70-Year-Old Worker Killed in Lift Fall While Hanging Holiday Lights at Alabama Bass Pro Shops

70-Year-Old Worker Killed in Lift Fall While Hanging Holiday Lights at Alabama Bass Pro Shops

Sunday Evening Holiday-Light Job Turned Fatal in Leeds

A 70-year-old man died Sunday evening after falling from a lift outside the Bass Pro Shops store in Leeds, Alabama. Authorities identified the victim as Kurt W. Kralovec of Trussville. According to local officials, Kralovec was working on exterior lighting for the store when he fell from a bucket lift. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The death, reported on Oct. 18 and widely carried on Oct. 19, has drawn attention because it involved an older worker doing seasonal decoration work in front of a major retail store.

Leeds Police Say Call Came Shortly Before 6:30 p.m.

The Leeds Police Department was the first official source to confirm the accident. Officers responded to the Bass Pro Shops in Leeds at about 6:30 p.m. after a report that a worker had fallen from a lift while working on the lights. Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin confirmed that the man fell from a lift at the store. Police said the victim died at the scene and that further details would be released by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office.

Coroner Names Victim as Kurt W. Kralovec of Trussville

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Kurt W. Kralovec, 70, of Trussville. WBRC, which first reported the identification, said the accident occurred while Kralovec was hanging holiday lights outside the store and fell from a bucket lift. Other outlets described the task as changing light bulbs or working on the lights, but all accounts agree on the central facts: exterior lighting work, a fall from a lift, and death at the scene on Sunday.

Employer, Height and Cause of Fall Remain Undisclosed

Authorities have not said what caused the fall. According to ABC3340, police had not disclosed what made the man fall, how high he was working, whether anyone else was on the lift, or who employed him. WBRC and WVTM13 similarly reported only that the death is under investigation. Those gaps matter for accountability: whether Kralovec worked directly for the retailer or for a contractor, whether fall protection was used, and whether the lift was operated correctly remain unanswered in the public record.

Police Inquiry Continues as Safety Questions Linger

Leeds police said the fall appears to have been an accident and that an investigation into the circumstances is ongoing, with the coroner expected to release additional information. Three questions will shape what follows: the formal coroner's findings and cause of death, ownership and operating records for the lift, and the identity of the employer and its safety procedures for work at height. Coming as retailers begin large-scale holiday displays, the fatal fall outside a busy Leeds store underscores the risks of elevated lighting work and the need for clear answers about supervision and safeguards.