BRONTE, Texas (Aug. 24, 2010) — Jesse D. Rosson, an employee at Tom's Tire Lube & Detail in Bronte, died Aug. 18 after a tire he was working on exploded. He was 28.
The Coke County Sheriff's Department reported that the incident, which happened at about 2:30 p.m., was accidental.
Mr. Rosson had been putting air into a Hankook-brand commercial truck tire he was changing when it exploded, likely as a result of overinflation, according to a spokeswoman for the sheriff's department. She said Mr. Rosson suffered severe head trauma when the rim separated from the tire and struck him.
The spokeswoman could not confirm whether Mr. Rosson had been using a tire inflation cage to change the tire. She added that Tom Scates, owner of the Tom's Tire, was very distraught over the incident and closed his shop for several days afterward.
“Nobody's ever got hurt at that shop,” she said. “…The whole town of Bronte is 1,100 people. Everybody knows everybody and everybody knows everyone's kid.”
Mr. Scates opened the shop again Aug. 23 but could not be reached for comment by Tire Business.
Mr. Rosson is survived by his wife Nita; parents Kerry and Leah Rosson; sister Anna Smith; brothers Robert, Caleb and Addison Rosson; and other relatives.