A Valparaiso man employed by U.S. Steel Corporation (USS) died on Saturday after a fall at the Gary Works facility, the Lake County Coroner’s Office said.

The victim was identified as Alexander Santoyo, 54.

At approximately 4 p.m., the Coroner’s Office said, Santoyo accidentally fell from an overhead crane at the facility. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:35 p.m. and the cause of death listed as blunt force trauma.

USS spokesperson Erin DiPietro confirmed Santoyo’s death today. “We are continuing to gather information about this incident so I cannot release any additional details at this time,” she told the Chesterton Tribune. “We extend our deepest sympathies to our deceased colleague’s family on their tragic loss. Safety is our company’s key core value and a full investigation into the incident is continuing.”

Santoyo was a non-represented employee of USS, DiPietro said.

Posted 6/8/2009