Man dies buried in ‘burning’ asphalt when truck malfunctions, Mississippi cops say

A “hard-working family man” was killed when a dump truck malfunctioned and buried him in hot asphalt, Mississippi law enforcement said.

The private contractor was picking up a load of asphalt on Nov. 4 when the truck had a mechanical issue, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said.

As he was trying to fix the vehicle, it malfunctioned and started pouring “burning” asphalt over him, according to the chief.

Witnesses tried to free him and get some of the asphalt off, but they couldn’t save him, Wade said.

“They said he tried to fight,” the chief said.

He declined to release the man’s name as family was being notified.

“I talked to some of his family here on scene. They said he was a good man, a hard-working man just trying to make a living,” Wade said.

Police have described it as an accidental death but are still conducting an investigation.

Wade said the scene was “horrifying.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2024 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Man dies buried in ‘burning’ asphalt when truck malfunctions, Mississippi cops say."