Authorities say a 58-year-old man died last week while working an overnight shift at a vegetable canning plant in Montgomery, Minn., about 45 miles south of Minneapolis.
Jose Luis Alvarado died after being trapped and injured by "falling items" at the Seneca Foods plant about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, according to the Montgomery Police Department.
"My brother was a very happy, humble, sweet and outgoing person," Alvarado's sister wrote on a fundraising page. "Nobody deserves to pass away the way he did."
Police are investigating the cause. A spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry confirmed an OSHA investigation is also underway.
"Because of that, no further public information is available until the file is closed," James Honerman, a DLI spokesperson, said.
New York-based Seneca Foods did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Seneca is a leading producer of store-brand canned fruits and vegetables and also sells under the Libby brand.
The company website says the Montgomery facility — one of its six Minnesota plants — processes corn and peas and provides warehouse space. It was formerly a Green Giant plant before Pillsbury sold it to Seneca Foods in 1994.
Seneca is the largest private employer in Montgomery with about 100 employees, according to city records. Like many canning plants in the state, the Seneca facility employs many seasonal workers to handle the surge in work around harvest time.
