Georgia Flash Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Good morning folks, Well last night at about 12:30am, I had the misfortune of answering a call where a car had fallin on someone while he was working on it. I ran lights and siren to the call because I prayed and hoped that I may be able to get the car off of him when I got there. The dispatcher didn't say whether or not the guy was still alive so I hoped for the best. My response time was about one minute at the most. I was the first to arrive on the scene, even before EMS. I ran to the garage in the back yard of the house and was met by the guy's grandmother coming out of the garage. She said, "he's in here!" I ran to her and asked, "is he ok?". The elderly lady said in a quivering voice, "I think he's dead..." I entered the garage and saw a terrible sight. A young man in his teens was laying under the passenger side of a Chevrolet race truck with the frame rail across his neck and chest area. He was dead and had been for some time. He had came to work on his truck around 6:30pm and had plans to change the bell housing and front brake disks. He had removed the passenger side front tire and jacked up the car with a floor jack. He did not use any of the four heavy duty jack stands that were sitting in the garage behind the race truck. Apparently he crawled under the truck beside the floor jack and somehow the jack slipped pinning him under the truck. Guys as the night wore on I thought of my plans that I had for my off day today. I am still working on the rear suspension of my Z and it is sitting on jack stands. I will feel a little squemish when I crawl under there today. The sad part of this story is this guy was a kid. He was just 18 years old! According to his family he started racing last year and won Rookie of the Year. I feel bad for his family that they had to lose their son, grandson, and brother at such a young age. God Bless Them. Guys lets be careful out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Georgia, thanks for bringing this to light. When I was younger, I took a chance a few times on the "floor jack only" method of safe suspension. The stupid stuff you do as a kid. Then one day a friend of mine that works on hydraulic equipment showed me a jack where a seal blew out, causing the jack to collapse. Never again did I not use floor jacks. It's not worth being lazy, or saving time "because I'm only going to be under there for just a minute or two" to risk making all the people around you very unhappy (except the wife I guess ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB26powered74zcar Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 That is very sombering...... I'm sure he figured, I'll just be under there a second, like I have many a time.... As I've become a little older, and wiser I hope, I never take that chance anymore. It only takes a split second for that to happen, and just the same, it only takes a second to put jack stands for safety...... Thats horrible man. I feel for the family that had to find him that way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 This reminds me of a local story that happened to I think an 18 or 19 year old, working under a jeep. Crushed the kid to death after it slipped. Also happened to my girlfriend's cousin, working under an Impy and the rear started to fall but she was there to pull him out luckily for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted March 26, 2003 Author Share Posted March 26, 2003 Yawn.....Just woke up from my morning sleep. Fixing to head off to the local parts store to pick up a few items before I go to work on the Z. I was thinking that I may get some more sturdy jack stands while I'm there. I have the small ones from Walmart. I have never liked crawling under a car even when it was supported by jack stands or on a set of ramps. When I took some classes at my local vo-tech school, I wasn't too keen on standing under a car even when it was supported on a hydralic lift. Yep I'm quite sure that he had done this sort of thing 100's of times, especially at the race track when a last second repair had to be made. Man I have seen lots of horrible stuff in my career, but this kinda hits me where I live, if you know what I mean. I guess what makes it worse is the fact that he had to go so young with a promising career ahead of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny411 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Just a reminder, It is very important to be sure that the car is not only on stands, but that it is "securely on stands". In my high school tech class(18yrs ago) Our instructor required us to attempt to push or rock the car from all corners before we were allowed under it. I admit I have been a bit lax on this, but i do push and rock it from at least one corner.(most of the time) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Denny, I agree on the shake-the car thing - I learned that at a young age. I also throw something big under the car as well. I have a piece of a tree stump about 16" in diameter, 12" high that I use to throw under the frame as well. It'd not going to tip like a jack stand. A tire and wheel or maybe two stacked up works too. Basically, anything that can stop the car from crushing you WHEN (not if) the car falls off the jack stands. Also, I know this isn't always convenient or possible, but having someone hang out with you when you're under the car helps too. Although it this kids case, it probably wouldn't have mattered. Georgia, sorry to hear about you having to witness that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 My dad always throws a couple wheels/tires under the car, what always made me nervous was idiots who come lean on your car while your under it. Rock test or not, that is stupid and ticks me off because of the lack of consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 280Tom'z Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 its sad to hear that. I never get under a car with out stands and even when its up on a lift we use these 6 foot tall jack stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David K Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 I also throw something big under the car as well. I have a piece of a tree stump about 16" in diameter' date=' 12" high that I use to throw under the frame as well. It'd not going to tip like a jack stand. A tire and wheel or maybe two stacked up works too. Basically, anything that can stop the car from crushing you WHEN (not if) the car falls off the jack stands.[/quote'] Pete, that is exactly what i do! A few years ago i went to Home Depot and bought some planks. I cut them up into dictionary size peices, stacked 10 of them on top of each other while nailing them together 1 by 1. I hold the car up by all four corners, under the differential, and under the tranny mount. Poor kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 this happens way to often, and its happened to me. once the jack blew a seal and dropped the car like a rock.....i was just jacking it up...got to the the height i wanted....i then turned around to grab my stands and i heard a "SPWOOSH" and the ass end of the car smashed my leg. the car pounced on my leg the went to its normal ride....it bruised me up damn good...and scared me to death. about two years later i had my car on stands.....i had to adjust one side of it so i got the floor jack out and started pumpin.....next thing i know the STAND breaks at the top weld and the car moved two feet sideways and one foot down....i was on the other side of the fall...so it just fell away from me...but still a good scare. from that point on...it takes me a good 30 minutes to an hour to get my car in the air.....I want to make DAMN sure that its not going to go anywhere.....my shake tests are violent! anywho...sorry that you have to see these things....and im even more sorry that it has to happen. laterZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted March 27, 2003 Author Share Posted March 27, 2003 Thanks guys, I spent most of the day laying under the rear of my Z scraping and cleaning still preparing it for when I can put it all back together back there. I used four jack stands on the rear of the car while I was under there. I gave it the old shake test too, funny thing though, I have always done that. I guess out of instincts or something. I should get the last parts that I need for the rear end from UPS tomorrow if their web tracking is correct, however, I will have to go back into work and it will be about four days before I try to lift the suspension back up to its place and bolt it in. Then I may move to the front suspension. Sparky I have seen a lot over the years and it's kinda funny how after a while you sorta get used to it if you know what I mean. I guess what I am trying to say is you learn to cope with it. However, some things make you just stop and think for a moment. Pete you are right, this kid probably would'nt have made it even if someone was right there with him when it fell. I think that I will start throwing the wheels under the car when I'm under there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruez Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Thats terrible... I also, used to get under the car with just a hydraulic jack. I use jack stands along with the jack and rock the car to be sure. I guess you DO learn things with age.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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