Worker Killed After Part of Crane Falls on Him in Horrifying Accident (Video)

A routine workday turned deadly in an instant after a catastrophic equipment failure inside a suburban Chicago warehouse.

A 55-year-old worker was killed Tuesday afternoon when part of a crane system failed, sending a massive metal spool crashing down on him, according to authorities.

The tragic incident happened just after noon at a facility on Saint Paul Boulevard in Carol Stream. Emergency crews rushed to the scene after reports of a workplace accident inside a warehouse operated by S&S International, a small family-run stainless steel company.

Investigators say the worker was helping load a large spool of aluminum onto a flatbed truck when disaster struck.

Inside the warehouse, overhead cranes are used to move heavy spools from storage areas to waiting trucks. But during the loading process, something went wrong.

Police say a component of the crane — possibly a strap — suddenly broke, causing the enormous spool to drop.

The weight of the spool was staggering, estimated at around 48,000 pounds.

The impact was fatal.

Authorities say the man died at the scene.

One truck driver waiting outside described hearing a loud popping sound just before the accident, signaling the moment everything went wrong.

The victim’s identity has not yet been released.

Officials from OSHA arrived at the scene later in the afternoon to begin an investigation into what caused the failure, while the Carol Stream Police Department and the DuPage County coroner are also involved.

Fire crews remained on site to safely recover the victim’s body.

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