Allegedly, Impact Plastics refused to let its employees leave as the devastating Hurricane Helene swept through Tennessee. Per Knox News, a group of the factory's employees was left clinging to plastic tubes from the back of a semi-truck. Meanwhile, the Nolichucky River threatened to pull them beneath the water. Unfortunately, the truck flipped over, sending 11 people into the perilous floodwaters.
At least six people weren't rescued afterward. Jacob Ingram, an affected employee, took photos and videos of the dangerous situation. He'd been working for Impact Plastics for eight months. According to Ingram, the factory's managers refused to let the employees leave when Hurricane Helene hit the area. Instead, managers allegedly told the workers to move their cars away from the rising waters.
"They should've evacuated when we got the flash flood warnings, and when they saw the parking lot," Ingram stated to Knox News. "When we moved our cars we should've evacuated then ... we asked them if we should evacuate, and they told us not yet, it wasn't bad enough. And by the time it was bad enough, it was too late unless you had a four-wheel-drive."
A Factory Allegedly Refused To Let Its Employees Leave During Hurricane Helene
"For two or three hours we were on the back of the trailer ... it was because the hospital was about to collapse, and I understand that, but they shouldn't have told us someone was on the way (when they weren't)," Ingram recalled. For Impact Plastics' part, the CEO released a statement responding to the workers' allegations.
"We are devastated by the tragic loss of great employees," said founder, Gerald O'Connor. "Those who are missing or deceased, and their families are in our thoughts and prayers." The company released a follow-up statement. "At no time were employees told that they would be fired if they left the facility," the statement says. "For employees who were non-English speaking, bi-lingual employees were among the group of managers who delivered the message."
"Due to the quickly rising water, the truck tipped over and five employees and a contractor aboard the truck went missing. Five others who were also on the truck when it tipped over made it to safety and were later evacuated. Those who departed by the railroad tracks were offered assistance from employees of an adjacent company, making it to safety."
