Contractor struck, killed by pickup at NW Indiana steel mill

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) - A contractor was struck and killed by a pickup truck over the weekend at Cleveland-Cliffs' steel mill in northwest Indiana, a company official said.

The contractor died Saturday evening after being struck in the company's contractor parking lot in East Chicago's Indiana Harbor neighborhood, where integrated steel mills line the Lake Michigan shoreline, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

Cleveland-Cliffs Corporate Communications Director Patricia Persico said in a statement Sunday that the contactor, whose identity and employer were not immediately available, 'œwas struck by a pickup truck and has died due to sustained injuries.'ť

She said the fatal incident is being investigated by local police authorities and the company is cooperating with investigators.

Cleveland-Cliffs employs many contractors for maintenance and construction projects at the steel mill complex.

The contractor is the second to die at a steel mill in the region this month, following the death of Lucas Asher, 34, of Valparaiso after a medical incident at U.S. Steel's Gary Works steel mill in Gary, according to the Lake County coroner's office.