When the bosses of Impact Plastics fled, Johnny Peterson stood up for his colleagues

When floodwaters threatened to submerge Impact Plastics on September 27, company executives rushed out of the Erwin, Tennessee, manufacturing facility with important documents in hand.

Meanwhile, floor supervisor Johnny Peterson made his way through the building to help other employees out, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by his family.

Peterson was trapped in the raging Nolichucky River with a group that included his colleagues, all of whom were clinging to a load on a semi-trailer in a nearby parking lot.

All of them were destroyed by the disaster caused by Hurricane Helen, which made landfall last month and flooded the mountains between Tennessee and North Carolina.

Peterson and four of his colleagues were killed. One remains missing.

Peterson, 55, has worked at the plant for more than 35 years, starting shortly after the plant opened. His family’s lawsuit alleges that the company did not allow its employees to quit, which other employees confirmed.

It also contains several statements that contradict the narrative included in the company’s internal review of the tragic day released on Oct. 3, including whether employees remained in the building when senior management evacuated.

Lawsuit: Not all Impact Plastics workers left when management left

In its report, the company said the plant was shut down and employees were released minutes after the power outage at 10:39 a.m.

“Employees were ordered to leave the plant within minutes of the power outage, and certainly no later than 10:50 a.m.,” the report said.

The company said senior management left “around 11:35 a.m.” and was the last to stay, although the report noted that some employees remained outside on South Industrial Drive, one way of entering and exiting the Riverside Industrial Park, which adjoins the River Nolichutskyi.

But during those tense moments, Peterson did not leave and employees were still in the building, the lawsuit alleges.

“Johnny returned to the factory in an attempt to help other employees who were trapped inside and who were also trying to leave after being fired,” the lawsuit states. “While he was looking for the others, he sent (his daughter) Alexa Peterson pictures of the rec room that was underwater.”

The decision to try to save colleagues became fateful.

At 11:42 a.m., Peterson texted his daughter again. He was stuck, he wrote, “can’t get out,” he wrote, and “it went up so fast.”

An attorney for Gerald O’Connor, founder and president of Impact Plastics, did not respond to Knox News’ request for comment.

Peterson’s family sued Impact Plastics on Oct. 14 in Unicoi County.

“Based on the information we have uncovered, including the accounts of surviving employees, we believe this tragedy could have been avoided,” Zach Lawson, the family’s attorney, told Knox News in a statement.

“Impact Plastics was aware of the risk of flooding and although employees requested permission to leave, the company did not take action. We will bring them to justice.”

Peterson was one of at least 10 employees at Impact Plastics who clung to the side of the semi-truck as the Nolichucky River teemed with them. The truck repeatedly fell into debris and eventually overturned, knocking the workers into the water.

All aboard were washed away, although some were later rescued by a Tennessee National Guard helicopter.

The company denies forcing employees to stay until it was too late. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration separately launched an investigation into this business.

Tyler Whetstone is an investigative journalist who practices accountable journalism. Contact Tyler by emailing him at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tyler_whetstone.