The family of a Tennessee factory worker killed in Hurricane Helen is suing the company and its CEO, saying they had to leave the factory to escape devastating weather conditions while bosses ordered workers to stay in. He claims that he sneaked out from there.
Johnny Peterson, 55, was one of five Impact Plastics employees killed in floodwaters that engulfed the factory in the rural town of Irwin on September 27th.
According to an explosives lawsuit filed Monday by Peterson's family in Tennessee state court, managers at the facility refused to ask employees to leave their jobs as the hurricane hit the area.
That's despite the fact that employees began receiving notices from the National Weather Service around 10 a.m. urging everyone who was able to evacuate to higher ground, according to the complaint.
At around 10:30 a.m., company management told employees to move their cars because the parking lot was flooded, according to the complaint.
An hour later, at 11:35 a.m., Impact Plastics' senior executives, including founder and CEO Gerald O'Connor, “secretly exited the building,” according to court documents.
As local schools and other businesses announced closures due to Hurricane Helen, the employees assumed they would be allowed to go home, the lawsuit alleges.
Instead, Impact Plastics told employees to report to work because it “wanted to meet order deadlines,” court documents show.
Only after water flooded the plant's parking lot and the power went out did managers send employees home, the complaint alleges.
The suit contains heartbreaking accounts of Peterson's final moments, including text messages with family members in which he expressed fear that he would not be able to escape the flooding.
Once outside, Peterson returned inside the building to help an employee who was “trapped inside,” but water made it impossible for him to drive out and he ended up getting trapped himself, the lawsuit alleges. .
Peterson attempted to flee the scene by climbing onto the bed of the semitrailer.
“Johnny knew he would not survive much longer as the water continued to rise and hit the semi-trailer,” the complaint states.
“He sent his last message to his daughter at 1:17 p.m., somehow typing, 'I love you all,' which was the last message Alexa Peterson ever received from her father.”
Eleven people were swept away by the raging waters, and only five were rescued. Two of these deaths have been confirmed, making them part of the total of nearly 250 people killed in six states.
Another person is missing after being swept away from a factory in Irwin, and dozens of others were rescued from a hospital roof about a mile away.
The lawsuit names Impact Plastics and its owner, Mr. O'Connor, as defendants. Mr. O'Connor's attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday.
The 28-page lawsuit alleges that Impact Plastics does not have the necessary plans to safely evacuate its employees, even though the plant is located in a floodplain and water regularly enters the parking lot. claims that there was no.
“Based on the information we have uncovered, including the testimony of surviving employees, we believe this tragedy could have been avoided,” said Zach Lawson, an attorney for the family. said in a statement to Knox News.
“Impact Plastics was aware of the flood risk, but when employees asked for permission to resign, the company took no action. We will hold them accountable.”
with post wire
