Man trying to free stuck utility vehicle dies when it rolls over him, Florida cops say

A man was killed when he tried to free his utility vehicle that had become stuck at the edge of a hill and it rolled over him, according to a Florida sheriff’s office.

Christopher Guse, 38, was riding a side-by-side utility vehicle around a property in Orange City on the evening of Sept. 4 when it became stuck, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. A side-by-side is an off-road vehicle with two seats positioned next to each other.

“Guse got out of the vehicle, then returned to it and began to climb inside, causing it to shift and break free,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “As Guse tried to get out of the vehicle’s path, it rolled over him and down the hill.”

Officials pronounced Guse dead at the scene. Orange City is about 40 miles northeast of Orlando.

Family members and friends mourned his loss on social media.

“Chris was such a nice guy and great dad,” one person wrote. “I am so saddened to hear of his passing.”

“I just talked to you the other day…,” another loved one wrote. “We we’re supposed to load the (side-by-sides) and take the families riding…..I am in absolute shock…..”

Another friend wrote that he couldn’t believe the news of Guse’s death was real.

“Chris Guse you will be greatly missed by many and you were perhaps the funniest person I knew,” he wrote. “Always such a positive guy and always there for me.”

This story was originally published September 6, 2022 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Man trying to free stuck utility vehicle dies when it rolls over him, Florida cops say."