ALTON – Madison County Coroner Nicholas P. Novacich on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, identified a 56-year-old Waterford, Pennsylvania, man who died in an industrial accident on July 20, 2026, at Alton Steel Inc. in Alton.
The man was identified as Andrew J. Bengel, according to the coroner’s office. The incident happened Monday morning, July 20, 2026, at Alton Steel Inc., 5 Cut Street, and the coroner said preliminary evidence indicates a lifting hook fractured, causing Bengel to be struck by a heavy chain while a crane was operating an overhead lift assembly.
Authorities said 9-1-1 was notified at about 10:42 a.m. Monday, July 20, 2026. Madison County Coroner’s Office Senior Investigator Kelsey Jones responded to the scene and pronounced Bengel dead at 1:12 p.m.
Novacich said an autopsy has been completed, and the preliminary cause of death was blunt chest and abdomen trauma, according to the coroner’s office. Routine toxicology results are pending, and a final cause of death will not be issued until all reports are complete.
The case remains under investigation by the Alton Police Department, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Madison County Coroner’s Office.
Funeral services were assisted by Weber and Rodney Funeral Home in Edwardsville, Illinois, at the request of Van Matre Funeral Home in Waterford, Pennsylvania.
