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Forklift operator talking on his cellphone when vehicle strikes executive

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At your next tailgate talk on forklift safety, remind your truck operators that distractions can be deadly.

For proof, consider the recent death of Sunbok You, the CEO of SBY America. The 45-year-old executive was walking across a road at the HL-GA Battery Co. construction site in Ellabell, GA, when he was struck and killed by a forklift truck.

OSHA investigated the fatality and learned that the driver of the forklift, who worked for Beyond Iron Construction, was talking on his cellphone at the time of the incident. After the vehicle struck You, the forklift operator fled the scene. OSHA hammered Beyond Iron with a proposed fine of $16,550 for multiple violations of forklift safety regulations.

(From the May 4, 2026, issue of Safety Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)