(The following report by Sharlonda L. Waterhouse appeared on the Post-Tribune website on January 13.)
EAST CHICAGO — A 23-year-old steel worker from Hobart died Saturday while working at an ArcelorMittal blast furnace, the victim of an industrial train crash.
Jason Belko, of the 400 block of South Liberty Place, was pinned between the train and another piece of equipment and was crushed to death.
The incident occurred at 2:15 p.m. By 4 p.m., Belko was pronounced dead.
ArcelorMittal spokesman Dave Allen confirmed “a fatality occurred when a radio-controlled rail car operator was riding the remote control locomotive and had a collision with a dump truck.”
Jeremy Belko, the 25-year-old brother of Jason, said the hefty vehicle was more like a “quarry truck. It could carry 125 tons of slag.
“From what I’ve gathered so far, it looks like they’ve attempted to turn a three-man job into a two-man job,” said Jeremy Belko, whose father and friends are steel workers familiar with the environment.
“Rather than having somebody on the tracks like a switcher to make sure everything is clear, now they rely on all the equipment being where it should be,” the brother said as his father remained at the coroner’s office and family members gathered in Merrillville to console one another.
Allen declined to provide further details on what factors led to the crash, saying it was being investigated:
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased,” Allen said.
East Chicago police responded to the scene.
Train cars carrying supplies inside the mill are manned by workers who walk alongside the cars or ride atop with controls.
Tom Tyrka, vice president of United Steelworkers Local 1011 of East Chicago, said he’s long been wary of such setups.
“I’ve never liked them. I’ve never been comfortable with them because people are doing a job while carrying a box. There have been some incidents …,” Tyrka said.
Tyrka said he did not know Belko and that Belko was a new employee.
The union is conducting an investigation with ArcelorMittal management, Allen said.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will also probe the fatality.
Jeremy Belko said his brother, a 2002 Bishop Noll graduate and former hockey player, had just two weeks ago moved into a new house in Hobart with his fiancee, Janette Reitmeier, 20.
“He was most excited about getting married next year. He bought a home just two weeks ago,” Jeremy said.
“He had two sides to him,” the older brother reflected with laughter:
“He could really get on your nerves, but when you needed someone to be there, he was like no other.
“I’m going to miss playing golf with him. We would play once a week, either at Indian Ridge or Turkey Creek in summer.
“This winter, we were both planning on seeing the Black Hawks play and were going to get tickets next week.”
Jeremy said he still plans to go and cheer loudly in honor of his brother.
Jason Belko had been an auto mechanic and a handyman in central Illinois, where he met his fiancee.
He moved back to Northwest Indiana in 2006 and took a job at ArcelorMittal, just like his dad, last summer.