Ian Brunner: College grad crushed to death in freak accident while restoring 1994 Miata
DAYTON, OHIO: A recent college graduate was killed when a car he was working on crushed him to death. Ian Brunner had nearly restored a 1994 Miata and was doing some extra work when the jack holding it collapsed. The 22-year-old had recently graduated from the University of Dayton in Ohio with a mechanical engineering degree.
When the incident occurred, Brunner was in the parking lot of a student housing facility. At approximately 7 pm on Sunday (May 7), an anonymous caller dialed 911 to report the event.
"I'm outside of Campus South Apartments at the University of Dayton," the unnamed caller told WHIO. "A car fell on a kid, and he's – this jack fell out from underneath him, and he's trapped underneath and not responding."
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'We ask that the community keep this young man's family in prayers'
Brunner, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, died at the site. The University said, "We ask that the community keep this young man's family, friends, and loved ones in their prayers. Officials stated that their focus was "on the family who is finding out about the death of a loved one and respecting their grief and ability to inform immediate family members."
The school said, "This is a process and time frame we can't control," stated the school. The University does have internal support structures that are immediately put into place for those in our community directly impacted by the loss," as reported by DailyStar.
"Miata is pain. Miata is love," he wrote on Instagram at the time. "I just finished a full rebuild of the engine, and it's running great now! Thanks to everyone who helped." As they grieve, Brunner's family has requested privacy.
Brunner was in Mars Rover Team, Motor Sports Club
Ian earned his high school diploma from North Allegheny High School in 2019 before enrolling at the University of Dayton. According to his obituary, he took part in a variety of extracurricular activities, including skiing, cross-country running, track and field, and robotics. Brunner also participated in the college's Makerspace, Mars Rover Team, and Motor Sports Club in addition to the neighborhood British Transportation Museum and the YouTube channel "Things I Build," as reported by People.