Drew Rinner and family.Photo: Marissa Rinner
Drew Rinner, 31, was changing a tire in his driveway on Sunday afternoon when the car he was working on him fell on top of him, killing him instantly, NBC affiliateWLWTfirst reported.
“The spare was underneath the car. When he crawled under to get the spare, the jack failed and the car crushed him,” his wife Marissa, 27, tells PEOPLE, adding that the entire experience has been “very traumatic.”
Despite being heartbroken, Marissa feels a responsibility to speak out.
“I would like to bring awareness to how dangerous climbing under a car is because I don’t want anyone else to experience this,” she says. “We never thought anything like this would happen for a seemingly simple task for him.”
Marissa Rinner
Marissa, who is currently pregnant with their third child, said she was in the kitchen while her husband was attempting the chore, pet WLWT.
“I kept coming to check on him, and when I did I saw what had happened,” she told the news station. “My 4-year-old said, ‘My daddy’s dead.’ Right away, I ran to get the neighbors. I called 911.”
“He was one of the kindest, gentlest, and most loyal people I have ever known,” Marissa’s mother, Jeanne Duke, wrote in a message on aGoFundMepage she helped organize for the young family.
“My daughter will have a very long road ahead of her of healing but an even greater one to get through a high risk pregnancy to deliver our new grandchild into this world safely,” she added of the 27-year-old mom, who is due to welcome their third child in May.
RELATED VIDEO: Mom Hospitalized with Severe Injuries After Most of Her Family Dies in Iowa Tornado
Marissa’s mother went on to share that the family is in need of financial support.
“He had no life insurance and with Marissa on high risk pregnancy, she isn’t working,” Duke wrote, noting that her daughter needs help covering household costs as well as funeral expenses.
As of Thursday, the campaign has raised over $41,000.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Their Ohio community is also coming together to show their support.
“Earlier this week a highly valued member of our team tragically lost her husband in an accident,” a local swim schoolwrotein a social media post. As a way to help, they said they will be donating the proceeds from their upcoming family swims to the Rinners.
“Marissa and her family were first enrolled as members with us and then Marissa joined our team as a swim instructor, deck teacher, and front desk employee shortly after,” they continued. “Our hearts are broken for her and her family as they learn to navigate this world without Drew.”
Marissa, who met her husband while they were in college, said he was her “best friend” and did “everything” he could to provide for them.
“It’s so hard,” she told WLWT. “And now I have to raise three kids. I’m sad he won’t get to meet his third child and I know they’ll grow up to love him forever and his memory will live on.”
The Ohio mom has also thanked her loved ones “for all the kind words, love and support” they’ve shared.
“This is the most difficult thing my family has ever had to go through and I pray that no one else has to go through anything like this,” shewroteon Facebook. “Please, think about safety first. You never think something like this will actually happen until it’s too late.”
Funeral serviceswill be held for Drew on Friday. His family asks that those in attendance wear either a Stars Wars shirt or something green, his favorite color.
“Let’s honor the amazing man that he was,” Marissa shared.
source: people.com
