The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

DAYS after gathering with relatives to watch the Super Bowl, Kirk Young was killed yesterday morning when a forklift collapsed on him at the Airport Industrial Park.

Father-of-three Young, 49, was changing the oil on the machine when the jack failed, crushing him beneath the heavy equipment.

“It’s a bit unbelievable,” his sister, Jody Young, told The Tribune yesterday. “I still can’t fathom this is happening because he was perfectly fine. We all celebrated Super Bowl Sunday, had a big gathering of family. For this to happen is horrible.”

Police said officers were alerted shortly after 11am to a business in the industrial park, where they were told the victim had been working beneath a forklift when the lift malfunctioned and fell on him. Emergency medical personnel found no signs of life. Investigations continue.

Ms Young said she learned of her brother’s death through her niece, who had been informed by Young’s 21-year-old son, who was working alongside his father at the time.

“They were very distraught,” Ms Young said. “My nephew is sobbing because he couldn’t help his father, so they’re a bit out of sorts right now.”

Young, a mechanical engineer, leaves three children: a 25-year-old daughter, a 21-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter preparing to graduate this year.

“You couldn’t find a better father or brother,” Ms Young said.

She said he had been looking forward to seeing his youngest daughter graduate and remained closely involved in family life. The siblings also shared a love for dogs, which she said inspired her involvement in dog breeding.

The family has not yet been called to formally identify the body, she said, adding relatives arrived after it had already been removed from the scene.

“His wife was distraught, saying she wants to see her husband, but I’m sure at this point they probably won’t call until tomorrow,” she said.

Ms Young said her last conversation with her brother was Sunday afternoon after the family gathering.

“He’s very health conscious, so when I cooked the food for Super Bowl Sunday, he only wanted fish,” she said. “I remember him saying he appreciated the effort. I have a son who’s on the spectrum, and he was very excited to spend time with him — he kept asking for my son.”

She added that spending time with relatives mattered deeply to him.