FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WSMV) – Among the four people killed in a plane crash outside of Denver on Friday morning were Nashville community members Aaron Stokes and Austin Huskey, WSMV4 has confirmed.
A preliminary FAA report says that the Epic Aircraft E1000 crashed near Emerald Mountain in Colorado around 12:20 a.m. on Friday. The Routt County Sheriff confirmed to 9News that four people were found dead at the scene of the crash.
The Routt County Coroner’s Office identified the victims to WSMV4 as Stokes, 47, his son Jakson Stokes, 21, his nephew Colin Stokes, 21, and Huskey, 37.
Stokes lived in Franklin with his wife and four children.
Stokes was the founder of two companies — EuroFix, a car repair company, and Shop Fix Academy, a business aimed at helping auto shop owners grow their businesses.
Stokes has been involved with car repair for years after he was involved in a car crash that left him stranded and cashless across state lines, his EuroFix biography says. Being in the position forced him “to work side jobs and study car repair as a way to fix his vehicle and get back home in Franklin, TN.”
While he had spent his childhood “tinkering” with dirt bikes and four-wheelers, it was that incident that EuroFix says “triggered his love for car repair and inspired him to go into business for himself.”
Stokes started his shop in 1999 in a one-car garage near downtown Franklin. Five years later, his booming business allowed him to expand to a larger location.
“This ‘tipping point’ was the catalyst that paved the way for future locations across Middle Tennessee,” EuroFix says.
The business now has five locations across Middle Tennessee — in Nashville, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Belle Meade and Mount Juliet.
“I started this business with $50 in tools and an idea, that there is a better way to do auto repair,” Stokes is quoted as saying on the website. “I believe we have found that.”
But that business wasn’t always booming.
At one point, the shops came up against “an unexpected and extremely challenging obstacle…he almost lost everything.”
But he recovered, and soon after, other auto shop owners started to seek out his advice, leading to him creating Shop Fix Academy.
Huskey was the CEO and owner of Huskey Building Supply, a Middle Tennessee business with locations in Franklin, Mt. Juliet and Murfreesboro.
The company announced Huskey’s death in a social media post Saturday morning, saying in part, “Austin was a fearless leader, a gracious man, a devoted father and husband, and a faithful follower of Christ.”
The post said Huskey was part of the third-generation ownership of the family-owned company.
Husky was recognized an LBM Journal 40 under 40 recipient in 2025 for his work with Huskey Building Supply.
See the full post here:
Tributes have been pouring in for Stokes and Huskey since the plane crash was reported.
“I’m still trying to piece together words for today,” Thomas Andrews, who is listed as a coach on the Shop Fix Academy, said on Facebook. “Early this morning, we lost Aaron Stokes in a tragic plane crash, and the world is quieter because of it.”
“Aaron was an incredible husband. A loving, devoted father. A faithful man of God. And one of the most life-giving humans I’ve ever known. He didn’t just build Shop Fix Academy, he built people,” Andrews wrote. “…Aaron ran his race with excellence and faith. Now it’s on us, the lives he poured into, to honor him not just with words, but with action.”
Habitat for Humanity Williamson-Maury said it was “deeply saddened” by Huskey’s passing.
“Austin was a generous and kind man who made the world better simply by the way he showed up in it. He listened. He encouraged. He led by example. And he treated people with respect and care,” the nonprofit said.
“Our team at Habitat for Humanity Williamson-Maury is grateful for how he supported our work and our families. His impact will live on in the homes built, the lives touched, and the community he helped strengthen. Sending prayers of comfort to the entire Huskey family.”
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