‘Freak’ accident injures 1 at Hyundai supplier

Published 12:00 am Thursday, December 1, 2011

One person was injured following an accident at the SMART plant in Luverne shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday morning.

SMART is a tier supplier for the Montgomery Hyundai plant.

The worker, whose name was not released, was working on a stamping press when the accident occurred, according to SMART general manager Gary Sport.

“These presses have very large doors that open when you’re working on it, and the lock on the door failed,” Sport said.

Sport said the door fell on the man, crushing his leg just below the knee.

Local rescue squads responded and transported the man to the hospital.

“His welfare is the first priority for our company, and we strive to operate as safely as possible, but unfortunately, freak accidents do happen,” Sport said.

Sport said that reports on the man’s condition were good.

-Michael Rodgers