VALLEY CENTER, Ks. - A man was killed at a Kansas lumber yard while buying sawdust.

 

62-year-old Stephen Gray was reportedly buying sawdust for agricultural use when he was trapped at the bottom of a sawdust hopper. Employees dug through the sawdust that collapsed on him, but it was too late.

 

The accident occurred at Conner Industries, a wood crate and lumber products manufacturer. The company stored sawdust for purchase left over from its operations in the hopper.

 

Gray was alone at the time of the accident. He had reportedly parked his farm truck beneath the hopper with the intention to fill his trailer. Police say he was trying to knock some sawdust loose with a pitchfork, triggering the collapse. The death has been ruled an accident.

 

Conner Industries is a provider of industrial wood and packaging solutions. It specializes in supplying cut lumber (softwoods, hardwoods, and panel products) needed for pallets, crates, and skid parts, as well as fully assembled custom pallets, crates, and industrial containers. It currently operates ten U.S. plants in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.