Forklift Operator on His Cellphone Kills Company CEO in Shocking Incident

A deadly workplace accident at a massive electric vehicle construction site in Georgia has sparked renewed scrutiny after a company CEO was struck and killed by a forklift whose operator was allegedly using a cellphone at the time — and then fled the scene.

According to a recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration report, 45-year-old Sunbok You, the CEO of SBY America, died after being hit by a forklift on March 21 at the HL-GA Battery Company construction site in Bryan County.

You, whose company was a subcontractor on the project tied to Hyundai Motor Group, was reportedly speaking with workers when he walked across a work area and was struck by the heavy machinery.

The OSHA report states that the forklift operator was talking on a cellphone while driving. After hitting You, the operator allegedly ran away without stopping to check on him.

At the time of the incident, You was wearing a black vest and an eye patch over his right eye. OSHA noted that company rules required him to wear a high-visibility green safety vest, which he did not have on.

The forklift driver worked for a separate contractor, Beyond Iron Construction, according to investigators.

OSHA opened investigations into multiple companies connected to the site, including HL-GA Battery Company, SBY America, Beyond Iron Construction, and Steel Brothers Development. Three of the companies were fined following the investigation.

Beyond Iron Construction received the largest penalty — $16,550 — after OSHA determined the company exposed workers to struck-by and crushing hazards and failed to enforce forklift traffic rules, including speed limits.

SBY America was fined just under $10,000. HL-GA Battery Company received a $1,800 fine for failing to submit required injury and illness reports.

You’s death was not the first fatality at the sprawling EV construction site. In April 2023, Victor Gamboa, a worker for Eastern Constructors Inc., died after falling roughly 60 feet while working on a structural steel frame at the 16-million-square-foot facility.

Records from Bryan County EMS show at least 53 emergency calls to the site over a 16-month period. More than a dozen involved traumatic injuries, including another forklift-related incident. One worker was also hospitalized before You’s death following a pipe explosion.

OSHA has now opened at least 15 investigations tied to incidents at the site, highlighting growing safety concerns as construction continues on one of the largest EV manufacturing projects in the region