A construction-site forklift struck and killed subcontractor chief executive Sunbok You on March 21 at the Hyundai megasite west of Savannah, according to a newly released federal safety report. Investigators wrote that the operator was on a phone at the time and ran from the area after the impact.
The findings close a months-long Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation into the fatal incident at the HL-GA Battery Company construction project, part of the broader Hyundai electric-vehicle buildout in Bryan County. OSHA cited multiple contractors and issued comparatively modest fines while describing a busy, multi-employer jobsite where pedestrian and equipment traffic overlapped. The case arrives after a string of serious injuries and earlier deaths linked to the development, renewing questions about worksite controls as the project nears major milestones.
Investigators said You, 45, was the CEO of SBY America and was speaking with workers before crossing an internal road on the site. He was wearing a black vest and an eye patch over his right eye; site rules called for a high-visibility green vest. As he crossed, a forklift operated by a worker for Beyond Iron Construction hit him, the OSHA narrative says. A translated statement from a safety manager said the driver had been talking on a phone. The report adds that the operator got off the forklift and “ran away” without checking on You. Emergency crews responded, but You died at the scene. OSHA’s summary did not identify the forklift driver by name or indicate whether police pursued criminal charges tied to the vehicle’s operation.
OSHA opened cases on several companies following the death. Beyond Iron Construction received a $16,550 penalty after regulators said employees were exposed to struck-by and crushing hazards and operators were not consistently following traffic rules such as speed limits, horn use with obstructed views, and spotter procedures. SBY America was fined $9,268 for exposing employees to struck-by and crushing hazards likely to cause serious injury or death. HL-GA Battery Company received a $1,800 citation for record-keeping lapses involving required injury and illness forms. Steel Brothers Development was investigated but not fined in the actions tied directly to the fatality. A project spokesperson said Beyond Iron Construction and SBY America are no longer contracted at the site.
The death occurred at the sprawling Hyundai Motor Group EV and supplier campus that has operated as a round-the-clock construction zone. Local emergency records reviewed in earlier reporting show 53 calls for service over a 16-month span, including more than a dozen traumatic injuries. The megasite has seen other severe incidents: a worker died after a 60-foot fall in April 2023, and in May 2025, 27-year-old Allen Kowalski was killed when a metal frame fell on him at the HL-GA Battery construction area. In March 2025, a separate pipe explosion sent a worker to the hospital with serious injuries.
The OSHA file situates You’s death inside a mesh of overlapping contractors that share roads, laydown yards and work zones. Those conditions can complicate who controls traffic, who posts spotters, and who ensures high-visibility gear is worn. The report emphasizes basic controls for powered industrial trucks: maintaining a clear line of sight, using horns where visibility is limited, obeying internal speed limits, assigning spotters, and keeping pedestrians separated from forklift routes. The documents do not list every barrier, walkway marking or sign that was in place that morning, and they do not state whether You had an escort or spotter as he crossed the internal road.
The megasite has drawn national attention beyond safety records. In September, Homeland Security Investigations led a large immigration enforcement action at the project, detaining 475 workers and naming several subcontractors in a search warrant. OSHA notes overlap between firms named in that warrant and those it investigated after You’s death. Officials have not publicly stated You’s immigration or visa status, and OSHA’s mandate in this case remained focused on workplace hazards rather than immigration issues.
OSHA’s fines in the fatality total under $30,000 across cited companies, a common outcome that can still force changes in training and procedures but often sparks debate about whether penalties deter poor practices on large jobs. Employers can contest citations or negotiate settlements that add corrective actions like additional instruction, revised traffic plans, designated pedestrian lanes, and tighter enforcement of distraction rules for equipment operators. Project leaders said contractors tied to the case were off the job by late year.
On the ground, the site has the look of a small city. Forklifts, truck tractors and cranes move between steel frames while crews in hard hats and reflective gear shuttle tools and materials. Supervisors cross internal roads to check progress. Investigators said You had been doing just that—talking with workers near one area, then stepping into a travel lane—when he was struck. OSHA’s narrative quotes a manager describing the forklift operator on a phone, and the file says the driver bolted after the collision. The documents do not say when the operator was located or interviewed.
Records show the fatality prompted OSHA to review how forklift routes were marked at HL-GA Battery, how operators were trained and supervised, and how pedestrian movement was managed. The agency linked the violations at Beyond Iron Construction to exposure of workers to struck-by and crushing hazards, and it faulted HL-GA Battery’s recordkeeping for missing forms that track injuries and illnesses. The fines did not allege willful violations, and the report lists no criminal referrals stemming from the forklift’s operation that morning.
The site’s safety history is unlikely to drop from view. At least 15 OSHA investigations have opened at the megasite during construction, including inquiries into You’s death and the March pipe explosion. Families of workers hurt or killed at the campus, along with labor advocates, have pressed for clearer jobsite controls. Project leaders and participating companies have said safety plans evolve with the build and that corrective steps follow each serious incident. As the plant and supplier facilities advance, regulators are expected to keep a presence at the campus and post any new citations after inspections conclude.
As of this week, the OSHA case on You’s death is closed with the fines noted and no further action announced. Remaining open investigations tied to other incidents are expected to wrap in the coming weeks. Project representatives said contractors named in the fatality case are no longer on site. The next public update is likely to come when OSHA posts outcomes on the outstanding cases or when contractors outline specific changes to traffic control and pedestrian access at the campus.
Author note: Last updated December 27, 2025.