"Cakes" was baked to death after he was electrocuted on the job
WRIGHT TWP. — A construction worker was killed when the lift he was operating touched a power line Friday morning in the Crestwood Industrial Park.
Jason Evans, 43, of Clarks Summit, died from an apparent electrocution, said Luzerne County Coroner Bill Lisman. An autopsy will be conducted at a yet-to-be-determined date, Lisman said.
Evans was pronounced dead at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township where he was taken from the scene by Mountain Top EMS.
The accident occurred while Evans, an employee of a roofing contractor, was on a job at the East Coast Logistics & Distribution Inc. warehouse along Oak Hill Road.
Wright Township police said emergency responders answered a 911 call at 9:51 a.m. for a man who had been electrocuted. Police said the man, later identified as Evans, was placing material onto the roof from the ground when the lift’s boom came into contact with a high-tension power line. The lift caught fire, Evans was electrocuted and fell to the ground, police said.
Evans was immediately attended to, authorities said, but firefighters could not extinguish the flames due to the active power lines and contacted PPL for assistance.
From the nearby I2M property, smoke could be seen rising from the burning vehicle, with its boom still extended and touching the line.
James Webb said he was driving around the rear of the I2M warehouse around 9:50 a.m. after being asked to come up from the company’s other nearby facility and heard someone yelling, “Get out. Stop the forklift.”
Webb, 33, of North Carolina, said he next heard an explosion.
“That’s when I ran over there,” Webb said.
A worker on the roof of the other warehouse yelled, “go and get a fire extinguisher” and Webb said he ran into the I2M building to get one. He returned with it and gave it to the man who had come down from the roof to the burning vehicle, Webb said. The lift’s operator was on the ground and CPR was being performed on him, Webb said.
Two brothers who work in the I2M building and are volunteer firefighters heard the 911 call and ran over to assist.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was on scene and investigating, police said.
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Telehandler fatality
July 20, 2018 A man was electrocuted on Friday when the boom of his telehandler came into contact with an overhead power line in Mountaintop, near Wilkes-Barre, north east Pennsylvania.
The boom was fully extended without a load when it touched the power lines
Jason Evans, 43, was employed by a roofing contractor and was operating a telehandler with a fully extended boom, but no load on the forks when he came too close to the high tension power lines that cross the facility of East Coast Logistics & Distribution. He was declared dead at a nearby medical facility. Although initial police reports stated that he was placing roofing material onto the roof of a building.
The incident occurred at a logistics/distribution warehouse
The telehandler caught fire, while Evans was thrown from his cab and by the force of the electrical jolt. The machine continued to burn for some time. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.
The machine completely burnt out
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Jason "Cakes" Evans Obituary
Jason “Cakes” Evans, Clarks Summit, died at work Friday because of a work related accident in Luzerne County.
Born in Scranton, he was the son of James and Barbara Tench Evans, Clarks Summit. He was a 1993 graduate of Abington Heights High School, attended Kutztown University, then graduated from Penn State University. He was self-employed and worked alongside his brother as the co-owner of Evans Roofing. He was a member of Our Lady of the Snows Church.
Since Cakes was small, he was known for his love of wrestling. He excelled at Abington Heights and Kutztown University, then coached for many years. Most recently, he enjoyed training and coaching his best buddy and nephew, Luke.
Cakes was a happy man who would always share a smile. His laugh was infectious and will be remembered by everyone who was blessed to hear it. He would help anyone in need, always giving with his giant heart. Cakes was the type of guy you were proud to call your family or friend.
Also surviving are two brothers, James “Ace” Evans III, New Jersey, and Jon “Hoss” Evans and his wife, Jodi, Clarks Summit; nephew, Luke Evans, Clarks Summit; companion, Kelly Mattern, Clarks Summit, her daughters, Kalina and Kyla Mattern, Clarks Summit; uncles, Geoff, Guy and Greg Tench; aunts, Patti Tench and Betsy Bonini.
He was also preceded in death by his two uncles, Donald and Ronald Evans.