Stamford man died freeing stuck car, police say

A 20-year-old man from Stamford died in the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 4 after being accidentally pinned by his car on the side of the road in the Delaware County town of Davenport, police say.

Travis J. Barra was found dead underneath his 1996 Ford Crown Victoria on the side of Brickhouse Hill Road at 3:19 a.m. on Friday by the New York State Police, according to a press release.

Police are still investigating the incident, but they think that Barra was accidentally crushed by his car while trying to move it when it got stuck on the side of the road.

The investigation, which is ongoing, found that Barra was driving south when he drove off the road onto the west shoulder, where the car got stuck.

When Barra got out of the car to try to move it, he left it running in neutral and then attempted to free the vehicle, police say.

The car rolled then rolled backward, pinning Barra underneath the vehicle, where he died of "mechanical asphyxiation," according to the Delaware County Coroner, Dr. Richard Ucci.

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