BERLIN (AP) — A robot has killed a contractor at one of Volkswagen's production plants in Germany, the automaker said Wednesday.

Revealed: 2015's Best Credit Cards

Credit Karma Sponsor



The man died Monday at the plant in Baunatal, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Frankfurt, VW spokesman Heiko Hillwig said.

The 22-year-old was part of a team that was setting up the stationary robot when it grabbed and crushed him against a metal plate, Hillwig said.

He said initial conclusions indicate that human error was to blame, rather than a problem with the robot, which can be programmed to perform various tasks in the assembly process. He said it normally operates within a confined area at the plant, grabbing auto parts and manipulating them.

Another contractor was present when the incident occurred, but wasn't harmed, Hillwig said. He declined to give any more details about the case, citing an ongoing investigation

He said initial conclusions indicate that human error was to blame,

Quote

He said initial conclusions indicate that human error was to blame,

That's exactly what a robot disguised as a VW spokeperson would say.