(February 19, 2024) TOKYO — Subaru has temporarily suspended production at three plants in Japan, including the factories making the Forester and Crosstrek crossovers for export as well as the BRZ sporty coupe, after a 35-year veteran worker was crushed to death, Japanese media reported, according to Automotive News.

The accident happened Feb. 13, after a 25-ton mold fell on a worker at the Yajima assembly plant in Gunma prefecture north of Tokyo, the Nikkei and Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun reported. As of Feb. 16, it still was not clear when production would resume.

The man was operating a crane by himself using a remote control to lift and move 25-ton molds, the local Jomo Shimbun reported. One of the molds collapsed, pinning the worker between another mold. An autopsy determined the cause of death as asphyxiation.

The shutdown affected three plants in the Gunma region, Subaru’s main production hub.

The Yajima assembly plant, where the accident occurred, makes the Impreza compact, and the Outback, Crosstrek and Forester crossovers. The nearby Main plant makes the BRZ, Impreza and Crosstrek as well as the WRX sports car and the Levorg, a Japan-market wagon.

Source: Automotive News