Police said an elderly customer’s truck struck the worker and pinned him against a concrete wall.
STUART, FL — A 24-year-old tire technician was killed Tuesday morning at a Stuart auto shop after a customer’s truck moved forward inside a service bay and pinned him against a concrete wall, police said.
The death at Atlantic Tire, 705 Southeast Monterey Road, is being investigated by Stuart police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as a workplace incident. Authorities said the worker was helping guide the truck into the bay when the crash happened. His name had not been released as of Wednesday.
Emergency crews were called to the shop about 6:30 a.m. June 9 after reports that a worker had been trapped by a vehicle. Martin County Fire Rescue crews found the technician pinned inside the service area and pronounced him dead at the scene. Stuart police said the customer, an 83-year-old man, was behind the wheel and was trying to pull his truck into the bay for maintenance. Investigators said the truck moved onto a ramp and then accelerated forward, striking the technician. Todd Bender, who works at Angel’s Auto Care Center, said the case showed how fast an ordinary repair job can turn deadly. “These things happen and it is dangerous working in some of the skilled trades that we have,” Bender said.
Police said the driver stayed at the shop and is cooperating with investigators. Officials also said the vehicle lift did not malfunction, a key detail as investigators sort through how the truck moved forward and why the technician was in its path. Earlier reports said the vehicle came off a lift or ramp, but police later said the lift itself was not to blame. The worker was not alone when the crash happened, police said. Detectives responded to the scene, then later turned the case toward a workplace death investigation. It was not immediately clear whether any citations, charges or civil findings would follow. Authorities did not release the driver’s name, the make of the truck or whether video from the shop recorded the crash.
Atlantic Tire sits along Southeast Monterey Road, a busy commercial route in Martin County near U.S. 1 and several auto service businesses. The shop continued to draw attention Tuesday as fire rescue units, police vehicles and investigators worked in and around the service area. The business told local reporters the technician was killed when a customer accidentally drove into the garage bay and hit him. Shop owners and employees have been cooperating with law enforcement while mourning the loss of a coworker, officials said. Police extended condolences to the technician’s family, friends and co-workers, but did not provide more details about his job history or how long he had worked at the tire shop.
The case comes amid broader concern about deaths in repair and service workplaces. Federal labor data show 5,070 fatal work injuries were recorded across the United States in 2024, down from 5,283 the year before. In Florida, 284 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2024, down from 306 in 2023. Automotive service technicians and mechanics accounted for 57 fatal occupational injuries nationwide that year. The Stuart case involved a moving customer vehicle inside a service bay, not a roadway crash. Bender said he has seen shop equipment fail during his career and understands the risk around raised or moving vehicles. “I’ve seen it happen,” he said. “Personally, I’ve had a rack break on me before, so I know the reality of it.”
OSHA’s involvement means the agency may review workplace conditions, training, equipment, procedures and employer records connected to the fatal incident. Federal workplace investigations can take months and can end with no citation, a settlement or penalties if violations are found. Stuart police are separately reviewing the crash circumstances, including the driver’s actions and witness accounts. As of Wednesday, police had not announced an arrest or traffic charge. They also had not said whether impairment, a medical event, mechanical trouble with the truck or driver error was suspected. The driver’s continued cooperation and the finding that the lift did not malfunction are now central facts in the early investigation.
People who work in auto repair shops said service bays can be crowded, loud and fast moving, especially when vehicles are being guided onto racks, lifts or ramps. Technicians often stand close to customers’ vehicles while giving hand signals or verbal directions. The Stuart crash happened before many nearby businesses were deep into the workday, leaving employees and passersby to watch emergency crews enter the tire shop in the morning. Bender said workers in the trade often rely on habit, communication and repeated checks to stay safe around heavy vehicles. Still, he said, a single moment can overwhelm normal routines. Police said the worker’s death remained under active review and that more information would be released when investigators were ready.
The technician’s identity remained withheld Wednesday while authorities continued notifications and investigative work. The next major update is expected from Stuart police or OSHA as they determine whether the fatal crash involved a workplace violation, a traffic offense or no chargeable act.
Author note: Last updated June 10, 2026.