Windsor forklift operator crushed to death by pallet of wine

WINDSOR, Calif. - A forklift operator at a wine storage facility in Windsor was crushed to death by a pallet of wine Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

Victim worked at a wine facility

What we know:

The incident occurred around 1 p.m. at a wine facility, located in the 1000 block of Shiloh Road, where the victim worked, according to the Windsor Police Department.

Wine pallets weighed up to 3,000 pounds

What they're saying:

Police Sgt. Jason Little said the victim, a 40-year-old man, was working with pallets in the storage area, and it appears he braced his equipment against a stack of wine bottle pallets, each weighing between 2,100 and 3,000 pounds.

Investigators believe the forklift operator got off the forklift to inspect the pallets when one of them fell on top of him, killing the man.

Little said no one witnessed the incident, but the Sonoma County Coroner Bureau's medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death, and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health will be the lead investigators going forward.

Little said that at this time, no foul play is suspected.