Man fatally crushed by metal bar at University Park warehouse

A 57-year-old man was killed when he was crushed by a 2,000-pound metal bar Tuesday morning at a warehouse in south suburban University Park.

The employee was working on a dock plate at Lineage Logistics at 450 Central Ave. in University Park at 9:25 a.m. He was underneath a lift gate when the bolts broke and a metal bar snapped and fell on top of him, according to OSHA spokesman Scott Allen. The metal bar weighed about 2,000 pounds.

The employee, identified as 57-year-old William Howard, was taken to Franciscan St. James Health in Olympia Fields where he was pronounced dead at 10:02 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Howard, who lived in the 500 block of Buffalo Avenue in Calumet City, died of multiple blunt force injuries and his death was ruled an accident, according to the medical examiner’s office.

OSHA has opened an investigation into the incident, Allen said.

Lineage Logistics is a warehousing and logistics company that is “built to deliver sophisticated, customized, and dependable cold chain solutions,” according to their website. The company acquired the University Park facility in 2013.

University Park police could not immediately be reached for information.