Forklift driver survives plunge into soy sauce and cooking oil

A forklift operator narrowly escaped tragedy on Monday afternoon as the concrete floor of a warehouse collapsed, swallowing him and his vehicle in a gooey pool of spilled cooking oil and soy sauce, authorities and witnesses said. Witnesses said the man, identified as Danny Rodriguez of The Bronx, was moving pallets with the forklift when the hole opened up in the warehouse space rented by a trucking company, AM Express Freight.



Witnesses described the hole as being 30 to 40 feet wide and six to 10 feet deep. It was filled with a dark, oily liquid that authorities later said was cooking oil and soy sauce that was being stored in the warehouse in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and fell into the hole when the floor gave way. Rodriguez managed to get out without serious injury, authorities said.

Rodriguez was taken by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center. Sarah Entena, the administrator for AM Express Freight, said Rodriguez has worked for the Carlstadt-based company for about 30 years - “He’s the best forklift driver we have,” she said. “The forklift protected him” from drowning or serious physical harm, she added. “And thank God for that.”



Entena said the cooking oil and soy sauce were typical products for the warehouse, which is used for storage of non-perishable foodstuffs. Steve Garonyi, a trucker who works for neighbouring Pioneer Logistics, said he pulled into the warehouse parking lot shortly after the incident and found Rodriguez standing outside and looking “frantic.” “I saw him covered in oil and fluid from the waist down,” he said. Garonyi said he went inside to see the hole. “I was frozen looking at it,” he said. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It’s amazing he was able to get out,” he added. “He only said his back hurt.”