A man in his mid-20s died yesterday after falling more than 20 feet from an elevated catwalk inside a Dick's Sporting Goods distribution center on Fort Worth's south side. Emergency crews pronounced him dead at the scene, and the facility was quickly secured as officials began an on-site investigation that rattled the brand-new logistics park.
Investigation Underway
According to CBS News Texas, the Fort Worth Fire Department said the fall happened shortly after 2 p.m. at the facility and that the man died at the scene after falling from an elevated catwalk. Fort Worth police brought in a homicide detective, which the department describes as standard protocol for workplace deaths, while crews worked to determine how the accident occurred. CBS reported that it has reached out to Dick's Sporting Goods for comment.
Warehouse Background
The building involved is the new DICK'S distribution hub inside Hillwood’s Risinger/35 Logistics Park. Local coverage earlier this month noted the center was completed and actively hiring as it prepared to begin operations. Hoodline coverage of the project was reported on the project, and public property records from the Tarrant Appraisal District list DICK'S Merchandising & Supply Chain Inc. as the owner of the parcel at 10001 Old Burleson Road.
Regulatory Steps
Workplace deaths typically trigger responses from multiple agencies, and employers are required to notify federal authorities in certain circumstances. Under federal rules, employers must report a work-related fatality to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration within eight hours, and OSHA can open an inspection or coordinate with local investigators, as outlined by OSHA.
Company and Community Response
Dick's Sporting Goods had not issued a public statement as of the initial reports, and CBS News Texas reported that the company was contacted for comment. Neighbors and workers in the logistics park described a mix of sorrow and alarm over a fatal accident at a site that only weeks earlier was being promoted for bringing jobs to South Fort Worth.
