Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311258552 - Northwest Auto And Truck Salvage

Inspection Information - Office: Indiana Department Of Labor

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on October 6, 2008, a coworker walking through the salvage yard observed the employee lying face up under a wrecked Chevy Blazer on a dry dirt surface with the vehicle resting squarely on the employee's left upper torso. The employee had not been seen in the morning and had arrived before the business opened to remove parts from the Blazer alone. There was no witness to the fall of the Blazer onto the employee. But the location of chest injuries suggested the employee was lying under the suspended automobile without the use of jack stands or supports. The wrecked vehicle was hoisted by the bumper. The bumper later broke loose from the vehicle. The wrecked vehicle then fell and crushed the employee. Paramedics were called to the scene by the employer. The employee was unresponsive and pronounced dead on the scene. The cause of death was blunt traumatic chest injuries and positional asphyxia. An external autopsy was performed by the Delaware County Coroner.

Keywords: CHEST, ASPHYXIATED, HOISTING MECHANISM, CRUSHED, AUTOMOBILE, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT