By Kelly O'Connell Reporter
News 3 On Your Side
The death of a 73 year-old man found burned this morning is now being called an accidental death. News 3 On Your Side
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Stumble It!The body was found at his workplace - Tasty Delight - on Buena Vista Road near Henry Avenue in Columbus.
Firefighters first arrived at the Tasty Delight auto garage Tuesday morning after reports of a fire outside of the building.
But they found much more than just a fire.
They found a burned body.
That body belonged to 73 year old Jimmy Lee Gates, the owner of the garage.
His wife of more than 50 years says her husband loved this place.
“Working guy, work, work, work,” says wife Willie Gates.
Police believe Gates went to work, like he did any other morning, and somehow caught on fire.
It appears he tried to run to the back of the building but either fell or collapsed into a wooden fence.
At that point, police believe he was fully engulfed in flames.
His body was found in this grassy area on the side of the garage.
One of Gates' co-workers says this is all surreal.
“It's crazy, crazy, real crazy, got me shook up,” says Carl Blackshire.
Police are ruling this as an accidental death and say no one else was at the garage during the time of the fire or the death.
Accident or not- after years together, Willie Gates doesn't know what to do without her husband.
“I just don't know what to feel, I don't know whether to go to work, go home or run away or what,” says Willie Gates.
Along with his wife, Gates leaves behind 5 children and 7 grandchildren.
The Tasty Delight garage has been in the gates family since the 70's.
Gates was pronounced dead at the scene just before 11 this morning.
His body has been sent to the crime lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.
