It was a normal Monday work day for Darrell Sheriff. The 41-year-old was working his regular shift as a private contractor in Mississippi when on Nov. 4, a freak accident resulted in his horrific death.
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Officers in Jackson, Miss. responded to a call about an accident at 10:30 a.m., according to Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade. When they arrived to the scene, officers found Sheriff “buried under hot asphalt,” Wade said. The contractor was reportedly working on a dump truck when the vehicle carrying large amounts of hot asphalt turned on him.
“It appeared to be some type of malfunction with his dump truck,” Wade said during a press conference. Although the investigation into the tragedy is ongoing, officials say the 41-year-old was underneath the dump truck working on a hydraulic line when the tailgate opened and asphalt fell on him, according to AP News.
When asphalt is delivered to job sites, it typically arrives at scorching hot temperatures of about 275 to 300 degrees, according to Lone Star Paving. The asphalt is also known to irritate and burn human skin, and the fumes from the material are toxic, nj.gov reported.
When the accident occurred, police say eye witnesses tried to help save Sheriff, but the scorching asphalt burned and eventually consumed the man. “They said he tried to fight to make it through those injuries, but they were just too enormous for him to survive,” said the chief. The police have ruled Sheriff’s death an accident, but they continue to investigate the incident.
Police Chief Wade said he spoke to family members of Sheriff who say he was a “good, hardworking man, just trying to make a living.” He described the death as “very horrific and very tragic.” The chief continued his statement asking the city of Jackson to “keep this family uplifted in prayer.”
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