A hard-working Bronx dad died in a horrific forklift accident at a Bronx warehouse early Thursday, when his head got wedged between the lift and a metal shelf, police said.
Shakeem Farnum, 43, was leaning out of the forklift, perhaps to get a clear sight line, when he got too close to a metal shelf inside The Chef’s Warehouse on Food Center Drive around 1 a.m., cops said.
His head was crushed between the forklift and the shelf. An EMS ambulance crew rushed him to Lincoln Hospital, where he died.
“He was working on his lunch break by himself. He was trying not to fall behind,” said a former co-worker, who was visiting Farnum’s family and friends in the courtyard of the Stevenson Commons apartment complex in Soundview, where the victim lived.
“It was a refrigerated warehouse and he was moving mostly large crates of milk on pallets. He was the hardest working guy in there,” said the co-worker, who wouldn’t give his name. “Everybody is devastated… he was one of the most experienced drivers there.”
Farnum, who worked at Chef’s Warehouse for about 20 years, would often take on the hard work to spare his less-experienced colleagues, the co-worker said.
“He was a real man. He was respected. He took care of his family and his grown daughter. He held his household down,” said family friend Michael Rivera, 35. “He also took care of his brother who died of cancer two years ago.”
Rivera added, “He was a mentor to all the young men out here.”
The Chef’s Warehouse released a statement about the accident Thursday.
“We are heartbroken to learn of the tragic accident that took the life of our friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this most difficult time,” the statement reads. “We are committed to providing all our employees with a workplace environment that values safety above all else, and we will do everything possible to assist with the investigation of this accident.”
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NYPD: Forklift Operator Killed in Accident at NYC Warehouse
Authorities say a 43-year-old man has died in a forklift accident inside a New York City warehouse.
September 7, 2018
NEW YORK, NY (AP) — Authorities say a 43-year-old man has died in a forklift accident inside a New York City warehouse.
The New York Police Department says officers responded around 1 a.m. Thursday to a 911 call reporting an injury at The Chef's Warehouse on Food Center Drive in the Bronx.
When officers arrived they found a forklift operator suffering from a severe head injury. He was taken to Lincoln Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Late Thursday night police identified the victim as Shakeem Farnum of Lafayette Avenue in the Bronx.
Police say Farnum was operating a forklift when he leaned out of the vehicle and his head got wedged between the vehicle and a metal shelf.
The investigation into the accident is continuing.
The investigation remain ongoing, but authorities said no criminality is suspected. Most likely his head was crushed by the storage shelf as he backed into it.
