Prison employee
crushed to death

By Jon Campisi
Times Staff Writer

A seven-year employee of the Philadelphia Prison System was killed in a freak accident last week after being crushed by a mechanized door.
Robert Tonik, 46, a resident of Bridesburg, worked as a locksmith in the maintenance division of prisons, according to prison spokesman Bob Eskind.
"It was just a tragic accident," Eskind said. "The staff is shocked and despondent, still."
Eskind said the accident was the first of its kind in his 15 years as a prison employee.
"You’re working inside a jail, there’s some expectation of risk, but nothing like this," he said.
Eskind said an internal investigation is ongoing to discover what caused the motorized door to malfunction. The size and weight of the door was not immediately known.
"At this time we don’t have a clear understanding of how he got caught in that door," he said.
The incident occurred around 12:35 p.m. March 18 at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center located at 8301 State Road.
Andrea Shumsky, who said Tonik was her husband’s ex-son-in-law, said Tonik was not instantly killed.
"He suffered in the hospital for three days," Shumsky said.
A spokeswoman at Frankford Hospital-Torresdale, where Tonik was admitted following the accident, would not confirm how much time Tonik spent at the hospital before he was pronounced dead.
Shumsky said she was touched by the turnout at Tonik’s funeral on Monday. Mourners included local dignitaries, friends, family, co-workers and officials with the prison system.
"I think there was more prison authority today at the funeral than I have seen at any funeral," she said.
Eskind, the prison spokesman, said Tonik was well-liked and well-respected among his peers.
"He was an engaging guy," he said. "(He) would always talk to you. (He had) a lot of energy."
Eskind said the prison system is in the process of organizing a memorial service to honor Tonik. According to his obituary, Tonik is survived by his mother, two sons, two brothers and two nephews. ••