On June 8, 2019, Garcia was rushed to Mary Johnston Hospital in Tondo, Manila, after tripping on a cable wire and hitting his head on the pavement during a shoot for Rosang Agimat, an upcoming television series produced by GMA Network. Unconscious, he was later transferred to the ICU at the Makati Medical Center the following day. The actual incident was captured on video. Initial reports stated that Garcia allegedly suffered a heart attack on set according to his family, but was later found to have suffered a neck and cervical fracture due to the fall, contrary to earlier reports.

Garcia's family released a statement contradicting a report that said that Garcia suffered a heart attack. Garcia's family called the initial report "fake news" and said that the actor tripped on a cable wire instead during the shooting and was healthy and fit prior to the incident. A CT scan showed that his brain was in a normal state, ruling out the possibility that he suffered a stroke. The fracture left him in a coma, and on June 15, his family agreed to place him on "do-not-resuscitate" status. On June 19, he had minimal signs of brain activity while remaining dependent on a ventilator. A day later, he was pronounced dead at 4:55 pm (GMT+8) (June 20, 2019), at the age of 90. In accordance with his last wishes, Garcia's remains were cremated and placed inside an olive green urn immediately after his death. His wake was held at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig.

Garcia's accident and eventual death became an issue as there was no standby medical team or ambulance at the set of Rosang Agimat. The unconscious Garcia was lifted from the pavement by non-medical personnel, carrying him to a passing taxicab. Several people, including his wife Lilibeth, stressed that the accident could have been prevented if only the GMA management took safety precautions. The Directors' Guild of the Philippines Inc. (DGPI) referred to Garcia's death as "a sad and urgent reminder to the film and television industries that safety protocols at work and on set are of paramount importance". The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) started an investigation regarding the circumstances of Garcia's accident which led to his death. The OSHC found some OSH-related violations on the part of GMA Network based on the uploaded online video of Garcia's accident, such as lack of first-aid, medical supplies, and a stretcher. They also observed how Garcia was "carried by personnel using bare hands". On September 4, the DOLE added that GMA Network failed to submit an incident report within 24 hours after the accident. On December 23, the DOLE fined GMA Network an amount of ₱890,000.00 because of the incident. The network submitted an appeal in response to the ruling.