The Barometer Online

Issue date: 10/16/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Contributed Photo Jack Price was a live-in volunteer at Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He was pinned beneath his truck in an accident on Tuesday. Price will be remembered as an advisor and father figure for the men in the fraternity.

Jack Price, 43, an OSU alumnus from the class of '89 and temporary live-in volunteer at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity died on Tuesday when he was pinned beneath his truck after attempting to get the stalled vehicle to start.

Price had just left the fraternity house and was at the corner of Northwest 14th Street and Northwest Van Buren Avenue when his truck stalled. This was a regular occurrence since the ignition had been broken for some time and he always had to fiddle with it, said Chris Gerritz, a junior in electrical engineering and the president of Phi Kappa Psi.

Friends and bystanders said that Price got out of the truck and moved in front of it, attempting to get it to restart by reaching into the hood and working on the engine. Suddenly, and without notice, the truck restarted, shifted into gear and lurched forward, trapping him underneath.

By this time, a crowd had gathered and a nearby woman in her car called the police. People stood around the perimeter of the scene, watching as police and medical workers attempted to get Price out from under the truck, which would prove to be impossible.

Bystanders began to take pictures with their cell phones as they milled about watching the effort, which took more than an hour.

"He was a big guy," Gerritz said, motioning with his arms to portray the late man's size. Price will be remembered as a lovable father figure to the brothers of Phi Kappa Psi. "We called him Big Jacks," Gerritz said with a smile.

During the commotion, several attempts were made to shut the car off, but there were no keys in the ignition as they were presumably with Price.

Friends and bystanders speculated that it may have been due to Price's size that it was so difficult to budge him from under the truck.

Rescue workers popped the back tires to lower the rear of the truck, and then wedged blocks of wood underneath the front tires to relieve some of the weight from Price's body to no avail.

Continued...

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