California Woman Dies After Clothes Get Caught in Raisin Processing Machine

A California woman died Friday after her clothing became caught up in some raisin processing machine in the Central Valley, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said.

Yaneth Lopez Valladares, 33, was reportedly working at the Del Rey Packing plant in Sanger, a city east of Fresno, when her clothes became caught up in a shaft to a cylinder that breaks up bunches of raisins. She struck her head, causing severe injuries.

Two other workers who were nearby, immediately powered down the machine and contacted 911, the sheriff's office said.

"This is obviously a very traumatic situation. For the owner, for the employees to see one of their colleagues lose their life so suddenly in a job that they do on a regular basis and maybe take for granted," Fresno County Sheriff's spokesman Tony Botti told KSEE of Fresno.

Sheriff's deputies say the packing company owner responded immediately to the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. It was her second year working at the plant.

Cal/OSHA will be tasked with investigated whether the plant had any workplace safety regulations that were violated, including "failure to adequately train employees or maintain equipment."

Photo: Getty Images


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