News release from the Fort Wayne Police Department:
Fatal Automobile Accident
Pedestrian StruckDate/Time: July 19, 2012 / 9:13 a.m.
Location: 999 E. Tillman Road, Community Harvest Food Bank
Victim: Adult Male / Deceased
On Thursday, July 19, 2012 at approximately 9:13 a.m. the City of Fort Wayne Police Department responded to 999 E. Tillman Road, Community Harvest Food Bank, reference a report of a personal injury accident involving a pedestrian. Callers advised that the pedestrian was pinned or trapped under the vehicle. First responders arrived on the scene to discover that food bank employees had already rescued the victim from under the involved vehicle by using a forklift to raise the vehicle from on top of the victim. The victim, an adult male, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition where a short time later he was pronounced deceased. The identity of the victim will be released upon confirmation.
The victim was a representative of a member agency of the food bank and had arrived in the involved vehicle, a green-colored Ford mini-van. The vehicle was being operated by an immediate family member of the victim when the incident occurred. The victim was out of the vehicle and inside the loading area, and he was guiding or directing the vehicle as it was backing up into the loading area. Witnesses reported that the vehicle was backing-up into the loading area when it struck the victim, continued in reverse motion over the victim and pinned him underneath the vehicle.
The primary cause of the accident remains under investigation with the F.A.C.T. (Fatal Alcohol Crash Team). The F.A.C.T. is composed of specially-trained automobile accident investigators of the Fort Wayne Police Department and the New Haven Police Department. This incident remains under investigation with the City of Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Allen County Coroner’s Office. There is nothing further at this time.