The coroner has identified a man who was found dead after he was crushed underneath a van that he was performing maintenance on outside a garage in Beach Park Tuesday evening.
An autopsy performed on Wednesday showed David Sears, 56, of Beach Park, died as a result of traumatic asphyxia and blunt force injuries, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Beach Park Fire Department responded around 7:10 p.m. Tuesday to the 3500 block of North Lewis Avenue in Beach Park for a report of an injured person.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the 911 caller reported an unresponsive man was found underneath a vehicle.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found Sears, who lives at the residence, pinned underneath a vehicle in the driveway.
He was unconscious and not breathing. It was determined that Sears was dead.
A preliminary investigation shows Sears was likely conducting maintenance work on a car outside of a garage, Covelli said.
Covelli said the van was initially elevated by ramps purchased at a store.
Sears was underneath the van when the vehicle somehow rolled backwards off the ramp, trapping him underneath.
It is not currently known how long he was trapped underneath the vehicle before he was found, Covelli said.
There were no signs of foul play and sheriff’s detectives are continuing to investigate.