UNJUST TRAGEDY

John Deere Worker on Strike in Illinois Killed by Car

The crash occurred around 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

A 56-year-old John Deere employee on strike was killed after a vehicle hit him as he was walking to the picket line outside the company’s Illinois distribution center Wednesday, the Des Moines Register reported. The crash occurred around 6 a.m. outside the Milan Parts Distribution center, where multiple strikers were gathered. The victim, who had been striking alongside fellow United Auto Workers members for better wages and work conditions, has not yet been identified, as their family has not yet been notified. “We are saddened by the tragic accident and death of one of our employees,” Deere and Company said in a statement. “All of us at John Deere express our deepest condolences to their family and friends.”

It’s the second such accident in weeks. According to reports, a salaried employee brought in to replace those on strike hit a striking employee with a car earlier this month. The victim wasn’t seriously injured.