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

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

Johnny Peterson, 55, helped get at least 10 people out of the factory and onto the bed of a semitruck before the semitruck was flipped over by Helene floodwaters on Friday, Sept. 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 inside the bed of the semitruck at 12:57 p.m.

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

“My anger. It is just anger,” Alexa said. “I am angry.”

Alexa said her father texted her updates throughout the morning while at work. He sent her a picture taken at 11:23 a.m. showing flooding inside the factory. Peterson told his daughter in preceding messages that the company had not shut down the factory.

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

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

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

“I don’t think Dad considered him a friend,” Alexa said. “I think he considered him a boss. I personally would not be treating my friend or my deceased friend’s family the way Impact has been treating everyone.”

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

“He said he was sorry to hear Dad died and that he wanted me to know Dad was there helping people and that Dad did not leave with them when he had the opportunity to,” she said.

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

“After checking to make sure everyone was out of our plant and rescue important files, I was one of the last people to leave the plant,” O’Connor said in the video.

Attorney Alex Little is representing the Peterson family.

“What we are starting to find out is that a group of management, which is a family-owned company, they all kind of left out one way, the back,” Little said. “Workers were left to fend for themselves.”

Little said Peterson stayed at the plant to help save others. A comment on his obituary read in part, “I am here today because of Johnny. We were trapped in the building, and Johnny found us a way out.”

WSMV4 reached out to the law firm representing O’Connor, Ritchie, Davies, Johnson & Stovall, about these allegations Tuesday. They have not received a response.

Peterson leaves behind four children, the youngest being 15 years old.

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