A horrifying disaster occurred in Jackson, Mississippi, that saw one man smothered to death by boiling hot asphalt.
The thought of that demise is brutal even to type, let alone to discover. Officers arrived on the scene around 10:30 a.m. on Monday to investigate a contractor “buried under hot asphalt.” Darrell Sheriff was 41 at the time of his death.
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There is no foul play believed to be involved in the case. This was merely an accident. Sheriff was working underneath the dump truck to make some fixes and adjustments when the asphalt valve mistakenly opened and smothered him. Officers determined a malfunction resulted in the unimaginable death.
Those who saw the accident unfolding attempted to free him but were unable to get him out from under the asphalt.
“I talked to some of his family here on the scene. They said he was a good man, a hard-working man just trying to make a living,” said Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade, per The Miami Herald.
I’ll admit I’ve never heard of a deadly asphalt accident before this. Apparently, however, this is an all too common outcome for those who work around the sticky material. A young worker in Canada suffered the same fate years ago, as did a worker in Kentucky decades ago.
Asphalt pouring is, to no surprise, dangerous. Fumes, such as hydrogen sulfide gas, are released in the process, causing medical problems for those involved in the work. Hazards involving fire and toxins are also an issue.
After all, asphalt has to be between 150 and 200 degrees for it to be used in a liquid form. There’s a whole list of guidelines on working with the substance that stresses the various dangers.
So don’t ever underestimate the danger of the work being done when you drive past a construction site pouring asphalt. That’s some serious work with serious risks.
