SANDY – The family of the woman who died while working at a bakery inside a Ream’s grocery store in Sandy is grieving her loss. While they have yet to hear from Ream’s, they’re hoping that with two investigations underway they’ll get answers soon.
Maria Silva holds fond memories of her big sister, Jackie Lindhart. Jackie was her protector and, when she became a mother, Jackie devoted her life to her only son, Pablo.
“Her son was her everything to her," Silva said. "No matter how tired she was, she'd come home from work and cook for him, do whatever she needed to do for him."
Thursday, they struggle to find answers about her untimely death. Wednesday morning, Sandy Police say Lindhart was working at a bakery inside Ream’s grocery store in Sandy when she accidentally got caught in an industrial-size mixer.
“Another employee nearby heard her screams, immediately ran over and shut off that machine, however, she sustained fatal injuries,” said Sgt. Dean Carriger with the Sandy City Police Department.
Police are trying to figure out what went wrong. They expect to get autopsy results back in three weeks.
“It's unclear how she got caught in the machine, however loose clothing is suspected to be a factor in this,” Carriger said.
The Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division is also conducting their own investigation.
“We're not necessarily investigating the result of the accident," said Chris Hill, Director of Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division. "We're investigating whether or not there was safety and health standards that were violated.”
Once inspectors interview employees and look at the equipment and procedures, it could take up to six months before they make a determination.
Meantime, Jackie’s family says as difficult as it is to lose her, in some way she prepared her son.
“I think she knew she was going to die soon because she left everything for him, an envelope with notes, letters, and life insurance, everything for him,” Silva said.
Ream’s sent FOX 13 News the following statement:
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the Lindhardt family at this difficult time. We are working closely with the Sandy police department as they continue investigating this accident and we have temporarily closed our bakery to determine the cause of this tragic accident and to provide additional safety training and procedures to our team members. The care, safety and well-being of our team members are of the utmost importance to us. We are providing grief counseling and additional services to all of our team members.”
