An Erda man was killed Friday morning when the parked car he was in was hit from behind by a minivan on SR-36 in Tooele.

Brent Oborn, 47, a mechanic with Quality Automotive in Tooele, was field-testing a client’s Buick Century in the southbound lanes of SR-36 just south of the 2400 North intersection shortly after 11 a.m. when the vehicle stalled, according to Lt. Paul Wimmer of the Tooele City Police Department.

“He had just been doing some work on the vehicle and was out seeing if it was fixed,” Wimmer said.

Oborn safely maneuvered the Buick out of the main flow of traffic and into the west emergency lane. He then called Quality from his cell phone and asked another employee to come help him. While Oborn was waiting for help to arrive, a Mercury Villager driven by Amy Price, 32, of Tooele, veered off the road and slammed into the backside of the Buick while traveling 60 mph, according to Wimmer.

“It was pretty much a straight-on strike from the back,” Wimmer said. “The rear of the car was lifted slightly by the hood of the van and the two vehicles spun around and ended up facing north.”

The Buick sustained significant damage, requiring firefighters to cut the doors off to extricate Oborn. He was pronounced dead on scene. Police believe Oborn had removed his seat belt prior to the crash.

“He was hit very, very hard,” Wimmer said. “It pushed the rear tires way up into the vehicle. You couldn’t open the doors.”

Price, who was the only occupant of the minivan, sustained minor injuries, Wimmer said.

Oborn, a father of eight, has lived in Erda for 11 years and worked at Quality for nearly 15 years.

Police are still investigating the reason why Price’s vehicle veered off the roadway. Wimmer said when the investigation is complete, the information will then be forwarded to the Tooele County Attorney’s Office for possible charges.

“Ms. Price didn’t really know why she veered off the roadway. She has no recollection of the minutes prior to the accident,” Wimmer said. “We are looking at any possibility. We have no idea if she fell asleep, was on a cell phone, adjusted the radio or took her eyes off the road for a second.”

Wimmer said Price was on her way back from a dentist appointment.

“Officers did a blood draw [on Price] to determine if there was something in her blood that would have contributed to the cause of the accident,” Wimmer said.

The police department is still awaiting results of that test.

Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com