Kansas City, Mo. ? A 27-year-old Lawrence man died Thursday from injuries sustained when he tried to stop a moving truck from rolling down a hill near the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo.

Fredrick D. Simmons had been part of a crew unloading furniture from the back of a box-style moving truck Thursday afternoon when the truck’s parking brake “let go,” sending the vehicle rolling downhill, said Capt. Steve Young, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department.

The man, who worked for Lawrence-based Professional Moving & Storage, had run after the truck and tried to jump in, but was run over by one of its rear wheels. He died at an area hospital.

“We are sad about the loss of our employee after a tragic accident and pray for the family,” said Bobby Jones, the company’s president.

Jones said he could not comment about the circumstances of the accident because it remains under investigation.