Truck driver killed in explosion at Illinois ammunition plant

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the death of a truck driver at an ammunition plant in Madison County, Illinois, on Thursday.

The incident occurred late Thursday afternoon at the Olin/Winchester ammunition facility located in East Alton, Illinois.

Authorities say that Oscar “Zeke” Bettorf, 60, was driving a semi truck loaded with shotgun shell primers when the primers exploded.

Bettorf was pronounced dead at the scene around 5:30 p.m.

Investigating agencies include the East Alton Police, Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigations, Secretary of State Police Bomb Squad, State Fire Marshall’s Office, and the ATF.

Winchester released a statement on the incident:

“We are deeply saddened that a Winchester employee was fatally injured this afternoon in an incident involving a company vehicle at the company’s East Alton facility. Our thoughts and prayers are with our employee’s family and coworkers. We are not releasing the employee’s name at this time out of respect for the family. This is a tragedy, and we will conduct a full investigation to determine what happened. The safety of our employees, the community, and our environment is always our top priority.“