Jacked-up vehicle gives way, crushes man under it

Published 12:01 am Sunday, August 5, 2012

PORT ANGELES — A man trying to extract a tow bar from beneath a jacked-up vehicle in the yard of a Mount Pleasant-area business was killed when the vehicle fell on him.

The name of the man was not available Saturday.

The man died at Angeles Collision Repair and Towing, 72 Mount Pleasant Road, shortly after noon Friday, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.

Clallam County Sheriff’s Sgt. Nick Turner said Saturday that he did not know if the victim’s family had been notified of the death.

Clallam County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Troberg, who was acting as deputy county coroner Saturday, said he had no information about the death.

Clallam County Fire District No. 2 Assistant Chief Dan Huff said the man had his vehicle towed to the towing yard “within the last few days.”

The man had asked permission from the owner to remove the tow bar from the vehicle, Turner said.

The man raised the vehicle with scissor-type jacks but didn’t block the tires or set the emergency brake, he said.

“He got under it and started pulling the vehicle around, and it fell on top of him,” Turner said.

The business owner saw the man moving around outside, turned away, thought he would check on him, looked back “just moments” later and saw the car on top of the man, Turner said.

The business owner phoned 9-1-1 after discovering what had happened and initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Huff said.

“We kept [CPR] going for a lengthy period of time after that,” Huff said.

Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.