Man identified from fatal Berner Foods workplace accident

A Loves Park man was identified as the victim of a fatal workplace accident over the weekend at the Berner Foods & Beverage Plant.

Marc Merriman, 45, was identified as the victim, according to the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office.

Police say the accident happened around 4 p.m. Sunday at the plant at 2034 E. Factory Rd.

Investigators say a fork lift operator, later identified as Merriman, accidentally drove the fork lift off a loading dock and caused death.

Merriman was pronounced dead at the scene upon arrival.

A spokesperson from Berner Foods released the following statement:

“This past weekend, a contractor was involved in a fatal accident involving the navigation of his forklift at our facility. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those impacted by this tragic event. While our company has an excellent safety record and has never experienced such a tragedy until this incident, we are conducting a thorough investigation and cooperating with the outside investigations. We will do everything we can to ensure that safety continues to be a top priority. Given the ongoing investigation, we cannot provide additional details of the incident at this time.”