Ohio woman loses scalp in plant accident

BARBERTON, Ohio - A 25-year-old Norton woman, who has worked at a Barberton automotive parts company for less than a week, was seriously injured when her hair became caught in a machine.

Most of Monica Thayer's scalp was removed from her head, according to her mother, Mary Thayer.

The incident happened around 11 p.m. Monday at JR Engineering on 9th Street NW.

Monica was flown to Akron General Hospital where she remains in the intensive care unit.

She has been able to talk with relatives.

"I don't think she really realizes the depth of what has happened. She was in shock. She knew she pulled some hair out, but I don't think she really realizes that anymore has happened to her at this point," Mary said.

Mary believes Monica was removing parts and metal shavings when something pulled her into the machine.

She said doctors have reattached about 75 percent of her daughter's scalp.

"They're going to do plastic surgery to try to repair the rest of it," Mary said.

Barberton Fire Chief Kim Baldwin said it took about 20 minutes to extricate the woman from the machine, which he said is used to cut steel tubing in order to make automotive shock absorbers.

"It was a pretty serious incident. Industrial accidents have a tendency to be pretty severe and this was no exception," Baldwin said.

Mary, who also works at the plant, believes more training is needed at JR Engineering.

"We do need to implement new steps to make sure that this doesn't happen again to anybody," Mary said.