West Palm police ID Stuart man, 59, who died when lift fell on him at Kravis Center
Investigators say John Trevor Whiting was trying to load equipment onto a truck when it fell on top of him at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.
WEST PALM BEACH — Police in West Palm Beach are conducting a death investigation after a 59-year-old Stuart man was found trapped under a scissor lift outside the Kravis Center on Monday, June. 24.
John Trevor Whiting, an employee of All Florida Transport Services of Lake Park, died shortly after the incident, which took place about 9 a.m. along the north side of the venue on Okeechobee Boulevard, police spokesperson Mike Jachles said.
According to a department statement, Whiting was moving a wheeled work platform weighing more than 1,000 pounds from the artist's entrance to a truck. As he maneuvered the Genie AWP-40s toward the base of the lowered flatbed to load it, it fell over horizontally, landing on him.
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A scissor lift is a piece of construction equipment that raises workers 10 or more feet into the air. It features a standing platform on top of mechanical arms that move upward in crossed shapes, similar to the cutting device from which it takes its name.
Police said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified and responded to the scene to conduct the workplace fatality investigation.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death. No charges are pending, and the investigation remains open.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at@JuliusWhigham. Help support our work:Subscribe today.