Sat, 12/19/2015 - 01:57 pm

Salem, New Hampshire Police Department

A 23-year-old Boothbay man was airlifted to a Boston hospital Saturday with a head injury after a tire exploded and killed another man in Salem, New Hampshire, Salem police reported. Adam Sproul’s condition was stable Monday, his mother said.

At about 7:53 a.m. Dec. 19, Salem police and the Salem Fire Department responded to an industrial accident at the Sears Auto Center in the mall at Rockingham Park, according to a Salem Police Department press release. Salem Police Dispatch received a 911 call reporting that a tire had exploded at the auto center, injuring two people.

Upon arrival, Salem police and fire officers observed a Sears Auto worker suffering from life-threatening injuries from blunt force trauma to his head. Sproul, a customer there, suffered a head injury, the release states.

Salem Fire took the Sears Auto worker, Justin Almon, 22, of Sandown, New Hampshire, to Parkland Medical Center; he was pronounced dead a short time later. Salem Fire took Sproul to Lawrence General Hospital; he was then airlifted to Boston Medical Center with a serious head injury, the release continues.

Mary Batakis, Sproul's mother, reported through a Facebook message to the Boothbay Register on Monday that her son was stable - out of ICU - and being monitored regularly. The full extent of the damages will be revealed in time, she said.

A preliminary investigation showed that Almon was in the process of fixing a large truck tire on an industrial tire changer when the incident occurred. The Salem Police Investigative Services Unit and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were investigating Saturday’s incident.

Salem Police Sgt Chad Clark said Sunday that the department’s investigation was largely wrapping up and, because it is not a criminal matter, OSHA and Sears would likely be handling it going forward.