Buford City Employee Killed By Tire Explosion

BUFORD, GA -- A City of Buford employee was killed on the job Tuesday morning when a tire he was working on apparently exploded.

Dave Key, 48, a mechanic and longtime employee of Buford, was at the city's mechanic shop at 1895 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. when the accident happened, police say.

A Gwinnett County Police report says that, when officers arrived at the shop, they saw Key laying on the ground with a serious head injury and a large amount of blood around him.

He was not responsive.

Co-workers told police that Key had just mounted a new tire to a wheel and was bending over to add air to the tire when they heard a loud boom.

One witness said he saw Key's body flipping in the air before hitting the ground, according to the report.

“Mr. Key was a beloved and dedicated employee and served the citizens of Buford for over seventeen years,” Buford City Manager Bryan Kerlin said in a news release.