Family identifies woman killed in forklift accident at FedEx World Hub

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Federal labor leaders are investigating an incident that left a FedEx World Hub employee dead early Friday morning.

The emergency call came into police around 2 a.m. Friday reporting a “personal injury.”

Memphis Police Department says a woman was operating a forklift when an accident occurred ultimately killing her. Specific details regarding the accident have not been released.

We reached out to a family member who confirms the woman killed was 33-year-old Jessica James.

FedEx released the following statement on the incident:

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of our team member. Our heartfelt thoughts are with our team member’s family, their colleagues, and all those affected by this event. We are fully cooperating with the investigating authorities.”

This is the third FedEx World Hub employee to die while on the job since 2017.

MPD says grandmother Ellen Gladney died at the hub in November of 2017. She was found under a motorized mobile conveyer belt system. And 23-year-old Duntate Young died at the hub in November 2019.

We reached out to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development regarding the death.

They say a Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) investigator arrived on the scene Friday to review the circumstances that led to the woman’s death.

“To ensure the integrity of the investigation, TOSHA does not release any preliminary information regarding the incident. When the investigation is final, the report detailing the agency’s findings is open for review by citizens of Tennessee,” wrote a state labor spokesperson.

The fatality investigation is expected to take between eight to ten weeks to complete.

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