37-year-old dies after getting trapped in equipment at tire company, SC officials say

A 37-year-old man was found dead inside a piece of equipment at an industrial tire supply company, according to South Carolina officials.

Christopher Crawford was found trapped inside a machine at Trelleborg Wheels in Spartanburg after 9 p.m. April 21, according to FOX Carolina.

The coroner’s office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the work-related death, according to WSPA.

Trelleborg Wheel Systems is a supplier of wheels and tires for agricultural, construction and material handling machines, according to the company’s website.

A Trelleborg Wheels spokesperson said in a statement sent to McClatchy News that the company was supporting Crawford’s family.

“We are focused on supporting our colleague’s family at this difficult time and our sympathies are with them,” the statement says. “Safety is our number one concern at our plants and we are fully cooperating with (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) as we continue our investigation.”

Loved ones mourned Crawford’s loss on social media.

Tisa Smith wrote on Facebook that she struggled to tell the daughter she shares with Crawford about his death.

“After finding out my child’s father was killed at work Friday night, I stayed up all Friday night crying and trying to figure out how to tell her,” she wrote. “It was so hard to see her breakdown… You lost your life while being a man and working to provide for your kids and that will forever tug on my heart.”

Smith did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

“He was a very respectful young man, always smiling,” Judy Norman-Miller wrote on Facebook.

Spartanburg is about 100 miles northwest of Columbia.

This story was originally published April 24, 2023 at 5:26 PM with the headline "37-year-old dies after getting trapped in equipment at tire company, SC officials say."