A John Deere employee was hit and killed by a car early this morning as he walked to join fellow strikers at the picket line near a John Deere facility in the Quad Cities.
The incident happened before dawn in the middle of the intersection of a four-lane highway and Deere Drive, about half a mile from John Deere’s parts and distribution center in Milan, Illinois.
According to a UAW news release, the man was 56 years old and had been employed at Deere’s facility in Milan for 15 years. The UAW and Deere issued statements of condolence to the man’s family, friends and co-workers.
Milan’s police chief told The Des Moines Register there is no cross walk at the intersection and the evidence suggests the driver did not commit a traffic violation.