Engine Drops, Crushes Young Worker

Hoisting an automobile engine by the use of chains and a forklift proved deadly in a California auto shop recently.

Eighteen-year-old Irvin Pescador from Oakland died after being crushed by a truck engine that had been hoisted by a forklift. Authorities reported that Pescador and a co-worker used chains, with the help of a forklift, to raise the engine off the ground. Pescador then crawled underneath to work on the engine.

According to reports, the engine slipped off the forks of the forklift and fell onto Pescador’s chest and abdomen, crushing him to death.

The father of the victim worked at the same company, AP Trucking.

The California division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the fatality to determine the contributing factors.