State: Employee died after being struck by granite slab

An employee who died Monday in a workplace accident at Cosmos Granite in Raleigh was struck by a 600-pound slab of granite that fell off a truck, according to a preliminary report by the state Department of Labor.

A spokesman for the department said Tuesday that the employee was loading granite slabs onto a truck using a lifting device when the accident happened. One slab was not properly positioned on the device and slipped.

He said the employee tried to stop the slab from falling and was crushed.

The employee's name has not been released, and the investigation is ongoing.