A man in Mississippi died after being “buried under hot asphalt” in what police described as a “tragic” accident.

Chief Joseph Wade said that around 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday, Nov. 4, Jackson Police Department (JPD) officers were called to AJ Materials in the 1000 block of E. McDowell Road in Jackson, Miss. A press conference shared on Facebook.

The Malfunction Caused the Dump Truck to Dump Asphalt on the Man

“Upon arrival, they found a person buried under the hot asphalt,” Wade told reporters of the man, believed to be a private contractor.

“It turned out that the dump truck he was there to collect asphalt had some kind of malfunction,” the police chief explained, adding that the truck “emptied” as the man tried to “fix” the vehicle. hot material “on.”

according to Associated Press The man was identified as Darrell Sheriff. He was 41 years old. Describing the incident as “horrible” and “tragic”, Wade said at the press conference that his “heart goes out to his family”.

Sheriff Described as a ‘Good’, ‘Hard-working’ Man

He told reporters he spoke with some family members at the scene, who said the contractor was “a good guy, a hard-working guy.”

“A very horrific situation occurred and unfolded here this morning,” Wade said, sharing that the man’s family members were “hurt” and “traumatized, and rightly so.”

The police chief confirmed the investigation was ongoing but added that “at this time it appears to be an accidental death.”

“There were some people at the scene trying to help him,” Wade recalled at the conference. “They said he tried to fight his way out of his injuries but they were too bad for him to survive.”

“To lose this gentleman here who was just trying to make a living with the holidays approaching,” the police officer told reporters. “They are truly injured, but we will be here to support them and lift their spirits with prayers.”

When asked what it was like to work on such an event, Wade said: “It was scary. It was scary and it’s something you don’t want to see.” he said.

“Seeing it was one thing, but actually talking to family members, their pain, their pain, their shock… this Monday morning people are going to work, they don’t want to hear about the pain that a family member is going through.” “As they told me, he lost his life just trying to make a living,” he added.