Mechanic Crushed To Death By Car

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Auto shop worker killed when car falls on him
By George RichertPublished: July 25, 2014, 4:34 pmUpdated: July 25, 2014, 4:59 pm
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – An auto shop worker was killed Friday when a car he was working on fell on top of him.

The accident happened Friday afternoon at Yuya Complete Auto Repair on Skillen Street in Buffalo. People on scene tell News 4 that a man in his 30s has been renting the space there and working countless hours as a mechanic.

The man had jacked up a Lincoln Town Car on grass and was working on it when it fell, killing him. Though people nearby attempted to lift the car again with a jack, it was too late.

WIVB Ch. 4
 
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Originally Posted By: Kool1
Wow! The guy jacked a car up and the jack was supported by grass.


That's one way to parse the story.

Or you can read it as "jacked up.. on grass".

Considering that the picture shows a hole-in-the-wall shop, barely larger than a storage unit, with a paved area and no lawn.. I'll go my way.
 
I will admit it. I have been underneath cars before - properly supported, mind you - and had occasional cold shivers due to visualizing the thing falling on me. The 72 Pontiac was the worst. It was huge! Just reading the article gave me shivers.
 
About the same here, reason I am very careful when under a vehicle , Even shake it to see if it will fall before I get under.
 
Folks:

An old Cali guy here. While completely under my V12 E-Type Jag, which was up on four high quality jack stands, there was a minor earthquake. The earthquake was strong enough to rattle all the houses on the street. I could actually hear the houses clattering!

I extracted myself so quickly from underneath the car I'm fortunate I didn't pull it off the jack stands. Scared the CR&P out of me! Ever since I've always been a bit mindful when under a car, even when it's supported as well as humanly possible.

Scott
 
Terrible.
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I had a '68 Lemans fall off of jack stands before. I had the rear already on stands under the axle tubes and was jacking up the front end. I wasn't paying attention to the jack; it wasn't creeping towards the rear of the car. The car was getting pulled forward....and off the stands it came.

That was enough to learn me real quick. I had to go home and change my chones.
 
When I was 18, I was working with a guy who was very skilled mechanically, in an actual shop. He wasn't too skilled on safety, though, and I made the mistake of trusting him. I rolled under a car supported on a floor jack (I was on a creeper), and he went to lift it a little higher. The car descended until the frame was pressing on my chest with a fair amount of force. I said, "Uh, Mike?"

Mike said, "Oh yeah, this jack leaks a little. I'll lift the car up and you come out real fast."

I did. Since then, I've always had jack stands.
 
Late 60s Fords were killing mechanics too,the fans were fracturing and breaking when revving the engines.I don't know if there was a recall persay or just a memo/bulletin,but that's nothing new...unfortunately.
 
I was real young pulling off the rear brake drums on my 84 firenza. The one drum was in the air with a jack on hard dirt and gravel mix. The pads were catching so I had one hand on the notion and one on the top and was pulling real hard when I pulled the jack over and the drum landed on my one hand. It didn't mess it up to bad but I had to reposition the jack after cranking it down and Jack the car up again to get my other hand out. Always make sure the car is supported even if you don't go under it.
 
I know of a guy that drove up a 70 (??) SS396 from down south,he accelerated up an on ramp,and the fan launched thru the OEM cowl induction hood destroying it.
 
Originally Posted By: Skid
"The man had jacked up a Lincoln Town Car on grass..."

I can't tell from the sentence construction. Was the man on grass or was the car on grass?


Really? Someone passed away and all you can do is make a joke about it?
 
It was the dog days of August and I had been given a 56 Dodge Monaco I got it started and drove across to Charlie's place. It promptly stalled, and after a few tries the starter burned out. I promptly rustled up a bumper jack. I was 13 -14. I had no tools and not much knowledge. It was hot and muggy. After about an hour, of getting almost no where on the starter, I crawled out from under the car, and was trying to light a soggy Lucky Strike, when the jack slipped and Dodge's raised left front went down. Bumper jacks havent been in the OM cars since maybe 1990. The bottle jacks or the scissors jack are giving way to no spare and no jack. Even less liability involved. Avery fortunate happening. But a life lesson learned.
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