Man Crushed By Three-Ton Rock Slab

Officials say a 23-year-old man died instantly when a 6,000 slab of marble fell on him Thursday.

Emilio Gallardo of Chicago was pronounced dead at around 10:30 a.m. in what the Will County Coroner's office is calling a work-related mishap.

Gallardo was employed at Primus Natural Stone, at 1265 Naperville Dr. in Romeoville.  The company said Gallardo was helping a forklift operator unload the marble when a three-ton load landed on him. It took crews three hours to free Gallardo from under the load.

"He has a little girl.  I mean, they were starting a family.  We were talking about how we were going to spend New Year's and now it's going to be at a funeral home," said his sister, Leticia Gallardo.

Officials from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration inspected the scene.
 
The warehouse has no history of inspections.