killav

I wanted to pass on a warning for all of us who routinely work under our cars. I know all of us think we are safe. But please read the story below.

About two weeks ago, a work aquantance of mine died under his car while changing a motor mount. He lived out in the country, and had no "paved" or concrete work surface. He was using jack stands, but without a solid surface, one of the jackstands started to slowly sink into the ground. Keep in mind this was a hard packed dirt/rock/gravel driveway, not out in the grass. Before he realized it, the Geo Prizm he was working on trapped him. He yelled out for his wife, who ran outside but could not get the car off of him. They had no land phone, only a cell phone and she had no signal. She jumped in their other car and raced to the nearest neighbor's house and they called 911. The neighbor rushed back to the scene, but Ty never regained consciousness. The weight of the car had suffocated him.

I didn't really know him. Only saying hello here and there when picking up (A/C) parts. But it still affected me big time. He worked for Johnson Supply here in Waco. He was only 26 years old, and had a 2 year old daughter.

This may sound rediculous, but I showed my wife how to operate my floor jack this weekend. I'm not saying that his wife didn't know how or what to do. I was only privy to the info I stated above. I mean he was using jack stands so the jack might have been under the motor or long gone in the shed or whatever.

So be careful out there. Have your wife or sig. other check in on you from time to time. Make sure they can operate a jack. Don't work alone if possible. If you absolutely have to work on a questionable surface (which I don't recommend) at least cut some 3/4" plywood footings and put them under the jack stands to spread out the load.

danglerb

Its easy to forget once you buy some nice tools etc. that most of us lack the years of having some senior mechanic hit us on the head when we start to do something dangerous.

WICruiser

I agree that we all need to reminded now and then to be safe, there is no project that is worth taking the risk of having a car parked on your chest! I know most of us would say we are always safe, but stop and think about the number of times that you a working alone and are just going to do something quick or easy, maybe an after thought, that puts you in a dangerous position. We should never require luck or fate to be on our side to make it through the day of working on our cars.

heinrich

I am so sorry to hear this. Yes, I am very conscious of this danger.

Bill Ball

Very sad. When using jackstands, put something under the car, such as a couple of the wheels, that will hold it up should the stands tip over. Even on a hard, level surface, working under jackstands bothers me.

sfierle

Sad story. Another reason I plan to buy ramps for my garage, I am always nervous working under jack stands.

killav

The obituary as it read in our local paper:

Ty Stephen "Candy" Higginbotham
Higginbotham Ty Stephen "Candy" Higginbotham of China Spring passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006, in a tragic accident at his home. Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Oakcrest Funeral Home with the Rev. Drew Wilson officiating. Burial will follow at Waco Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Oakcrest Funeral Home at 4520 Bosque Blvd. in Waco. Ty was born Nov. 13, 1980, in Waco. He attended China Spring school. Ty was raised and lived on the same road all of his life where he plan to raise his own family. He married the love of his life, Joy Portwood, April 17, 2004, on Lake Whitney over looking the water. He was a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend. He helped anyone when ever he could and was full of life, spirit and always looked at the bright side of everything. He always had a smile that could light up your heart. Ty worked in the air conditioning business from an early age and was presently employed at Johnson Supply. Ty is survived by his wife, Joy; son, Brent of China Spring; parents, Allen and Deanna Petty of Mexia; maternal grandparents, Bob and Barbara Candy of Mexia; paternal grandparents, Earl and Nina Higginbotham of Bruceville; grandmother, Linda Petty of Bellmead; great-grandmother, Alice Jones of Mexia; uncle Cass Candy and wife, Kellie of Mexia; brothers, Chad Candy of Jacksonville, Fla., Cory Candy and wife, Jessica of Denver, Colo., and Jade Candy of Mexia; sister, Brandi Benner of Mexia; cousins, Shelby and Brandon Candy of Mexia, Mica Berry of Waco; numerous aunts uncles and cousins and a host of friends who will miss him dearly. The family would like to thank special neighbors Dayton and Trevor and the emergency crew in China Spring for their help the night of the accident. A special thanks to Terry Pointer and the crew with Johnson Supply for their show of love and support. Ty, you will be deeply missed. Memorials may be made in Ty's name to the Angel Tree at Richland Mall, a cause Ty firmly believed in. The online guestbook is available at www.oakcrestwaco.com November 13, 1980 - December 13, 2006 Sign the Guest Book at wacotrib.com

Giovanni

Oeff, that is a sad story. I follow my father's advice who also lost a friend like that. "always put the wheel under the car as a safety precaution". My dad's friend was working on a big Dodge station wagon and he did not have a chance.

It sucks when you don't have a garage and have to work on cars. In my case though, I always use block(s) with a 4x4 or 2x4 on top of it and the wheels to catch the car if everything else fails....

justin

When I was younger I can remember working on my cars with nothing but a floor jack, I did that for years and years, never really thought much about it. It seems now that Im older I think about safety more and more. Be safe, use your head, how much more time does it take to take more precaution, even if your in a hurry?

killav

I concur regarding the wheels as a last resort. I use my old manhole covers with tires still on them and just slide them right under the body of the car. My cross section is thick enough, and these cars are low enough to squish me if it were to fall, even with the wheels still bolted on.

Tony

Most intense thing i have witnessed was in college when a guy down the road was working on his old 67 Mustang. It was up on a jack and the jack failed and the car settled on him. The rear break drum/axle area sat on the side of his head supporting the weight of the car in that corner. Some frantic screaming was answered, thankfully pretty quick and a bunch of us lifted that corner of the car and got him out.

Fractured skull.

Thankfully the car didnt "drop" ...it just settled on him. Probably the only reason he lived.

Richard S

I freaks me out to be under the car, yanking on the exhaust for example, all the time thinking "what if the car drops right now?" I've seen some guys work under the car, with the front end waaaay up in the air on stands, the rear tires on the ground.....in their freaking driveway that is steeply sloped down to the street!!!! I have a hard enough time in my level floor garage.

I think there was a thread in the OT section about a guy that was helping a friend and had the rear of the car lifted up and supported by a chain hanging from a tree. While they were both under the car the chain or tree gave way (can't remember which one) dropping the car and crushing both of them. His friend died, the writer woke up in the hospital. Scary stuff.

Rich

marton

cannot be too careful.
About 2 years ago I was late for work; went into the underground garage under my apartment. heard some screaming & found a garage mechanic trapped by his hand under the wheel of an Audi 1.8 that he was trying to change. The jack in the tool kit had somehow failed or fallen over.
Fetched my floor jack and let him out.

If I had not been late for work then he would probably have been there until lunch time...

Marton

jpitman2

Amen.
I once jacked up a car with the supplied screw pillar jack, and wife came out and looked at it as I prepared to do something and said " I hope you have stands under that". No.....- "I think you should get some!". And as we looked at the car and each other, the jack's nut failed, and slid down the pillar.
Quick trip to buy a new jack, and some stands followed immediately.
jp 83 Euro S AT 50k, 2 trolley jacks, 4 stands.

justin

I hope you are still married to her?