‘He’s one of those unforgettable heroes’: Mechanic killed after being pinned under Amazon van

By Rachael Perry

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    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPBF) — Friends and family are grieving the loss of the man killed while working on an Amazon delivery van early Tuesday morning.

According to Port St. Lucie police, Andrew Tabannah was working underneath the van at the Amazon Distribution Center on Southwest Anthony F. Sansome Sr. Boulevard around 12:08 a.m. when the jack gave out.

Police told WPBF the van then partially collapsed, pinning Tabannah underneath. His co-workers immediately placed additional jacks under the van and pulled him out. They began lifesaving measures until emergency medical services arrived.

Tabannah was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

WPBF sat down with Roxy Brown, a friend of Tabannah, who said he was both a loving husband and father.

“Oh my God, he was an amazing father. He belongs to our church, and all the kids loved him. I used to just sit back and just watch him with his son and his daughter and my heart bleeds for them because I know how much they were close with him,” Brown said. “And we just want everyone, just pray for the family, pray for his wife. They just celebrated 16 years of marriage in September.”

Brown has known Tabannah for several years, as he was a longtime volunteer for CareBag, a charity she founded.

“He’s one of those unforgettable heroes this community never knew about, and I want everyone to know how great he was,” Brown said.

CareBag named Tabannah both its 2018 and 2023 volunteer of the year.

“We just wanted him to know how much we love and appreciate him,” she said.

Brown said Tabannah always went above and beyond to help those in need.

“What set him apart was when you meet him, 300 pounds of muscle coming at you with a big smile, that New York’s Bronx swagger and to some people, he may look intimidating, but when he gives you that smile and says, ‘How can I help you?’ That does it,” she told WPBF.

She said Tabannah had the biggest heart.

“If your car was broken down on the street, now everybody zips by. I guarantee you, Andrew was going to stop. If you were walking and you looked like you needed some help, he was going to pull over,” Brown added.

She explained how, while his appearance could at times make him intimidating, she always saw him as a teddy bear.

“If he knew you and loved you, he would defend you,” Brown added. “He’s the people that we miss. Our country is different. He’s the people that we miss back in those days. He’d lend a hand, and anybody that knew him loved him. I called him a big old teddy bear. That’s what he was.”

Brown said anyone interested in helping Tabannah’s family through this time can visit their social media page for more information.

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