Legal news for Illinois personal injury attorneys. An explosion fatally injured a trucker who was hundreds of feet away.
Illinois personal injury attorneys alert- An explosion at a NDK America plant killed a trucker hundreds of feet away.
Rockford, IL—An explosion at a Belvidere plant killed a trucker who was hundreds of feet away from the site of the explosion. The factory is designed to break away during an explosion, which is exactly what happened on Monday, December 7, 2009 around 2:30 p.m., at the NDK America plant, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
The NDK America plant, which manufactures crystals used in liquid-crystal displays, exploded in a highly pressurized vessel where the crystals are made. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the massive explosion. The building where the plant is housed has special exterior panels, which are designed to break away if a explosion occurred. One of these exterior panels, at least several feet long, were launched through the air during the blast and struck a trucker, Ronald Greenfield, 63, of Chesterton, Indiana, who was standing outside his truck. Greenfield was located on the north side of the Belvidere Oasis on Interstate 90. Officials stated the trucker was about a quarter mile away when he was fatally struck. One employee was inside the building when the explosion occurred, but was uninjured. Debris from the blast was found several hundred feet from the building. Residents nearby stated the explosion felt like an earthquake. Police officials are reportedly conducting a full investigation into the explosion.
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for Illinois personal injury lawyers.