Man underneath car dies when jack slips

From: Galveston County Daily News, TX - 31 Jan 2003

By Jerry Urban
The Daily News

Published January 31, 2003

GALVESTON — A 49-year-old Galveston man died after a jack apparently slipped and a car fell on top of him, officials said.

John Graves was pronounced dead at UTMB about 40 minutes after he was found about 5:20 p.m. Wednesday, in a garage in the 3500 block of Ball.

Graves was working under a 1997 Chevrolet Camaro when the accident occurred. Frank Nicholas, who lives at the location, said Graves had been working on the car in the alley. However, Nicholas said he told Graves he could back the car into his garage because of rain.

Graves, who lived in the 3500 block of Coveview Boulevard, worked on various cars in the area, said Nicholas. Nicholas said his son found Graves trapped under the car. Emergency personnel were called while Nicholas said he used a jack to lift the car off Graves and then pulled him out from under it.

Nicholas said Graves was still breathing at the time. Barbara Graves, the dead man’s sister, was upset because she said somebody should have been in the garage watching Graves, because he was deaf and couldn’t speak. Funeral arrangements were pending at E.R. Johnson Mortuary.

© 2003 Galveston County Daily News. All rights reserved.