Horror as Walmart warehouse worker grandma is fatally IMPALED by forklift with her family demanding answers after they only heard of her death on the news
- A Texas family searches for answers after their mother died in a forklift accident at a Fort Worth Walmart center
- Elena Rios, 68, was impaled by a forklift, but her family only learned of her death after hearing it on the news
- Walmart has now launched an internal investigation with the family, determined to uncover the truth as they consider taking legal action against the company
Elena Rios, 68, was impaled by a forklift, but her family only learned of her death after hearing it on the news
A North Texas family is grappling with the loss of their beloved matriarch after she was impaled by a forklift in a fatal workplace accident.
Elena Rios, 68, was killed last month while working at a Walmart distribution center in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Fire Department officials said she was ultimately crushed between a forklift and a pallet rack.
Elena, mother of four and grandmother of thirteen, had worked for Walmart for ten years and was certified to operate forklifts and other heavy machinery.
She was driving the forklift at the time of the accident.
Shockingly, the family first heard about the fatal accident on the news and were given conflicting information about what had occurred.
The family still doesn’t know exactly what caused Elena’s death.
The results of her autopsy have not yet been released, leaving the family with more questions than answers.
Granddaughter, Danielle Rios, recalled how the couple went shopping together as they planned to celebrate special occasions
Fort Worth Fire Department officials said Elena was crushed between a forklift and a pallet rack at the distribution center, located at 15101 North Beach Street in far north Fort Worth.
A Walmart spokesperson expressed condolences to the family and sought to assure them that an internal investigation is underway in conjunction with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Walmart officials said in a statement that the company was “heartbroken to learn of the passing of one of our associates.”
Walmart closed the store a day after Elena was killed and offered our associates counseling and other resources as they dealt with this tragic event, the statement said.
But the family is not satisfied with what they say: a complete lack of communication and transparency.
Elena was a mother of four and a grandmother of thirteen. She had worked for Walmart for ten years and was certified to operate forklifts and other heavy machinery when she was killed on the job
On the day of the accident, which occurred on February 16, Elena was planning to attend her 18-year-old granddaughter’s softball game after finishing her shift at Walmart. Unfortunately, she never got that chance.
In their search for some kind of closure, the family has now done just that launched a websiteas they appeal to the public for information or clues about the tragic accident.
Her family says Elena loved them very much. Her granddaughter, Danielle Rios, recalled how the couple would go shopping together when they wanted to celebrate special occasions, and how they used to visit the casino together for fun.
‘She took me to the casino for the first time. We did a lot together, every weekend,” Danielle said NBC5.
Elena’s daughter, Bianca Villanueva, described her mother as the cornerstone of the family.
“My mother was everything to me, to my siblings, to my children… to the rest of the grandchildren,” Bianca said.
Bianca says bosses at Walmart did not immediately notify the family of Elena’s death, despite her being listed as an emergency contact.
It has left the family searching for answers, with the possibility of legal action.
“I want to know what happened,” Bianca added. ‘I miss her. And I just want to know why.”