Another Home Elevator Death

One man died and two others were injured in a home elevator accident last month. Richard Sandoz, a resident of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, died when the floor of the elevator in his home collapsed. It was the third elevator mishap in that county this year.

Home elevators need to be inspected to prevent elevator accidents, such as the one that killed a man in Mississippi last month.

The elevator was meant for cargo use only, as many in that area of elevated homes on the coast are. People are riding in them anyway. Mr. Sandoz knew of the problem with the elevator and had tried to repair it himself.

Three people were in the elevator when the floor gave way and Mr. Sandoz hit his head on the concrete. Injuries from the fall killed him. The other men suffered minor injuries.

At the beginning of the year a couple in the same county was injured when their home elevator crashed. The woman lost part of her leg.

In the spring, an elevator contractor was injured while installing an elevator.

“This was an avoidable accident,” City Councilman Lonnie Falgout said in an article about Mr. Sandoz on a local website.  “If we’d all just take the time to periodically check out elevators … this could have been prevented … They need to be inspected, at least twice a year. Please, check your elevators.”