Man suffered fatal 7-story fall involving forklift and elevator shaft in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee County medical examiner was called out to the area near 37th and Wisconsin Monday afternoon, March 4 for a fatal seven-story fall down an elevator shaft.

Jamurson Smith

The medical examiner said around 1:45 p.m., the victim was driving a forklift at the former CH Coakley and Company building when the forklift fell down the elevator shaft.

"That's a long, long flight to go down," said Jamurson Smith, who lives in the building. "I used to drive a forklift and we never got on the elevator with no forklift."

The man was extricated from the forklift by fire officials at the bottom of the elevator shaft -- and pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation was ongoing into the circumstances that led to the tragedy. The victim was not immediately identified.

Robert Dockins

"Somebody is losing a family member, and that's tragic," said Robert Dockins.

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The building, formerly owned by CH Coakley and Company was sold to another owner in 2017. According to the Coakley family, the new company was in the process of renovating the building to turn it into storage space. The building was part of the Coakley family since it was built in 1927. The family offered their condolences to the family of the victim.

An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday.