06/11/10 — Man dies after car slips off jack

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Man dies after car slips off jack

By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on June 11, 2010 1:46 PM

A Goldsboro man was crushed to death while working underneath his car at his home on Riverbend Road earlier this week.

The accident that killed Michael Schuch happened Tuesday, a member of his family said.

Schuch, 34, had gone outside early that morning to repair a flat tire on the vehicle parked in his driveway.

Sister-in-law Traciee Kirkland of Fort Hood, Texas, said the jack apparently slipped and the car fell on him, killing him immediately.

Family members are gathering from around the country to support Schuch's widow and three small children.

The eldest child, Jacob, 5, heard his father call for help and went to get his mother, Heather.

In addition to Jacob, Schuch leaves behind a daughter, Sarah, 2, and another son, Joshua, who turned a year old Wednesday.

Schuch was originally from Ballwin, Miss. The family he leaves behind is in financial straits in the wake of his death, Mrs. Kirkland said. Schuch had been working part-time at the Target store after moving his family to the city two years ago from St. Charles, Mo.

The family had moved to the Goldsboro area to take care of Heather's father, Ted Hill, who became quadriplegic following a motorcycle accident.

The family is in the process of setting up a trust fund to help Mrs. Schuch and her children at Bank of America.