Morton man killed in industrial accident at Keystone

<p align="justify">A longtime Keystone Steel & Wire Co. employee was killed Thursday morning after he was crushed when a crane he was operating tipped over.

<p align="justify">About 8 a.m., Edward R. Schimmelpfennig, 61, was unloading steel from a flatbed truck in a scrap yard at the Bartonville plant when his crane fell on its side, according to Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll. The glass-enclosed cab of the crane was crushed, killing the Morton man almost instantly.

<p align="justify">The truck and its driver were not hit when the crane keeled over.

<p align="justify">Ingersoll said Schimmelpfennig used the crane to lift two steel plates, likely weighing several thousand pounds. She had not determined Thursday if the weight caused the crane to tip.

<p align="justify">Emergency medical personnel pronounced Schimmelpfennig dead at the scene. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

<p align="justify">Schimmelpfennig, of Morton, had lived in central Illinois his entire life. Friends and family members remember him as a man who was a tireless worker.

<p align="justify">"He was a blue collar worker who managed to put three of his kids through college," said his son-in-law Sam Cooper. "He was willing to help just about anyone out."

<p align="justify">Schimmelpfennig is survived by his wife, son and two daughters. He would have been 62 on Saturday.

<p align="justify">Vic Stirnaman, executive vice president of Keystone Steel & Wire Co., said Schimmelpfennig had worked at the plant since 1964. As a mechanical technician, Schimmelpfennig had many years of experience operating cranes.

<p align="justify">His death, Stirnaman said, was a huge loss for the plant's approximately 900 workers.

<p align="justify">"Ed was a well-known and respected employee by both his union peers and management," he said.

<p align="justify">The company will conduct an internal investigation into the accident and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was also at the steel mill Thursday carrying out its own investigation.

<p align="justify">Nick Walters, director of OSHA's Peoria office, said he typically conducts between 15 and 20 fatality investigations a year, including several accidents involving cranes.

<p align="justify">"We're going to do a thorough investigation and then collect all of the facts to determine if there were any OSHA violations," he said.

<p align="justify">According to OSHA, the last accident with injuries at the company occurred in May 2002. Ingersoll said fatal industrial-related accidents are uncommon locally.

<p align="justify">Mike Maciag can be reached at (309) 686-3251 or mmaciag@pjstar.com.