Garage worker crushed to death by dump truck

A mechanic was crushed to death yesterday by a dump truck inside an auto repair business in Roslyn Heights, police said.

Charles Donohue, 53, of Amityville, was pronounced dead at the Roslyn Auto Express, 71 Mineola Ave., about 3 p.m., shortly after he was discovered by someone who entered the shop, Nassau police said.

Homicide Det. Sgt. Richard Laursen said, "We have to confirm it, but there are some indications that there was a safety alert on that type of truck [a 1979 Ford dump truck] where you can accidentally cause the body to come down without hitting the levers in the cab."

The mechanic was working alone, police said, and the time of the accident was not yet determined. "He was last seen at 11:30 in the morning," Laursen said.

Homicide detectives said they were continuing to investigate.