Raisin factory worker killed after her clothes get caught on machine

The 33-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

January 25, 2020, 9:20 AM

A woman working in a central California raisin processing facility was killed Friday when her clothes got snagged on a machine, authorities said.

Yaneth Lopez Valladares, 33, was identified as the victim in the accident at Del Ray Packing Company in Sanger, according to a statement from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.

Valladares "was working on a Stem Grading Line when [her] clothing got caught on a shaft to a cylinder that breaks up raisin bunches, causing the employee to strike their head," said a statement released by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Two nearby coworkers saw that she was trapped and immediately powered down the equipment and called 911, the sheriff's office said.

A fruit processing facility in Sanger, California, was the site of a workplace accident when Yaneth Lopez Valladares, 33, was killed by a raisin processing machine, Jan. 24, 2020.
KFSN

First responders arrived at the scene, where Valladares was pronounced dead.

Some employees left the facility in tears, and Valladares' boss told reporters that his heart goes out to her family and friends, according to ABC Fresno station KFSN.

It was Valladares' second year working at the facility.

The Department of Occupational Safety and Health will take over the investigation.