A U.S. Postal Service employee was found dead after becoming trapped inside a mail-handling machine at a distribution center in Allen Park, Michigan, according to local officials.
Authorities identified the victim as Nicholas John Acker, 36, a nine-year U.S. Air Force veteran.
He was working as a maintenance employee at the USPS Detroit Network Distribution Center.
Acker’s body was discovered on Saturday after he had reportedly been stuck inside the machinery for several hours, WDIV reported.
Firefighters responded to the facility after Acker’s fiancée, Stephanie Jaszcz, reported that he never returned home following his shift.
When she arrived at the distribution center, Jaszcz was unable to locate him.
She waited outside for hours before alerting authorities.
According to officials, Acker had been deceased for six to eight hours by the time firefighters reached the scene.
“We want to know what happened and how long he was there,” Jaszcz told WDIV.
“That’s what we want to know.
“We want to know how he even ended up there and why doesn’t anybody know where he was at?”
Investigation Underway
Mail-handling machines are large automated systems used to sort and weigh mail.
The Allen Park facility, one of the largest in the Detroit area, houses several massive industrial sorting units, according to WDIV.
Police have described the death as accidental, though the circumstances surrounding how Acker became trapped remain under investigation.
In a statement to WDIV, the U.S. Postal Service said:
“The United States Postal Service is deeply saddened by the loss of our employee at the Detroit Network Distribution Center (NDC) in Allen Park, MI.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
“The NDC is fully operational at this time.”
Jaszcz criticized the Postal Service’s statement for failing to mention her fiancé’s name or acknowledge his military service.
“‘The mail’s still moving?’ Gross,” she said.
“‘Sorry about the loss, but the mail’s still moving,’” she added.
“They couldn’t even say his name or acknowledge that he was an Air Force veteran.
“A man gone. A veteran. A husband. A human being.
“And all you can think of is mail keeps moving? Inhumane. It’s gross.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and local police are reportedly investigating the fatal incident.
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