Coroner identifies GE employee from Decatur who died in workplace accident

Jaylan Wright and Josiah Elmore

7 mins ago

DECATUR, Alabama (WHNT) – A GE employee from Decatur died in a workplace accident Wednesday morning, a company spokesperson confirmed to News 19.

According to GE spokeswoman Julie Wood, the incident occurred at the Decatur refrigeration plant. The company is working with local authorities to determine the cause of the accident.

Wood said the first shift was sent home after the accident and second and third shift production was canceled out of respect for the team in Decatur.

“The GE Appliances team is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our employees this morning at our Decatur refrigeration plant. We are working with local law enforcement to understand the cause of this tragic accident and are contacting the employee’s family to offer our assistance,” the spokesperson said.

Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn identified the employee as 58-year-old Rodney Terry of Town Creek.

GE also released a statement Wednesday afternoon expressing its condolences and praising both Terry’s work and his care for his colleagues.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of our employee Rodney Terry, who passed away this morning while working at the plant. We will remember him as a gentle, kind man who cared for those around him. He rose quickly as an area manager at the plant and we are grateful for the compassion he demonstrated in that role and during his nearly five years of service.

While we attempt to understand today’s events and acquire resources to assist us in reviewing operations and equipment, we believe it is in the best interest of our team to halt production for the remainder of the week. Employees will be paid for this time off.

Even during this time, we are offering additional counseling services to our employees who need support.”

GE Home Appliances

Chunn told News 19 that the incident was an industrial accident.

The incident is currently still under investigation.