A Tyson Foods team member was killed in a January 7 accident at its facility in Sherman, Texas.
The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m., when Jerry Hickman, 54, became pinned between a semi trailer and a loading dock at the plant as the trailer was being moved into place, police told KXII.
Hickman was transported to Wilson N. Jones Hospital in Sherman, where he was pronounced dead.
Tyson Foods, in a statement emailed to WATT Global Media, said: “We’re investigating the tragic death of a team member at our Sherman, Texas, facility that occurred earlier Thursday morning. We’re deeply saddened by the accident and extend our thoughts and prayers to the team member’s family, friends, and co-workers. We have no other details to share at this time.”
The plant in Sherman produces case-ready beef and pork products.
The company announced in 2019 that it was planning an 80,000 square-foot expansion of the facility, and upgrade of its material handling facility at the plant. Tyson was awarded a $1.5 million tax abatement from the City of Sherman, approved by the city council. Tyson Foods spokesman Gary Mickelson said today that project is still planned.
The Sherman plant’s last expansion was in 2013. At the time, Tyson Foods’ then-CEO Donnie Smith said the Sherman facility was one of four of the company’s plants to undergo expansions as part of a $40 million investment from the company. The other facilities expanding at that time were in Goodlettsville, Tennessee; Glen Allen, Virginia; and Jacksonville, Florida.
Tyson Foods, headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, is a leading processor of chicken, turkey, beef and pork products. According to the WATTPoultry.com Top Companies Database, Tyson is the largest broiler company in the United States and the second largest broiler company in the world. It is also the sixth largest turkey company in the United States.
