A 55-year-old Kennesaw man was killed Friday when an industrial sized forklift ran over him at a Cartersville steel plant, said Deputy Bartow County Coroner Brian Irish.

According to Irish:

Lewis “Bill” Leary was struck by the forklift around 7:30 a.m. Friday at Gerdau Ameristeel on Old Grassdale Road.

“At this point it is being ruled as accidental,” Irish said.

The cause of death is blunt force trauma.

Leary’s body has been sent to the state crime lab in Atlanta for an autopsy, Irish said. Any time there is an industrial accident state law requires an autopsy, he said.

Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have been notified, he said.

According to a statement released by the company:

An employee of the Gerdau Ameristeel steel mill in Cartersville, Georgia suffered fatal injuries after being struck by a forklift at the mill.

The company is currently conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration was notified and communication has been made to workers at the mill and to the employee’s family.

The company is cooperating fully with authorities and providing support to those impacted by this incident.