An Ogallala man has been identified as the victim in an industrial accident at a Hershey fertilizer plant.

At around 11:50 a.m., on Saturday, Lincoln County deputies responded to the report of an accident at Simplot Soil Builders, on the northeast side of Hershey.

Deputies and rescue personnel arrived and found that the victim, 59-year-old Russ Peterson, was already deceased.

According to Chief Deputy Roland Kramer, Peterson was working with a crew of several men, when he climbed a fertilizer leg at the plant.

Kramer said the leg appeared to be rusted out at the base, which caused it to give out and collapse onto the roof of the building.

He said Peterson became trapped inside the ladder’s safety cage, between the grain leg and the roof of the building.

Peterson was pronounced dead at the scene.  Kramer said the cause of death has been ruled accidental.