A man was killed Monday while repairing a dump truck in Mississippi when boiling asphalt fell on him, police said.
Officers received a report of an accident around 10:30 am. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said.
Officers found the private contractor charged with picking up asphalt “buried under hot asphalt,” Wade said.
“It looked like there was a malfunction with his dump truck,” he said.
He was repairing the dump truck when the asphalt landed on him, Wade said.
Darrell Sheriff, 41, was under the truck working on a hydraulic line when the tailgate opened and asphalt fell on him, The Associated Press reported.
His family said he was a “good, hard-working family man,” Wade said.
Police will continue to investigate, but the incident appears to have been an accident, Wade said.
The Associated Press contributed.