Grandmother killed in forklift accident at distribution warehouse in Fort Worth, lawyer says

FORT WORTH, Texas - A forklift driver at a Walmart distribution center in Fort Worth was killed on Friday morning.

Police were called to the facility on North Beach Street shortly after 6 a.m.

Fort Worth Police tell FOX 4 a female employee on a forklift got pinned between the forklift and pellet rack.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. 

She was later identified as 68-year-old Elena Rios.

Lawyers for Rios' family say she had worked for Walmart for 10 years and was certified to operate forklifts and other heavy machinery.

"The family first learned about the accident on the news and was given conflicting information about what occurred," said the family's attorney Ty Stimpson in a statement.

The family hired a legal team to investigate her death.

Rios was a mother of four and a grandmother of 13.

"She was planning to attend her granddaughter's softball game this afternoon after she finished her shift at Walmart. Sadly, she never got that chance," read a statement from Stimpson.

Elena Rios (Source: Varghese Summersett PLLC)

"The Walmart family is heartbroken over the passing of one of our associates. Our thoughts and prayers are with the associate’s family during this difficult time. We are closing our facility today and offering counseling and other resources to our associates as they cope with this tragic event.  We’ll continue working closely with authorities during the investigation," said a Walmart spokesperson in a statement.

OSHA is investigating the incident.

The victim's name has not been released.