\u201cThis incident underscores the importance of using appropriate, purpose-designed equipment, following manufacturer instructions, and ensuring vehicles are adequately supported before any person positions themselves underneath,\u201d the coroner wrote. <\/p>\n
According to the findings, around 4pm on September 25, Patel, of Auckland, borrowed his neighbour\u2019s jack and tools to change the car\u2019s oil. <\/p>\n
Coroner Ian Telford has warned of the dangers of trolley jacks.<\/p>\n
The neighbour gave him advice on how to use the jack before he left.<\/p>\n
Later that evening, Patel was unable to be contacted, so a close friend went to his home. He found Patel crushed under the car.<\/p>\n
After jacking the car up, he raised the alarm and began CPR on Patel until ambulance staff arrived and took over.<\/p>\n
However, Patel was soon declared dead at the scene.<\/p>\n
Police attended and found the trolley jack had been positioned beneath the front bumper of the vehicle.<\/p>\n
According to the findings, photos showed the bumper had buckled under the weight of the car, causing the vehicle to become unstable and fall on to Patel.<\/p>\n
A post-mortem examination ruled Patel\u2019s cause of death was blunt-force injuries to the head and torso and the coroner found his death was accidental. A toxicology report found he had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time. <\/p>\n
\u201cTrolley jacks are designed for lifting vehicles only at manufacturer-specified jacking points and are not intended to support a vehicle\u2019s weight without additional, stable supports,\u201d Coroner Telford said.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIncorrect placement or reliance on a jack alone may result in instability and sudden collapse, as occurred in this tragic case.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Motor Industry Training Organisation advises that vehicles must be supported by properly rated stands before any work is undertaken beneath them and that people should never work under a vehicle that is supported only by a jack.\u201d<\/p>\n Patel\u2019s mum, Sunita Patel, said her son was a \u201cbubbly, cheerful, good boy\u201d, who loved cars, especially the brand Honda.<\/p>\n \u201cHe used to work on cars, his own and his friends\u2019, like any small fixes. He was very confident in what he was doing,\u201d she told NZME. <\/p>\n Kishan Patel loved his family and friends. <\/p>\n