Indiana father of six recovering after storm sends tree crashing through dealership
Indiana dealership worker pinned after tree crashes through building during storm
Storms turned a routine workday into a fight for survival for a man in Indiana. He was inside a used car dealership when a storm sent a tree crashing through the building, pinning him under the debris.
INDIANA - A routine workday turned into a fight for survival for an Indiana father of six.
Jaime Gutierrez was working at Modern Auto Sales in Lake Station on Aug. 11 when a powerful storm moved through the area.
Indiana dealership worker injured during storm
The backstory:
Gutierrez says he heard wood snap and glass shatter before everything went black.
When he woke up, he was pinned under a tree as the roof continued to collapse around him.
Gutierrez suffered a concussion and multiple spinal fractures.
He is now home with his family but says he is still in a lot of pain and has a long road to recovery.
As a father of six, Gutierrez says one of the hardest parts has been not being able to provide for his children the way he’s used to.
He is also facing major medical expenses.
Gutierrez says he later learned the dealership did not have insurance to cover the incident.
He says he needs another medical procedure but is struggling to cover the costs.
Dig deeper:
His attorney, from Alvarez Law, P.C., says the firm plans to pursue legal options to seek compensation for Gutierrez's injuries.
Gutierrez's attorney provided the following statement:
"First of all, my heart goes out to Jamie and his family for the horrible injuries he has sustained from this unfortunate accident.
"My office, Alvarez Law, P.C., will pursue every legal avenue to obtain a fair and just monetary settlement to try to make Jamie whole because, unfortunately, he is going to suffer for the rest of his life."
Fox Chicago contacted the owners of Modern Auto Sales for comment but did not hear back as of publication.
What's next:
For Gutierrez, the focus now is on healing, while trying to care for his six children and find a way to pay for the treatment he still needs.
Gutierrez has created a GoFundMe to assist with medical costs and living expenses.
The Source: The information in this report came from interviews with Jaime Gutierrez and his attorney, a statement from Alvarez Law, P.C., and a request for comment sent to Modern Auto Sales.