Nevada man died while fixing vehicle after 6.4 earthquake likely caused the car to fall off jack, police say
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A Nevada man likely died last week after a series of strong earthquakes in the West Coast caused a car he was fixing to come crashing down, pinning him underneath it, police said.
Deputies with the Nye County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a property at the crossroads of Becky Ln. and East Churchill Rd. in Pahrump at around 1 p.m. Tuesday over reports of a “man beneath a vehicle.”
Once on the scene, police discovered the body of a 56-year-old deceased male who appeared to be pinned under a car.
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CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS WARNED OF EARTHQUAKE SCAMS AFTER RECENT TEMBLORS
“The vehicle that the male was found pinned under had been jacked up safely and, based on the positioning of the body and the tools found at the scene, the male appeared to be working on the vehicle at the time of his death.” Sgt. Adam Tippetts with the Nye County Sheriff’s Office said.
Tippetts said the victim, who has yet to be publicly identified pending family notification, was last seen alive at a local gas station on July 3.
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“Based on preliminary timing and circumstances at the scene, the Nye County Sheriff’s investigation reveals that his death may be a result of the vehicle falling off the jacks on July 4 during the earthquake," Tippetts said.
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck in Ridgecrest, California on July 4 at around 10:30 a.m. but according to Tippetts, its effects were felt all the way in Pahrump -- more than 180 miles away.
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A second earthquake struck in Ridgecrest the following day with a 7.1 epicenter.
Authorities are investigating the incident as an “earthquake-related death.”