Detroit worker dies after robotic arm crushes him at Stellantis plant

A Detroit factory worker died after a robotic arm pinned him at a Stellantis plant while he retooled equipment last year. Ronald Adams, 63, met his end inside the Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan according to court papers. The veteran from the US Air Force was fixing machinery when two coworkers stepped away for a break and left him alone with the machine. Minutes later one colleague returned to discover Adams crushed between the automated arm and a conveyor belt. Emergency crews rushed to the scene after workers spotted his body trapped beneath the heavy metal limb. An on-site electrician helped lift the arm off the mechanic who had spent decades working at the facility before joining Northwest Airlines. Three employees worked with paramedics to move him from the conveyor to a stretcher for transport to the hospital where he passed away in April. A medical examiner later determined his death came from catastrophic crushing injuries and traumatic asphyxia caused by the accident. His widow Shamenia Stewart-Adams filed a lawsuit claiming safety guards were missing and safe work practices failed to protect him. The suit argues that these gaps allowed the robotic arm to pin Adams while he worked on an industrial chamber washer meant to clean engine parts. At the time of his death the team was preparing the plant to produce a new four-cylinder engine for vehicles like Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram trucks. The legal documents state that a safety mechanism controlling the washer was allegedly bypassed using a special key. This alleged bypass let Adams enter the work zone even though surrounding machinery including the robotic arm was not in a safe mode. Fives Cinetic which supplied the washer told investigators the accident would have been avoided if Stellantis had simply followed standard safety protocols. Lawyers for the auto giant asked a judge earlier this year to dismiss the case but that request got denied. The incident leaves questions about how factories manage risks when workers operate alongside powerful automation during complex retooling projects. Families of employees often face uncertainty when tragedy strikes in industrial settings where machines move faster than human reflexes can respond.

Above, the Detroit Assembly Complex-Mack stands owned by the firm where tragedy struck twice recently. A worker reported an issue with the robotic system that killed Adams two days before the fatal incident. The employee said it would move while in 'dry run' mode. An attorney for Adams also told The Detroit News that there was no evidence to suggest that Adams was the one who used the key to disable the robot's safety features before his death. Lawyers for Stellantis filed earlier this year to have the case dismissed, but Judge Catherine Heise denied the motion.

Adams is one of three Stellantis workers in the US to have died in industrial incidents in the last two years. The first happened in Toledo, Ohio, when Antonio Gaston, 53, was crushed after being snagged on a piece of equipment in August 2024. Earlier this month, James Brasher, 57, died after falling from the second-story loading bay of a former Mopar office and hitting his head on a dumpster. He died instantly. The two men and Adams were all members of the United Auto Workers.

Gaston's widow has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the firm, claiming the conveyor system that snagged him lacked crucial equipment to prevent such a thing from happening. An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ruled that he reached across a conveyor belt when he was caught. The watchdog issued a 'serious violation' with regard to machine guarding inside the Toledo plant and fined them $16,000, the outlet reported. The company contested the fine and settled for around $11,000.

An OSHA investigation is underway into the death of Brasher and a probe continues into the death of Adams. A Stellantis spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'Employee safety remains at the forefront of every decision we make.' They added that they regularly evaluate and strengthen their internal standards and protocols to protect employees across their operations. Sharing best practices throughout the organization helps reinforce their safety culture and supports consistent performance. Stellantis continues to enhance workplace safety and ensure all sites meet or exceed regulatory requirements. These three deaths show a dangerous pattern where workers lose their lives on factory floors that should be safe places. The community watches closely as families fight for justice while companies promise change after every headline-grabbing accident.