FORT MYERS, Fla. — An employee of A Expert Tire & Service in Fort Myers was killed Aug. 5 when a tire he was servicing exploded.
According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to the dealership where they found Richard Vallini had suffered severe head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to a witness, Vallini was inflating large tires. A co-worker came out to assist him in relieving air pressure in a tire when the tire blew off the rim and struck Vallini in the head and hit the co-worker in the leg.
The incident is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to the sheriff's office.
A Expert Tire is a commercial and retail tire dealership that sells and services passenger, commercial, construction, farm and OTR tires. It has been in business for more than 20 years and is a NAPA AutoCare Center.
