednesday in an email forwarded to Automotive News. "The decedent was not a BMW employee."

The deceased has been identified as Bojah Sprah, 45, of Boiling Springs, S.C.

“The preliminary cause of death for [Bojan] is listed as open-head trauma, secondary to blunt force trauma, secondary to entrapment in moving machinery. Since this is a work place death, toxicology is part of the autopsy and is pending until I can get it tested. I do not have info that he was impaired in any way at this time. A final cause of death will be issued when all testing and investigative information is made available to my office,” Clevenger said.

"Since this is an active investigation, BMW is not able to comment further at this time," BMW said in a statement.

The paint shop has halted operations as the investigation continues, the company statement said. The cause of death has not been identified.

BMW first responders were immediately called to the scene when the accident occurred, the statement said, and the local fire department arrived on the scene.

"All indications at this time are this incident is nothing more than a tragic accident," Lt. Kevin Bobo of the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office wrote in a email to Automotive News.