An autopsy conducted on a Tombstone man who died last week after he became trapped under a vehicle revealed his cause of death was traumatic asphyxia.
Dr. Gregory Hess of the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner said the December 6th death of Bradley Maloney has been ruled as accidental. Toxicology tests won’t be completed for several weeks, but there’s no indication those results will alter the medical examiner’s findings.
Maloney, 32, was found shortly after 1:00pm, beneath a station wagon at his residence on East Cowan Lane. Investigators believe Maloney was doing some mechanical work on the vehicle, which somehow came off the jack onto Maloney’s chest.
Two deputies with the Tombstone Marshal’s Office were first to respond. They freed Maloney and performed CPR until personnel with the Tombstone Fire Department and Cochise County Sheriff’s Office arrived. Maloney died at the scene despite nearly 30-mintues of resuscitation efforts. Traumatic asphyxia occurs when there is an intense compression on the chest cavity.
It appeared that the Oldsmobile Cutless station wagon wasn’t properly jacked up and braced safely. The Oldsmobile shifted and fell onto Maloney who is employed by the Tombstone Unified School District as a bus driver and mechanic. No foul play is suspected.
