Jason Rowley Smith, 20, died Friday after approximately one ton of wood came loose from metal straps 10 to 15 feet above his head and crushed him.
The accident occurred at Larsen Melby Construction Company, where Smith had been a crate builder for the past 16 months.Centerville police detective Von Steenblik said, "There was no rhyme or reason as to why the accident happened. Nobody disturbed the wood. It wasn't hit by a forklift or anything. It just came loose."
"Had the wood come loose a few seconds before or after - he would have been fine," Steenblik said.
Eda Melby, secretary at the construction company, said the 9-year-old business had never had an accident of this magnitude. "Jason was a prize for this company. He was a beautiful, good-natured, willing-to-work, intelligent guy," Melby said.