Mechanic killed when Jeep he’s repairing falls on top of him, Illinois coroner says
An Illinois auto mechanic died after the SUV he was working on fell on top of him, authorities said.
The Winnebago County Coroner’s office was called July 31 to Kurt’s Service Center about an employee who was pinned underneath a Jeep, according to a news release from the coroner’s office.
An investigation revealed that 55-year-old Dennis Modloff, of Rockford, was working alone under the SUV, which was parked on top of a hydraulic lift with the rear axle hoisted up by a jack stand, authorities said.
During the repairs, which started around 10:30 a.m., the jack stand moved, causing the Jeep to fall on top of Modloff, authorities said.
Another employee found Modloff shortly after 11 a.m. and called 911, according to the coroner’s office.
First responders determined Modloff to be “beyond resuscitation,” and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy revealed Modloff’s preliminary cause of death to be blunt force trauma of the head, according to an Aug. 1 news release from the coroner’s office.
McClatchy News reached out to Kurt’s Service Center for comment Aug. 1 but did not immediately hear back.
The coroner’s office and the Rockford Police Department are investigating the incident.
Rockford is about a 95-mile drive northwest from Chicago.
This story was originally published August 1, 2024 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Mechanic killed when Jeep he’s repairing falls on top of him, Illinois coroner says."
