Image Credit: Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into allegations that at least five employees of Impact Plastics are either dead or missing because company management refused to allow them to leave as floodwaters surged in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
A spokesperson for TBI says that District Attorney Steve Finney asked the agency to open an investigation into the claims.
Finney confirmed that request in a statement: “Early yesterday morning, I spoke with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and requested that they look into allegations involving Impact Plastics in Unicoi County, Tennessee. Specifically, I asked that they review the occurrences of Friday, September 27, 2024, to identify any potential criminal violations.”
Floodwaters poured from the Nolichucky River through Riverview Industrial Park in Erwin, where Industrial Plastics is located. Employees of the company say that they were told to move their cars away from the water but were told that they could not evacuate because “it wasn’t bad enough.”
It is reported that a group of 11 employees was forced to load onto the back of a flatbed semi truck that was parked at a neighboring business in an attempt to escape the water. The truck ended up flipping over in the floodwaters.
According to an immigrants’ rights group that is assisting the families, two employees are reportedly dead while at least three others remain missing.
56-year-old Bertha Mendoza, assumed to be a migrant worker, fell from the truck and was lost in the floodwaters. A GoFundMe page for Mendoza says she was separated from her sister as they tried to stay above the water. Her body was reportedly found on September 29, but officials have not publicly identified her.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition also confirmed the death of Monica Hernandez. While officials have not publicly identified her, Hernandez’ family says they received word from the Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency on October 1.
Both Mendoza and Hernandez are Mexican citizens, according to Coalition executive director Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus.
Two other women, Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso and Lydia Verdugo, are also listed as missing. Reynoso’s husband says he spoke with her on the morning of September 27 and she stated that she was not sure that she would be able to go anywhere.
Another man, Johnny Peterson, was identified by NBC News as deceased, but it could not be confirmed if he was an Impact Plastics employee. Peterson was confirmed to have been on the truck with the other individuals.
Impact Plastics says that management did not force employees to continue to work through the increasingly dangerous flooding. They also noted that most employees left the premises immediately after they were dismissed, but some stayed on the property. They noted that managers were the last people to leave.
Company spokesperson Todd Treadway stated that the TBI had not contacted the company as of midday on October 2. He stated that they were completing their own internal review of the situation.
The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating the incident. They noted on Wednesday that companies have 8 hours to file a report of a fatality in the workplace but they have not yet received any reports from Impact Plastics.
“We are devastated by the tragic loss of great employees,” Impact Plastics founder Gerald O’Connor said in the statement Monday. “Those who are missing or deceased, and their families are in our thoughts and prayers.”
