New video shows final moments of supervisor killed in Impact Plastics flood

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) – The family of a supervisor killed at Impact Plastics in Tennessee said the owner of the factory was not one of the last people to leave the factory, which contradicts what the owner said said publicly.

Johnny Peterson, 55, helped move at least 10 people from the factory into the back of a tractor-trailer before the semi-truck was overturned by Helene’s floodwaters on Friday, September 27.

Some workers were rescued by a National Guard helicopter, but Peterson did not survive.

The last video Peterson sent to his daughter Alexa was from the back of the semi-truck at 12:57 p.m

Peterson’s body was found Sunday, two days later.

“My anger. It’s just anger,” Alexa said. “I’m angry.”

Alexa said her father had been sending her text messages all morning while he was working. He sent her a photo taken at 11:23 a.m. showing flooding at the factory. Peterson told his daughter in previous messages that the company had not closed the factory.

Alexa said.

Impact Plastics founder Gerald O’Connor released a video statement last week.

“The September 27 flood took some great employees from our Impact Plastics family,” O’Connor said in the video. “One was a personal friend who had worked together for more than 30 years.”

Alexa believes O’Connor was referring to her father, who she said worked at the factory for 35 years.

“I don’t think Dad thought of him as a friend,” Alexa said. “I think he thought he was a boss. Personally, I wouldn’t treat my friend or my late friend’s family the way Impact treated everyone.”

Alexa said O’Connor called her after her father’s death.

“He said he was sorry to hear about his father’s death and he wanted me to know that Dad was there to help people and that Dad didn’t leave with them when he had the chance,” she said.

Alexa said O’Connor told her that he and others left the factory before Peterson and other employees. This contradicts what O’Connor said in his video statement.

“After making sure everyone was outside of our facility and saving important files, I was among the last to leave the facility,” O’Connor said in the video.

Attorney Alex Little represents the Peterson family.

“What we’re starting to find out is that a group of executives, being a family business, have kind of left everyone out, to the back,” Little said. “The workers were left to fend for themselves.”

Little said Peterson stayed at the factory to help rescue others. One comment on his obituary read, in part: “I’m here today because of Johnny. We were trapped in the building and Johnny found a way out for us.”

WSMV4 reached out to the law firm representing O’Connor, Ritchie, Davies, Johnson & Stovall on Tuesday about these allegations. You haven’t received an answer.

Peterson leaves behind four children, the youngest of whom is 15 years old.

Recent Posts