Man crushed to death by truck in Frazer identified

A worker at an auto salvage yard in Frazer was killed Thursday morning when the pickup truck he was dismantling slipped off a rack and landed on him, according to authorities.

The victim was identified Friday as Joseph Hloznik, 48, of Tarentum by the The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, which will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of his death.

Police Chief Terry Kuhns said he and Sgt. Aaron Scott responded to Hloznik Auto Salvage at 304 Clarks Pike Road at 11:04 a.m. after another employee noticed the front end of the pickup was off the rack.

Hloznik was a member of the family who owns the salvage yard.

“The man who died was working by himself in an area at the back of the property,” the chief said. “Another worker happened to be driving by and noticed that the truck had fallen.”

The chief said Hloznik was using a homemade steel rack that vehicles are hoisted onto with a front-end loader so parts can be removed from the underside.

Kuhns said it appears Hloznik was working under the pickup when the front of the vehicle slid off the rack and landed on him.

“The rack didn’t collapse or break,” he said. “The pickup came off the front crossbar.”

The two police officers performed CPR on the victim until Eureka Fire Rescue EMS arrived. Hloznik was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kuhns said Hloznik’s death appears to have been accidental, but the final determination will be made by the medical examiner.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be notified so they can investigate the incident, the chief said.