22-Year-Old North Carolina Company Employee Crushed To Death By Industrial Mixing Machine

A 22-year-old North Carolina company employee was crushed to death by an industrial mixing machine while on the job.

The incident took place at a factory of Automatic Rolls of North Carolina (Northeast Foods) at 68 Harvest Mill Lane in Clayton, Jhonson County, on Saturday. The county emergency responders team arrived at the scene at around 3:45 p.m. ET and found the woman. They tried to save the victim but were unable to, ABC 11 reported.

Town of Clayton spokesperson Nathanael Shelton later identified the deceased woman as Bibiana Arellano Delabra of Middlesex.

Delabra was allegedly operating the machine when something went wrong and it came crashing down on her. Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating the incident.

Relatives of the deceased told ABC11 that the woman's parents sought legal counsel in connection with the incident.

Automatic Rolls of North Carolina is a family-owned business operating out of Baltimore. The company, according to its website, is the largest supplier of buns, rolls, and bread products in the U.S. The business currently remains closed, and the company said it will work with OSHA throughout the investigation.

"Initial reports by emergency responders have deemed this event an accident and we remain committed to working with OSHA and all pertinent parties to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into this unthinkable tragedy," the company's statement read, according to New York Press News. "We have been in touch with the victim's family and deeply regret the pain this is causing. Our employees will be receiving on-site counseling as we collectively grieve and process this loss."

In October 2021, a theatre actor was crushed to death at Moscow’s renowned Bolshoi Theatre during a set change at a live opera show. Yevgeny Kulesh, 38, was allegedly crushed by a massive backdrop after he went in the wrong direction during the set change on stage. As this happened, other actors and the orchestra unknowingly continued with the act. At one point, performers realized what happened and asked for help by waving their hands. Horrified onlookers on stage were unable to revive Kulesh; the incident left the audience stunned. Members of the audience later wrote on Facebook that they initially thought it was part of a stage trick. The emergency crew declared Kulesh dead after arriving at the scene.